For the purposes expressed in the comic, the above wrench should be more than adequate. Granted it might not hold up long, but it'll get the job done. YMMV
Create a link from your machine to his. Save the file local to his machine instead of yours (via the link). Share out your link to him. He'll actually be taking the long way around back to his own box.
And in fact, were that camera orbiting Jupiter, it would only have to send the 10% data back to Earth where the reconstruction could take place. It turns into "real-time" compression.
eBay and Craigslist usually have some but it's a pain to get DirecTV to enable the boxes (but if you escalate enough, you can eventually get them on your account). I traded my two boxes to a friend (who had two that were dying) for the laptop I'm currently using. He's already upgraded to TiVo boxes w/ cablecard, but I'm pretty sure the boxes he had are traded on to other people.
You define it up front in the project and stick to it.
Look at the skill set of the team. If you don't have a strong database guy, your logic will probably be in the app layer. If the database is shared between apps/services/etc., then more logic needs to be enforced there. Data integrity triggers to prevent bad data from getting into the database from any side. Access to tables going through stored procs.
If you have to debug, you work through it regardless of where it is. Just like testing anything with multiple layers (gui, app layer, remote web services, database code, etc.), you test each layer individually but using the same call as a collective test. Eventually, you will isolate the layer with the issue. Dig in deep and root out the problem.
Vendor products tend to shy away from stored procs and views because it ties them to a particular back-end (and can limit sales). Instead of spending time writing database code, they just show it all into the front-end. That doesn't mean they can't take steps to prevent SQL Injection.
I had DirecTiVo for a while (DirecTV and TiVo had a joint product) and now I have Dish Network's product. Comparing the two, TiVo is really the much better DVR software. They have features that the others don't (and can't until patents expire in probably 10 more years). One of the ones that I miss is the Suggestions (aka keep my harddrive full) that will record shows during "down" time that match types and styles of shows you already record -- it's great when your normal shows aren't recording because of special events like The Winter Olympics. I never had an issue with shows recording multiple times (only record new, but the satellite picks up locals and shows them on 3 feeds [HD, local channel number, and 8000 channel number] so the DVR records the new episode on all three feeds because it's my highest ranked show). The TiVo interface is easier and better with groupings of shows into folders instead of just a list of everything recorded. All-in-all, the TiVo *IS* the best DVR available.
Other than DirecTiVo, there hasn't really been a single device that allowed you to have satellite and TiVo at the same time. Sure, the newer TiVo's have cablecard support, but it's not easy to get cablecards. The TiVo trying to operate the other box isn't the greatest solution either. Especially when your DVR is capable of recording multiple feeds (mine will record two satellite feeds plus OTA digital). The early TiVo's with analog cable were an easy implementation, but now that cable has gone digital, it's harder to have a TiVo.....but you wind up paying extra for the priviledge and in today's economy, the DVR from the provider is "good enough" that the TiVo becomes and expense that you live without. It's better, but is it "better enough" to justify the extra expense?
Oh ye of little faith. The internet will have that crack available on Dec. 31st 2010 (if they don't *ALREADY* have it). The spec is defined, it's just a matter of implementing it. Of course, those "BluRay is great" commercials they show on the regular DVDs will need to have some more asterisks added.
BluRay is great [*]
[*] except for people with older hardware that we've jacked your picture down to regular DVD resolution. For you, you can't tell the difference but you'll buy our crap anyway because we quit making regular DVDs and you're just screwed. Make us richer. NOW!
I'm married and have kids. I had to go wired because of Hulu and YouTube being streamed to three different computers while I was trying to watch Netflix.
You assume nothing else is running on your network when you stream your movies? And that your neighbor isn't interfering with your channel? And, and, and....
Those clipped into the faceplate and my walls look nice and professional -- even though I did it myself. Regular pre-made cables from the wall to my devices.
Actually, it wasn't hype. It was just that the important code was fixed well in advance of the cut-off date (believe it or not, an I/T project that met the timeline). I know of several Y2K issues that were fixed at two different companies (I changed jobs in August of 1999). The hype lead to focus which lead to the event being a non-issue. Same went for several other over-hyped events (swine flu, anyone?); raised awareness turns catastrophe into non-event.
