Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Rock 'n Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
Listening to AC/DC's "Rock n Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" tonight brings back a memory of me sitting on brick steps in our backyard, playing it at top volume on a cruddy little black tape player that used to store programs for my computer. I had flunked tenth grade. What a riot! I was past caring. Didn't give a damn anymore. I had friends that felt the same way. It was summer and hot enough to cook an egg on the street. We were nothing but trouble, cruising for a bruising, skating on thin ice, and headed for the precipice. AC/DC spoke to me like no other band. I played their 1980 compilation Back in Black over and over. The music let me tap into something that I needed, a power. The fortune teller had mentioned AC/DC to me many years before. Somehow I remembered the suggestion, and when a tape fell into my greedy little hands like magic, I was receptive.
Lamar Smith: Incompetent Congressman
"On Friday, when NORML requested its members to contact Rep. Smith’s office, the Congressman promptly shut off his DC office phone and later closed down his Facebook page."
Gee, I wish I had a job where I could just shut off my phone like that. What a lazy buffoon this Lamar Smith is.
I don't blame him for closing down his Facebook page, though. That's a good idea on general principles.
Gee, I wish I had a job where I could just shut off my phone like that. What a lazy buffoon this Lamar Smith is.
I don't blame him for closing down his Facebook page, though. That's a good idea on general principles.
Facebook Doesn't Work on Firefox 5?!
I noticed that Facebook does not work properly on Firefox 5, although the pages appear OK in Internet Explorer 8. I have no idea why, though I doubt this problem affects many other people other than myself.
My solution was to deactivate my Facebook account and not be pestered by Facebook's incessant email notifications anymore. I think Facebook is primitive compared to another tool called the telephone. If I want to get in touch with someone, or they with me, there's nothing better than hearing a human voice and speaking in real time.
My solution was to deactivate my Facebook account and not be pestered by Facebook's incessant email notifications anymore. I think Facebook is primitive compared to another tool called the telephone. If I want to get in touch with someone, or they with me, there's nothing better than hearing a human voice and speaking in real time.
Monday, June 27, 2011
NameCheap or NameCheat?
I have regretted few things of late more than signing up for a year's worth of hosting with NameCheap. Over one hundred hours were lost chasing problems on my web site, problems that were caused by NameCheap. On three different occasions, I contacted their Help / Chat team to no avail. Each time, the individual I chatted with would respond to my query with a one-liner, "The server is operational," and simply ignore all further questions. In one case, I waited in chat for over an hour to see whether any other information would be forthcoming. Namecheap also ignored a support ticket that I initiated.
Due to the amount of work involved in starting over, I was reluctant to transfer my domain to another host, but I'm glad I did, though it cost me a sleepless all-nighter configuring things. The money I paid NameCheap, I have lost, I have no doubt. I think NameCheap should be renamed NameCheat, because they cheat their customers. If you want a web site that works only 80% of the time and on other occasions reports an error message to your users, then by all means, go with NameCheat.
Suggested new logo for the NameCheat web site.
The new host, BlueHost, works flawlessly, and the technical support is far superior to the amateur hour over at NameCheap. I spoke with real, live people on the phone who knew what they were talking about. Bluehost is a little bit more expensive, but I would rather pay more for a host that works as advertised rather than lose one hundred additional hours troubleshooting problems caused by NameCheap's incompetence and failure to communicate with customers.
Due to the amount of work involved in starting over, I was reluctant to transfer my domain to another host, but I'm glad I did, though it cost me a sleepless all-nighter configuring things. The money I paid NameCheap, I have lost, I have no doubt. I think NameCheap should be renamed NameCheat, because they cheat their customers. If you want a web site that works only 80% of the time and on other occasions reports an error message to your users, then by all means, go with NameCheat.
Namecheat
Aggravation in your life!
Domain Registration with FREE glitches / sluggishness / clueless tech support
Aggravation in your life!
Domain Registration with FREE glitches / sluggishness / clueless tech support
The new host, BlueHost, works flawlessly, and the technical support is far superior to the amateur hour over at NameCheap. I spoke with real, live people on the phone who knew what they were talking about. Bluehost is a little bit more expensive, but I would rather pay more for a host that works as advertised rather than lose one hundred additional hours troubleshooting problems caused by NameCheap's incompetence and failure to communicate with customers.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
A Test of Honesty
Let us say that a package arrives in the mail addressed to someone other than yourself. The package was intended for a stranger in another state, but due to a rare shipment error, it arrived at your doorstep. There was no tracking service selected, so the Post Office will never discover the error. Inside the package is a briefcase containing $250,000 in crisp new hundred dollar bills.
