Well, it is a totally separate mistake to simply promote a programmer to management. Worked at a company in the 90s that seemed to think that "lead developer = manager". So they tried promoting the best programmer on the team to management. You can guess how horribly that went.

But when they demoted him (at his request) back to a programmer, the guy the brought in to be manager was a complete moron that had to be the lead programmer. He was a shitty manager too, if they had just taken our advice and hired an actual manager and left the programming decisions to the lead programmers, it might have worked out.

At a later job I had a manager that moved up from being a programmer (by his choice). He gave me explicit instructions not to give him access to the source repository, because "I haven't been a programmer in 5 years, and it would go horribly if I tried to jump in now." This was before the days of git-style code review and repositories, where things can be lax on non production branches, but the theory remains true. And he was a fantastic manager too.

The two skillsets are entirely different. Yeah, you might someone that can transfer from one to the other, but even then you can't have the same person do both jobs at once.

The company I once worked for got bought up by a bigger company that tried to pull this stunt in their new employee contract. I and most of the other developers simply refused to sign the contract. I suppose they could have fired us, but that would have sank the company fast. So they continued to pay us and we continued to work for them.

Years later they tried to sue some former employees that went to work for a competitor. The company lost badly.

Also, the remaining 50% will simply quit once they are overworked with the busywork that the bottom 50% used to do.

The issue is that the bottom 50% needs to be heavily managed so they can produce useful output. Sure, some of them are probably complete crap and need to be let go, but there is plenty of trained-monkey work to be done in a large organization.

Granted, it really depends on the org and situation. If the bottom 50% are made up of people that wield unusually large power (Such as, a company that has seniority rules based on age and years with the company.). Or the 50% are actively doing work to hurt the good 50%.

But in reality, if a company has a large number of useless employees, it is probably the management that needs to be fired.

Ghostery sells data to advertisers and was bought by an ad network some time ago.

Use Disconnect instead.

You are more likely to be successful at fencing off every bridge, banning every gun, and tearing down every tall building.

But some people are suicidal even if they live what seems to you and I like a charmed and content life. if someone is suicidal because they broke up with a loved one or their puppy died, you can't simply take away that reason. Therapy is the solution for suicide (as much as people do not want to spend money on healthcare). Just like cancer, the only way to prevent suicide is early detection. If people learn the signs and urge the person to seek help it can be done.

But not always.. some people are truly inconsolable. Changing all of society to "take away the reason" is only going to work for people that agree with us on what is a good society.

No, but the republicans will try.

Well, selfie sticks will never be great. It will only ever be a toy for bored teenagers.

Hell, even if the thing works correctly and is secure; there is absolutely no potential for abuse by the government, is there? NSA loves having no-oversight no-liability powers they can exercise at will.

I thought you only need a long lens when taking photos OF your dick?

Well the idea is that you print things that are not available in a store or on Amazon.

At some point I am going to want some custom milled plastic frame parts to hold together my telescope assembly. Right now I have it temporarily held together via velcro and cable ties. Once I figure out how I want things arranged I would love to have something more permanent.

But there is no way I am going to buy my own 3D printer to print off some plastic junk. Fortunately there are online 3D printing companies that will do one-offs from a 3d model you upload. Sure, its expensive when you look at per-part costs, but custom plastic and metal milling from large companies usually comes with big minimum order quantities.

The hype of 3D printing or the hype of selfie sticks?

For once, a literal YMMV.

Well done.

Get some some clothes and they will figure it out.

Reminds me of the TNG episode where Data meets his mother, and she tells an embarrassing story about how she had to program a modesty routine since he refused to wear clothes.

It isn't doing you any good, and your kids will never have it.

Good for them.