I will argue that learning the solution spaces is more important that even imperative vs descriptive vs whatever. The new languages will all have some new twist that makes them more efficient and cool and whatever else to become adopted. Showing that you can adopt to these twists will keep you employed.
Structural programming Functional programming Event driven programming Object Oriented programming Aspect Oriented programming Scripting languages Web Services / Service Oriented Architecture etc.
These are the things that you need to know. Just knowing looping structures and what not won't help you when the fundamental approach to solving the problem changes because the language changes models. Showing that you can freely move from one model to the other, however, makes you valuable and should keep you employed. I do a lot of coding by Google because I don't know the language -- but I know the solution space and know what I'm looking for, the rest is just APIs and syntax.
Actually, the guy with zero years of.Net is just as likely to be useless as the one with only one year (unless it's a really good year). COBOL and.Net approach solutions differently. Sure, both can probably handle the syntax and can write loops and functions and what not. But neither one really knows how to develop a solid.Net application from the ground up. When should I use one architecture vs the other architecture to solve this business problem? If you've got the senior member that can mentor either of them, then the guy with only one year of.Net will be the better choice -- they'll be cheaper and be able to crank out the same code.
I'll take a guy with three or four years of Java and no.Net over the guy with only one year of.Net, though. The Java experience will translate to.Net in that both languages have a similar approach to a solution. A guy (like me) with many years of experience in multiple languages and multiple solution paradigms would be your best choice because I've shown that I can adapt to any technology you choose and I have the experience necessary to write good solid code. Of course, I'm now 37, so I guess I'm only good for three more years before I need to get a lobotomy.
Where is my generations version of COBOL Y2K jobs? We need some sort of archaic technology that only we understand so that we can be hired back at exorbitant salary multipliers! Too bad I'll have to wait until 2038 for that (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2038_problem).
Except games have always had PC requirements printed on the box. Wasn't there a meme about "but can it run Crysis" that epitomized the fact that games push on. Eventually a game comes out that requires the horsepower of _something better_. It's usually the FPS games that push it first because of the need for realistic graphics, fast action, and intense AI (that can still suck, but getting better). RPG's, they aren't quite as resource hungry. RTS, somewhere in the middle. I know it's a catch-22. Game companies want to target the lowest possible machine to give the widest possible install base but they also want to push the envelope as far as possible to get the most PAZOW (which drives sales to a large extent). Finding that balance is hard, but I have to think that giving up on single-core machines at this point is worth more in sales than fighting the performance hurdles to support both modes. Without the PAZOW factor, games tend to get lumped into the "Game X clone" category which hurts sales....even if the clone is better than the original.
That's most likely a proxy configuration issue (you should match the settings in IE). Unless they actually check user agents on requests and block all non-sanctioned ones.....which I haven't really heard of people doing, but I suppose they could.
You can always use a portable version of FF (http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable). No install rights required. And you can use the I/T sanctioned browser for sites that require IE6. Best of both worlds.
I'd love for it to be that simple. The internal tools are "easy" to deal with -- upgrade and submit a trouble ticket that I/T has to work free overtime to fix. The problem are the vendor apps/tools that aren't compatible. Even if you are a large company, if the vendor doesn't put a focus on it (or worse yet is even still around) you are stuck waiting for them to do the upgrade. I've got apps that I have to deal with that still require the MS Java runtime and aren't compatible with the Java (err Oracle) runtime.
Sure, you say open source would prevent this, but keep in mind: business weenies and pointy-hair bosses are swayed by salesmen with free pens, not by some web-site that says "take this software, please".....
Slashdot Mirror
It's all in where you look: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=39642
For the purposes expressed in the comic, the above wrench should be more than adequate. Granted it might not hold up long, but it'll get the job done. YMMV
Create a link from your machine to his. Save the file local to his machine instead of yours (via the link). Share out your link to him. He'll actually be taking the long way around back to his own box.
I find it takes more hours to do anything useful, but I can goof off in so many more ways and do so quickly.