Would you alert the intended recipient, the Postal Service, and/or the IRS about your unexpected windfall, or would you keep it safe and secret?
Let me specify the following additional conditions. You are absolutely certain that you are not being set up by an investigator or any third party. There is no possibility that anyone will ever find out about your decision. However, you have to say out loud to the questioner--let us say it is an acquaintance that you hope to have good relations with in the future--your response to this hypothetical scenario.
There are at least four likely reactions:
Some people might have stipulations. For instance, they might not be willing to take money from a desperately poor person or an orphanage, but they might be willing to take money from a large and amoral corporation like BP or Wal-Mart, reasoning that deeper pockets would be less likely to miss $250,000.
For my part, I'd rather not say what my answer would be. I think I'd be tempted in such a scenario, and my answer would depend upon a great many additional conditions. I'd want to find out more about the intended recipient, for instance, and about the source of the windfall before making a decision.
This question occurred to me while reading The Last Days of Socrates, by Plato, a good read in parts, although the section on the immortality of the soul puts me to sleep. I like the style of Socrates, although I find his disciples too hesitant to offer a rebuttal. Socrates is one of the figures in history I would like to travel back in time to meet, especially if I could understand ancient Greek and communicate with him and him with me. He is another tragic and heroic Christ-like figure, although a cut above, I think. A good man, but a bit of a gadfly too.
Would you alert the intended recipient, the Postal Service, and/or the IRS about your unexpected windfall, or would you keep it safe and secret?
Let me specify the following additional conditions. You are absolutely certain that you are not being set up by an investigator or any third party. There is no possibility that anyone will ever find out about your decision. However, you have to say out loud to the questioner--let us say it is an acquaintance that you hope to have good relations with in the future--your response to this hypothetical scenario.
There are at least four likely reactions:
- Return the money.
- Say you'd return the money, but only for the sake of appearing honest, knowing that you would keep the money if no one were the wiser.
- Say you'd return the money while believing it to be so, although in the actual event, you would not.
- Say you'd not return the money and would not.
Some people might have stipulations. For instance, they might not be willing to take money from a desperately poor person or an orphanage, but they might be willing to take money from a large and amoral corporation like BP or Wal-Mart, reasoning that deeper pockets would be less likely to miss $250,000.
For my part, I'd rather not say what my answer would be. I think I'd be tempted in such a scenario, and my answer would depend upon a great many additional conditions. I'd want to find out more about the intended recipient, for instance, and about the source of the windfall before making a decision.
This question occurred to me while reading The Last Days of Socrates, by Plato, a good read in parts, although the section on the immortality of the soul puts me to sleep. I like the style of Socrates, although I find his disciples too hesitant to offer a rebuttal. Socrates is one of the figures in history I would like to travel back in time to meet, especially if I could understand ancient Greek and communicate with him and him with me. He is another tragic and heroic Christ-like figure, although a cut above, I think. A good man, but a bit of a gadfly too.
Opinions are Obstacles
Sometimes I jump the gun with my opinions. I leap to conclusions. Blog posts about Firefox and Drupal are recent examples. I deleted those posts after reconsidering. I prefer not to have opinions, because opinions get in the way of reasoning. I am reminded of the maxim: Nothing is good. Nothing is bad. Everything just is.
Notable exceptions would be actual cases where people are getting hurt. My general rule would that in any case that involves human suffering, the suffering of animals or the destruction of the environment, one must have an opinion in order to be ethical. But in the case of technology, ethics seldom apply. I like to remain more or less neutral where technology is concerned.
Firefox makes neutrality difficult for me, because it is superior to Internet Explorer as far as I can see, and besides, I hate the way Microsoft insinuates itself into everything on the computer. I wish MS confined themselves to making the operating system, period. That would be well enough. But no, they want to get into everything on the computer and even on other gadgets as well. That's not a good thing.
However, my blog post was inaccurate in claiming that Firefox did away with the "Add Tab" button. Actually, the developers relocated the "Add Tab" button. I simply didn't notice until after I had written the blog post. When I noticed, I deleted the post, even though it had taken me an hour to write. There was no way I saw to salvage the post. It was just plain wrong.
I didn't like my post on Drupal and deleted it because it was too harsh. The fact is, Drupal developers are volunteers, as far as I can tell, and that is a valid excuse for any problems one might encounter with Drupal. Didn't pay for it, so why complain? I'm sure the developers are well aware of the various problems and intend, one sunny day, to resolve everything.
True, I feel like I wasted a lot of time trying to iron out problems with my Drupal installation. True, I do not plan on recommending Drupal to anyone that I consider a friend. But that doesn't mean I want to rain on the Drupal parade. The system works well for some people, or so it would seem. It simply was not a good match for my requirements. I prefer to take that line.
Notable exceptions would be actual cases where people are getting hurt. My general rule would that in any case that involves human suffering, the suffering of animals or the destruction of the environment, one must have an opinion in order to be ethical. But in the case of technology, ethics seldom apply. I like to remain more or less neutral where technology is concerned.
Firefox makes neutrality difficult for me, because it is superior to Internet Explorer as far as I can see, and besides, I hate the way Microsoft insinuates itself into everything on the computer. I wish MS confined themselves to making the operating system, period. That would be well enough. But no, they want to get into everything on the computer and even on other gadgets as well. That's not a good thing.
However, my blog post was inaccurate in claiming that Firefox did away with the "Add Tab" button. Actually, the developers relocated the "Add Tab" button. I simply didn't notice until after I had written the blog post. When I noticed, I deleted the post, even though it had taken me an hour to write. There was no way I saw to salvage the post. It was just plain wrong.
I didn't like my post on Drupal and deleted it because it was too harsh. The fact is, Drupal developers are volunteers, as far as I can tell, and that is a valid excuse for any problems one might encounter with Drupal. Didn't pay for it, so why complain? I'm sure the developers are well aware of the various problems and intend, one sunny day, to resolve everything.
True, I feel like I wasted a lot of time trying to iron out problems with my Drupal installation. True, I do not plan on recommending Drupal to anyone that I consider a friend. But that doesn't mean I want to rain on the Drupal parade. The system works well for some people, or so it would seem. It simply was not a good match for my requirements. I prefer to take that line.
Foreboding about the Economy
As far as technology is concerned, employers seem choosy. They don't seem willing to train or permit the employee to self-train. They are not willing to consider long-distance applicants. They are not willing to accept less than unusual combinations of experience, and in some cases expect instant results beginning on the second day. Are these expectations realistic? They might be, considering how many immigrants have been injected into the job market.
Although many job openings seem to offer high salaries ($70k+), they often require a rare combination of skills that would fit only very few Americans. It makes me think such job openings were written with a specific person from India or China in mind. Applying for such an opening is just a waste of time. There are a great many time-wasting diversions awaiting anyone who looks into the job market.
It seems strange to me that people with advanced degrees, many years of experience and a high degree of skill can remain unemployed or underemployed in menial or otherwise low-level or part-time jobs.
I prefer to be optimistic, like anyone else, and try to look on the bright side of things, but I have a foreboding about the economy. I don't think I'm the only one. I hope that matters improve, but I don't see any reason to think that they will.
One thing I am glad about is that I saved my pennies during the boom years. More than anything else, that's probably the wisest move I made. I did quite well for myself, all things considered, and saved for a rainy day. Those who did equally well during the boom years, but succumbed to the siren song of high living, new cars, expensive houses and credit cards are now suffering the most. They are experiencing a dramatic and therefore painful reversal of fortune.
I have always lived far below my means, resulting in little change, regardless of income. Who needs to spend money, when there are books to be read and things to blog about? I've always been a skeptic about everything from religion to materialism. I'm highly resistant to advertising and marketing. If something is advertised, I become suspicious. Who needs to advertise something worth having? Word of mouth alone is sufficient to market a quality product. That's the way I evaluate things.
Although many job openings seem to offer high salaries ($70k+), they often require a rare combination of skills that would fit only very few Americans. It makes me think such job openings were written with a specific person from India or China in mind. Applying for such an opening is just a waste of time. There are a great many time-wasting diversions awaiting anyone who looks into the job market.
It seems strange to me that people with advanced degrees, many years of experience and a high degree of skill can remain unemployed or underemployed in menial or otherwise low-level or part-time jobs.
I prefer to be optimistic, like anyone else, and try to look on the bright side of things, but I have a foreboding about the economy. I don't think I'm the only one. I hope that matters improve, but I don't see any reason to think that they will.
One thing I am glad about is that I saved my pennies during the boom years. More than anything else, that's probably the wisest move I made. I did quite well for myself, all things considered, and saved for a rainy day. Those who did equally well during the boom years, but succumbed to the siren song of high living, new cars, expensive houses and credit cards are now suffering the most. They are experiencing a dramatic and therefore painful reversal of fortune.