And in fact, were that camera orbiting Jupiter, it would only have to send the 10% data back to Earth where the reconstruction could take place. It turns into "real-time" compression.
eBay and Craigslist usually have some but it's a pain to get DirecTV to enable the boxes (but if you escalate enough, you can eventually get them on your account). I traded my two boxes to a friend (who had two that were dying) for the laptop I'm currently using. He's already upgraded to TiVo boxes w/ cablecard, but I'm pretty sure the boxes he had are traded on to other people.
You define it up front in the project and stick to it.
Look at the skill set of the team. If you don't have a strong database guy, your logic will probably be in the app layer.
If the database is shared between apps/services/etc., then more logic needs to be enforced there. Data integrity triggers to prevent bad data from getting into the database from any side. Access to tables going through stored procs.
If you have to debug, you work through it regardless of where it is. Just like testing anything with multiple layers (gui, app layer, remote web services, database code, etc.), you test each layer individually but using the same call as a collective test. Eventually, you will isolate the layer with the issue. Dig in deep and root out the problem.
Vendor products tend to shy away from stored procs and views because it ties them to a particular back-end (and can limit sales). Instead of spending time writing database code, they just show it all into the front-end. That doesn't mean they can't take steps to prevent SQL Injection.
I had DirecTiVo for a while (DirecTV and TiVo had a joint product) and now I have Dish Network's product. Comparing the two, TiVo is really the much better DVR software. They have features that the others don't (and can't until patents expire in probably 10 more years). One of the ones that I miss is the Suggestions (aka keep my harddrive full) that will record shows during "down" time that match types and styles of shows you already record -- it's great when your normal shows aren't recording because of special events like The Winter Olympics. I never had an issue with shows recording multiple times (only record new, but the satellite picks up locals and shows them on 3 feeds [HD, local channel number, and 8000 channel number] so the DVR records the new episode on all three feeds because it's my highest ranked show). The TiVo interface is easier and better with groupings of shows into folders instead of just a list of everything recorded. All-in-all, the TiVo *IS* the best DVR available.
Other than DirecTiVo, there hasn't really been a single device that allowed you to have satellite and TiVo at the same time. Sure, the newer TiVo's have cablecard support, but it's not easy to get cablecards. The TiVo trying to operate the other box isn't the greatest solution either. Especially when your DVR is capable of recording multiple feeds (mine will record two satellite feeds plus OTA digital). The early TiVo's with analog cable were an easy implementation, but now that cable has gone digital, it's harder to have a TiVo.....but you wind up paying extra for the priviledge and in today's economy, the DVR from the provider is "good enough" that the TiVo becomes and expense that you live without. It's better, but is it "better enough" to justify the extra expense?
Oh ye of little faith. The internet will have that crack available on Dec. 31st 2010 (if they don't *ALREADY* have it). The spec is defined, it's just a matter of implementing it. Of course, those "BluRay is great" commercials they show on the regular DVDs will need to have some more asterisks added.
BluRay is great [*]
[*] except for people with older hardware that we've jacked your picture down to regular DVD resolution. For you, you can't tell the difference but you'll buy our crap anyway because we quit making regular DVDs and you're just screwed. Make us richer. NOW!
Already happened for Chicago. Just need some more cities. http://www.microsoft.com/games/midtown/
I'm married and have kids. I had to go wired because of Hulu and YouTube being streamed to three different computers while I was trying to watch Netflix.
Mine didn't. It had a snap in "punch down" piece that did the work for you. I got them from Fry's.
You assume nothing else is running on your network when you stream your movies? And that your neighbor isn't interfering with your channel? And, and, and....
I like my wired network, thanks much.
The ones I got were pre-labelled and didn't require any crimping (just stripping the outer shell off). It looked more or less like this - http://www-personal.umich.edu/~csev/hng/book/06wiring/female.jpg
Those clipped into the faceplate and my walls look nice and professional -- even though I did it myself. Regular pre-made cables from the wall to my devices.