I have always lived far below my means, resulting in little change, regardless of income. Who needs to spend money, when there are books to be read and things to blog about? I've always been a skeptic about everything from religion to materialism. I'm highly resistant to advertising and marketing. If something is advertised, I become suspicious. Who needs to advertise something worth having? Word of mouth alone is sufficient to market a quality product. That's the way I evaluate things.
Pronouns
In college, I learned about the brouhaha over the use of the word "man" and the pronoun "he" when referring to a generality, such as "Man does not live by meat and drink alone." Some consider this usage to be sexist, excluding women. They would have us write, "Man or woman does not live by meat and drink alone. He or she requires spiritual sustenance as well to satisfy his or her needs." Awkward.
I always use "he" rather than the "he or she." Likewise I prefer to write "man," rather than "man or woman." To me, it is clear that "he" can be used in the sense of a human being of either gender. That's what I was taught in school, and there are writers who still agree with me.
Some writers in the mainstream media avoid the dilemma altogether by avoiding generalities or avoiding the use of a pronoun at all costs. There are other creative solutions I've seen, such as using "a person" in place of "man or woman." The trouble with using "human" is that it has a science fiction flavor, implying an alien making an observation on our species.
I once corresponded with a woman who used a pronoun such as "ke," to indicate a person of either or neither gender. I think that's a good idea, if it ever were to catch on. I don't wish to slight either gender. I just want efficient use of language.
I always use "he" rather than the "he or she." Likewise I prefer to write "man," rather than "man or woman." To me, it is clear that "he" can be used in the sense of a human being of either gender. That's what I was taught in school, and there are writers who still agree with me.
Some writers in the mainstream media avoid the dilemma altogether by avoiding generalities or avoiding the use of a pronoun at all costs. There are other creative solutions I've seen, such as using "a person" in place of "man or woman." The trouble with using "human" is that it has a science fiction flavor, implying an alien making an observation on our species.
I once corresponded with a woman who used a pronoun such as "ke," to indicate a person of either or neither gender. I think that's a good idea, if it ever were to catch on. I don't wish to slight either gender. I just want efficient use of language.
A Definitive Answer
Here's a recent quote from the conservative Washington Times:
"Obama avoids providing firm stance on gay marriage."
"When gay supporters at a New York fundraiser pressed President Obama on whether he supports same-sex marriage, he said “gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple” but avoided giving a definitive answer."
If the only difference between gay marriage and the President's position amounts to terminology, then that is nothing more than a quibble.
It is very good that New York has passed gay marriage. I hope that the misnamed DOMA is struck down during Obama's first term in order to fulfill the promise of this initiative.
The politicians of the South are likely to stand in the way of civil rights progress. History repeats itself. One would think they would be ashamed of being on record against civil rights once again. All they are doing is reinforcing the South's reputation and confirming the opinions of many people around the world.
I am looking forward to a day when sexuality will be a non-issue. I honestly think it is an absurd thing to have to worry about. Homophobes greatly exaggerate the issue of sexuality. It is just the same with racists that exaggerate the importance of skin color. How easy it is for human beings to jump to the conclusion that all members of an arbitrary group are inferior in some way. That style of thinking is defective and leads to serious errors.
"Obama avoids providing firm stance on gay marriage."
"When gay supporters at a New York fundraiser pressed President Obama on whether he supports same-sex marriage, he said “gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple” but avoided giving a definitive answer."
If the only difference between gay marriage and the President's position amounts to terminology, then that is nothing more than a quibble.
It is very good that New York has passed gay marriage. I hope that the misnamed DOMA is struck down during Obama's first term in order to fulfill the promise of this initiative.
The politicians of the South are likely to stand in the way of civil rights progress. History repeats itself. One would think they would be ashamed of being on record against civil rights once again. All they are doing is reinforcing the South's reputation and confirming the opinions of many people around the world.
I am looking forward to a day when sexuality will be a non-issue. I honestly think it is an absurd thing to have to worry about. Homophobes greatly exaggerate the issue of sexuality. It is just the same with racists that exaggerate the importance of skin color. How easy it is for human beings to jump to the conclusion that all members of an arbitrary group are inferior in some way. That style of thinking is defective and leads to serious errors.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Just Say No to Private Debt
Some grads are saddled with $100K debt just for a lousy four-year degree. It's crazy. I'm glad I never got on the debt treadmill. It never ends, even in death, which is difficult to fathom. Does the loan company harvest organs?
Four year degrees lead to nothing. I wish it weren't so, because I really enjoyed college. Every class I took was a pleasure. Nothing compares to the thrill of learning.
The trouble is, everybody has a degree these days. Instead of resulting in gainful employment, a degree has become just another hurdle the wannabe worker must jump, like graduating high school. From what I read in the history books, it used to be that people began their careers at the age of eighteen. It used to be employers were dazzled by a worker that could read. If that worker could also write, Zappo! Instant promotion to management! Those were the days, alas. Now we have people with Master's degrees managing a McDonald's.
The value of a degree would increase to its vaunted 19th century status if the number of degree holders decreased or if the owners stopped exporting jobs to cheap labor countries, but neither scenario is likely to happen.
I recommend that no student take on private debt for any reason. If your plans require it, then change your plans. Now, government debt is different. Big brother is cool. He won't rape you. He will give you tax breaks and reasonable interest rates and just generally be a nice guy. Private lenders are evil. They will do and say shifty things in order to enhance shareholder value. Your death is of no consequence. They will harvest your organs to pay off your debt. So yeah, I'm a socialist or whatever, but that's my advice to college kids.
Four year degrees lead to nothing. I wish it weren't so, because I really enjoyed college. Every class I took was a pleasure. Nothing compares to the thrill of learning.
The trouble is, everybody has a degree these days. Instead of resulting in gainful employment, a degree has become just another hurdle the wannabe worker must jump, like graduating high school. From what I read in the history books, it used to be that people began their careers at the age of eighteen. It used to be employers were dazzled by a worker that could read. If that worker could also write, Zappo! Instant promotion to management! Those were the days, alas. Now we have people with Master's degrees managing a McDonald's.
The value of a degree would increase to its vaunted 19th century status if the number of degree holders decreased or if the owners stopped exporting jobs to cheap labor countries, but neither scenario is likely to happen.
I recommend that no student take on private debt for any reason. If your plans require it, then change your plans. Now, government debt is different. Big brother is cool. He won't rape you. He will give you tax breaks and reasonable interest rates and just generally be a nice guy. Private lenders are evil. They will do and say shifty things in order to enhance shareholder value. Your death is of no consequence. They will harvest your organs to pay off your debt. So yeah, I'm a socialist or whatever, but that's my advice to college kids.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Taking a Break from Chess
I decided to quit chess tonight. Just can't seem to recover my old groove. Chess at the higher levels, in my case defined as 1800+ online, requires enormous intellectual resources, at least for me. I'm not the sort that can pull good moves out of thin air with little effort. I recall a bartender who could do so. He could work the bar and play outstanding chess at the same time, and it was quite humbling to see how fast his mind worked. He beat me playing the Danish on one game, because I didn't remember when to make the d5 pawn sacrifice, and King's Gambit on another, but I finally beat him with the Grob, which he had never seen before. That made me feel a little bit better, but then again I was concentrating on the game, and he had customers to serve.
Right now, I feel taxed by my job-hunting activities and other serious matters that are consuming much of my thinking power, and that is only right. A better game for me is Dungeon Crawl, because it's more forgiving and less exact, especially with good old regen.bat backing up my saved games for me.
Truth is, even if I were to play master-level chess, which I can't do, but for the sake of argument if I were, it would get me nowhere. Chess is a big zero in terms of rewards. I don't even much care for other chess players that I encounter in chess clubs and online. They tend to be antisocial to put it mildly. Of course I've got a bit of that too. But at least I don't cuss out people that defeat me, or abort games just because I didn't get the white pieces, or cheat in a game, accuse the winner of cheating, or crow when I'm winning or have won, or announce that all liberals need to be shot, or declare that liberals are traitors, all things that I've observed other chessplayers doing in chess clubs and online. Chessplayers as a whole tend to be more conservative than other sorts of people, in every sense of the word from style of dress to speech and views about society and politics. I've gotten banned from an online chess site just for playing the Grob, which is a ridiculous thing for a mod to do, because FIDE never ruled 1. g4 was an illegal move.
How'd I get into chess in the first place? I didn't seek it out, but it sought me out, so to speak. My brother and father were enthusiasts, so I naturally got recruited into playing around the age of five or so. It is a fascinating game, but one quickly finds his plateau. For me it seems to be around 1800 or so, if I limit myself to playing when I'm fully energized and in prime condition. I think I'll call that good enough and move on to other pastimes--if I even find the time for pastimes anymore.
Right now, I feel taxed by my job-hunting activities and other serious matters that are consuming much of my thinking power, and that is only right. A better game for me is Dungeon Crawl, because it's more forgiving and less exact, especially with good old regen.bat backing up my saved games for me.