Actually, it wasn't hype. It was just that the important code was fixed well in advance of the cut-off date (believe it or not, an I/T project that met the timeline). I know of several Y2K issues that were fixed at two different companies (I changed jobs in August of 1999). The hype lead to focus which lead to the event being a non-issue. Same went for several other over-hyped events (swine flu, anyone?); raised awareness turns catastrophe into non-event.
I will argue that learning the solution spaces is more important that even imperative vs descriptive vs whatever. The new languages will all have some new twist that makes them more efficient and cool and whatever else to become adopted. Showing that you can adopt to these twists will keep you employed.
Structural programming
Functional programming
Event driven programming
Object Oriented programming
Aspect Oriented programming
Scripting languages
Web Services / Service Oriented Architecture
etc.
These are the things that you need to know. Just knowing looping structures and what not won't help you when the fundamental approach to solving the problem changes because the language changes models. Showing that you can freely move from one model to the other, however, makes you valuable and should keep you employed. I do a lot of coding by Google because I don't know the language -- but I know the solution space and know what I'm looking for, the rest is just APIs and syntax.
Actually, the guy with zero years of .Net is just as likely to be useless as the one with only one year (unless it's a really good year). COBOL and .Net approach solutions differently. Sure, both can probably handle the syntax and can write loops and functions and what not. But neither one really knows how to develop a solid .Net application from the ground up. When should I use one architecture vs the other architecture to solve this business problem? If you've got the senior member that can mentor either of them, then the guy with only one year of .Net will be the better choice -- they'll be cheaper and be able to crank out the same code.
I'll take a guy with three or four years of Java and no .Net over the guy with only one year of .Net, though. The Java experience will translate to .Net in that both languages have a similar approach to a solution. A guy (like me) with many years of experience in multiple languages and multiple solution paradigms would be your best choice because I've shown that I can adapt to any technology you choose and I have the experience necessary to write good solid code. Of course, I'm now 37, so I guess I'm only good for three more years before I need to get a lobotomy.
Where is my generations version of COBOL Y2K jobs? We need some sort of archaic technology that only we understand so that we can be hired back at exorbitant salary multipliers! Too bad I'll have to wait until 2038 for that (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2038_problem).
My Precious! Wants It! Give me Precious!
Except games have always had PC requirements printed on the box. Wasn't there a meme about "but can it run Crysis" that epitomized the fact that games push on. Eventually a game comes out that requires the horsepower of _something better_. It's usually the FPS games that push it first because of the need for realistic graphics, fast action, and intense AI (that can still suck, but getting better). RPG's, they aren't quite as resource hungry. RTS, somewhere in the middle. I know it's a catch-22. Game companies want to target the lowest possible machine to give the widest possible install base but they also want to push the envelope as far as possible to get the most PAZOW (which drives sales to a large extent). Finding that balance is hard, but I have to think that giving up on single-core machines at this point is worth more in sales than fighting the performance hurdles to support both modes. Without the PAZOW factor, games tend to get lumped into the "Game X clone" category which hurts sales....even if the clone is better than the original.
That's most likely a proxy configuration issue (you should match the settings in IE). Unless they actually check user agents on requests and block all non-sanctioned ones.....which I haven't really heard of people doing, but I suppose they could.
You can always use a portable version of FF (http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable). No install rights required. And you can use the I/T sanctioned browser for sites that require IE6. Best of both worlds.
I'd love for it to be that simple. The internal tools are "easy" to deal with -- upgrade and submit a trouble ticket that I/T has to work free overtime to fix. The problem are the vendor apps/tools that aren't compatible. Even if you are a large company, if the vendor doesn't put a focus on it (or worse yet is even still around) you are stuck waiting for them to do the upgrade. I've got apps that I have to deal with that still require the MS Java runtime and aren't compatible with the Java (err Oracle) runtime.
Sure, you say open source would prevent this, but keep in mind: business weenies and pointy-hair bosses are swayed by salesmen with free pens, not by some web-site that says "take this software, please".....
I just break my problem into smaller steps. More steps results in more padding. More padding results in more accurate estimates.
You are missing two important numbers.....80 and 20.
How long will it take to be 80% complete? That's 20% of your total estimate.