Truth is, even if I were to play master-level chess, which I can't do, but for the sake of argument if I were, it would get me nowhere. Chess is a big zero in terms of rewards. I don't even much care for other chess players that I encounter in chess clubs and online. They tend to be antisocial to put it mildly. Of course I've got a bit of that too. But at least I don't cuss out people that defeat me, or abort games just because I didn't get the white pieces, or cheat in a game, accuse the winner of cheating, or crow when I'm winning or have won, or announce that all liberals need to be shot, or declare that liberals are traitors, all things that I've observed other chessplayers doing in chess clubs and online. Chessplayers as a whole tend to be more conservative than other sorts of people, in every sense of the word from style of dress to speech and views about society and politics. I've gotten banned from an online chess site just for playing the Grob, which is a ridiculous thing for a mod to do, because FIDE never ruled 1. g4 was an illegal move.
How'd I get into chess in the first place? I didn't seek it out, but it sought me out, so to speak. My brother and father were enthusiasts, so I naturally got recruited into playing around the age of five or so. It is a fascinating game, but one quickly finds his plateau. For me it seems to be around 1800 or so, if I limit myself to playing when I'm fully energized and in prime condition. I think I'll call that good enough and move on to other pastimes--if I even find the time for pastimes anymore.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Proud to be an American
I'm proud of my country, that so many high-tech corporations today offer domestic partner benefits for gays and lesbians. I'm talking about medical insurance for my partner. That means a great deal to me. As a matter of fact, it is the single criterion upon which I make decisions about companies. I don't even bother applying to any company that does not offer DP benefits, but exceptions are rare these days, at least in the area of high tech.*
I can remember back when I was a teenager--I really didn't expect this to happen in my lifetime. It surprises me and makes me glad I'm an American. I can tell you, things were different even in the 1990's. Change DOES come and can arrive even within a single lifetime.
I can remember back when I was a teenager--I really didn't expect this to happen in my lifetime. It surprises me and makes me glad I'm an American. I can tell you, things were different even in the 1990's. Change DOES come and can arrive even within a single lifetime.
* - In my experience, there are plenty of gay programmers. Among heterosexual programmers, homophobia is uncommon among the competent. Only incompetent programmers have ever expressed homophobia in my presence, and their motive was to shift the focus away from their incompetence and onto sexual orientation, in which they felt they were superior.
Competent programmers look for and appreciate competence from their colleagues. They care about what is between the ears. They do not care about what goes on below the belt. The focus is upon getting things done. In most shops, there is more work that needs to be done than there are programmers to do it.
A Safe Bet That Nothing Will Be Done
Regarding the threat of an EMP-nuke from North Korea or Iran, it's a safe bet that nothing will be done about it. Our leaders are not forward-thinkers, but only seem capable of reacting to problems that have already arrived upon our doorstep.
Insufficient Web Qualifications
Many tech employers assume that experience in the latest and greatest flavor of technology is all that matters. They look for nothing else.
Recently, a potential employer wrote me a helpful note that my web qualifications were much less than that of his other applicants. Maybe that is so. I don't know. It is difficult for me to demonstrate my proficiency with the web, because so much of what I have done has been a hobby rather than work-related.
Browsing his company's web site for less than ten minutes, I detected three glaring grammatical errors and a design atrocity that his geeks overlooked. Maybe I am an old fogy who doesn't know anything, but it seems to me that an advertising company that displays such mistakes on its web site cannot be destined for good things. If he had at least been willing to interview me over the phone, I might have shared my observations with him. Since our communication has ceased, I find satisfaction in imagining the reactions of his customers. Perhaps an elder geek is not completely worthless, after all.
I am proficient with HTML and CSS and have no reservation stating so on my resume. I don't see what is so special about web development applications or languages. I cut my teeth on Assembler, and I don't see how any of the modern languages could possibly get any more difficult than that.
If I was capable of understanding and coding in the context of a language
then why would
The answer appears to be that managers don't want to gamble on an unknown quantity and are afraid of fossilized old brains that quit learning new things*. They prefer applicants with a proven track record in a given technology that can hit the ground running, even if they have to pay twice the salary that I would expect in order to spend a bit of time getting up to speed. I understand the rationale for closing the door to people like myself well enough. But I'll keep knocking.
Recently, a potential employer wrote me a helpful note that my web qualifications were much less than that of his other applicants. Maybe that is so. I don't know. It is difficult for me to demonstrate my proficiency with the web, because so much of what I have done has been a hobby rather than work-related.
Browsing his company's web site for less than ten minutes, I detected three glaring grammatical errors and a design atrocity that his geeks overlooked. Maybe I am an old fogy who doesn't know anything, but it seems to me that an advertising company that displays such mistakes on its web site cannot be destined for good things. If he had at least been willing to interview me over the phone, I might have shared my observations with him. Since our communication has ceased, I find satisfaction in imagining the reactions of his customers. Perhaps an elder geek is not completely worthless, after all.
I am proficient with HTML and CSS and have no reservation stating so on my resume. I don't see what is so special about web development applications or languages. I cut my teeth on Assembler, and I don't see how any of the modern languages could possibly get any more difficult than that.
If I was capable of understanding and coding in the context of a language
^sjdg923^&$6232)j^&-kw$as1!
then why would
<HTML>stump me?
The answer appears to be that managers don't want to gamble on an unknown quantity and are afraid of fossilized old brains that quit learning new things*. They prefer applicants with a proven track record in a given technology that can hit the ground running, even if they have to pay twice the salary that I would expect in order to spend a bit of time getting up to speed. I understand the rationale for closing the door to people like myself well enough. But I'll keep knocking.
* - Has my brain fossilized? Well, I don't think so.
ACDSee--Good but Flawed
ACDSee 8 is my image viewer and editor. One reason I don't usually recommend ACDSee to others is that it has a favorite phrase that it likes to repeat, "ACDSee has encountered a system error and must now close." There seems to be no rhyme nor reason to it. In my opinion, such an error message is indicative of poor programming practices. At the very least, the message should be informative, so that the user can take steps to correct the supposed "system error." Better would be if ACDSee handled the error in a graceful manner, without exiting. Who knows why ACDSee crashes? It crashes just because.
The new version of ACDSee costs $50 to upgrade, which leads one to expect that significant new features have been added. I did try out ACDSee 11 a long time ago, but found it did not have any new features that were of interest to me. Instead of adding features, it seems the developers chose to reconfigure the design and interface, meaning that the user would have to learn a new bag of tricks without gaining any advantages as a result.
However, when all is said and done, I have to concede that there is not a better image manager for the PC than ACDSee. It's quicker to load than Adobe Photoshop and cheaper. I've tried FastStone, Irfanview, and several other shareware solutions, but they all fall short of ACDSee. The developers of these shareware products should merge instead of competing with one another. Teams of programmers can accomplish more than just one individual working alone. As the situation now stands, each programmer is spending his entire career reinventing the wheel, attempting to copy features that ACDSee introduced over six years ago.
The new version of ACDSee costs $50 to upgrade, which leads one to expect that significant new features have been added. I did try out ACDSee 11 a long time ago, but found it did not have any new features that were of interest to me. Instead of adding features, it seems the developers chose to reconfigure the design and interface, meaning that the user would have to learn a new bag of tricks without gaining any advantages as a result.
However, when all is said and done, I have to concede that there is not a better image manager for the PC than ACDSee. It's quicker to load than Adobe Photoshop and cheaper. I've tried FastStone, Irfanview, and several other shareware solutions, but they all fall short of ACDSee. The developers of these shareware products should merge instead of competing with one another. Teams of programmers can accomplish more than just one individual working alone. As the situation now stands, each programmer is spending his entire career reinventing the wheel, attempting to copy features that ACDSee introduced over six years ago.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Trusting China with Capital Investments
One day, the captains of industry may regret exporting middle-class careers over to China. However expensive his labor may seem, a U.S. citizen best serves the interests of his country, because his destiny is intertwined with it. Dismantling the middle class, underfunding education, and letting the infrastructure rot will have consequences not only for workers, but also for the owners, who have the most to lose. Do the owners intend to relocate to China to oversee their investments, and are the tyrants of that nation amenable to sharing power, as Saruman expected of Sauron?
Lack of Choice in Webcams
Firewire's been available for ages, yet most webcams use the USB 2.0 interface. Firewire's faster, which should result in smoother, higher resolution video. I shopped around the web for two hours before concluding that it will not be possible to purchase a decent PC-compatible webcam with a firewire interface for less than $200. (Unibrain's product is out of stock on NewEgg at the moment.)
To see an explanation of what I am talking about, visit this site, which explains the speed advantage that firewire enjoys over the USB 2.0 interface. A PCI card with a firewire interface can be purchased for < $10 for computers that don't have one.
To see an explanation of what I am talking about, visit this site, which explains the speed advantage that firewire enjoys over the USB 2.0 interface. A PCI card with a firewire interface can be purchased for < $10 for computers that don't have one.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
A Reason to Smile
Uncertainty is the chief enemy residing within the self. When I pause to consider the power that is unleashed when I really set my mind to a task, it makes me smile. I was fortunate in my birth and education. My aims are modest and flexible, well below my capabilities, and it does not seem at all possible I should not obtain them in due course. The many who like me will be pleased to see me prosper, and the few that don't will be surprised. I don't know which prospect brings me more pleasure in the anticipation.
Friday, June 17, 2011
My $180 Consultation with the Lawyer
I went to see a lawyer today regarding the immigration status of my partner. It was a fact that I knew more about my situation than the lawyer did, because I had spent many hours preparing and researching the available online sources, although she had not. She was surprised that my knowledge exceeded her own, but nevertheless charged $180 for a thirty-minute consultation and, upon learning that I was a computer programmer, asked me to help her fix her computer for free. I stared at her without saying anything, thinking, is my knowledge worthless, and yours worth $180 for less than an hour spent telling me less than what I already know?
The high status of lawyers in our society is a symptom of our society's decline. Lawyers do not create anything. The outcome of legal cases hinges not upon Truth but upon points of law, and bad laws are defended with just the same vigor as good ones. It is often the case that the client with the deepest pockets wins. These are some of the reasons I did not choose to become a lawyer. Several of my friends from school, the best and the brightest, became lawyers instead of scientists, inventors, or engineers. Who can blame them? Their decision was in their obvious self-interest. Is it proper to advise a young person to consider a creative or productive occupation when they can become lawyers instead and never have to worry about updating their skills or learning new ones?
For my part, I have had to learn a new computer technology every two to three years, at a minimum, and even so, many jobs are not available to me. I have experience in technologies that have fallen out of favor. It was a mistake entering the field of computer technology in the first place, when law and medicine pay huge salaries. Despite what some claim, law does not change very much year to year, and neither does our knowledge concerning the human body, but computer languages rise and fall like the tide. I've learned a dozen different languages in my career, many of them worthless now.
Ill-considered laws are a burden upon the people. I feel that there are too many laws, and many of them are intrusive and unnecessary and not founded upon good reasoning. I cannot afford much in the way of lawyers. Over three hundred years ago, my ancestors came to America as immigrants in search of freedom, but America has changed and is no longer hospitable to immigrants for a variety of reasons, chief among them the high rate of unemployment combined with the influx of undocumented workers from countries south of our border. I foresee myself having to leave America in search of the freedom to live with my partner without persecution from the government. I hope to postpone the severance as long as can be, but I see few other options available to me.
I was glad that I did not offer any help to the lawyer with her technical problem. It is contrary to my nature not to offer to help, but I would have regretted it for however long it took me to forget the ill-considered generosity. One thing I have learned in this life is that helping good people is good, but helping bloodsucking parasites is evil, because they will take what is offered and think one a fool for having offered a service without compensation, which they never do.
The high status of lawyers in our society is a symptom of our society's decline. Lawyers do not create anything. The outcome of legal cases hinges not upon Truth but upon points of law, and bad laws are defended with just the same vigor as good ones. It is often the case that the client with the deepest pockets wins. These are some of the reasons I did not choose to become a lawyer. Several of my friends from school, the best and the brightest, became lawyers instead of scientists, inventors, or engineers. Who can blame them? Their decision was in their obvious self-interest. Is it proper to advise a young person to consider a creative or productive occupation when they can become lawyers instead and never have to worry about updating their skills or learning new ones?
For my part, I have had to learn a new computer technology every two to three years, at a minimum, and even so, many jobs are not available to me. I have experience in technologies that have fallen out of favor. It was a mistake entering the field of computer technology in the first place, when law and medicine pay huge salaries. Despite what some claim, law does not change very much year to year, and neither does our knowledge concerning the human body, but computer languages rise and fall like the tide. I've learned a dozen different languages in my career, many of them worthless now.
Ill-considered laws are a burden upon the people. I feel that there are too many laws, and many of them are intrusive and unnecessary and not founded upon good reasoning. I cannot afford much in the way of lawyers. Over three hundred years ago, my ancestors came to America as immigrants in search of freedom, but America has changed and is no longer hospitable to immigrants for a variety of reasons, chief among them the high rate of unemployment combined with the influx of undocumented workers from countries south of our border. I foresee myself having to leave America in search of the freedom to live with my partner without persecution from the government. I hope to postpone the severance as long as can be, but I see few other options available to me.
I was glad that I did not offer any help to the lawyer with her technical problem. It is contrary to my nature not to offer to help, but I would have regretted it for however long it took me to forget the ill-considered generosity. One thing I have learned in this life is that helping good people is good, but helping bloodsucking parasites is evil, because they will take what is offered and think one a fool for having offered a service without compensation, which they never do.
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