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Comment Experiment and dabble in other languages (Score 5, Insightful) 662

by BrynM (#25160557) Attached to: What To Do Right As a New Programmer?
Don't stick to just one language (the one they expect you to use). Learn how to do some basic things in several languages. This will help you understand "programming" rather than just knowing a language. Many of the same semantics apply in many languages with only the exact syntax changing. Learn the concepts not the implementations. This doesn't mean that you should try to code in many languages for your job, but as you are presented with problems do a general "how to do x" web search before you do a "how to do x using y language". The best coders I know see a particular language as a tool rather than a mandate. If you only stick to one language, you are imposing an artificial limit to your thought process and ability to problem solve.
Politics

Voters Vote Yes, County Says No 645

Posted by kdawson from the what-part-of-yes-do-you-not-understand dept.
Khyber writes in with a story from Montana, where residents of Missoula County voted in a referendum intended to advise county law-enforcement types to treat marijuana offenses as low-profile. The referendum would not have changed any laws, but was advisory only. After voters approved it, county commissioners overturned it by a 2-to-1 vote. They were swayed by the argument of the county attorney, who had a "gut feeling" that Missoula's electorate had misinterpreted the ballot language. The move has resulted in a flood of disaffection among voters, especially young voters. "Is there even a point to voting any more if the will of the people can so easily be subverted by two people?" one voter posted on a comment blog.
User Journal

Journal Journal: I'm afraid of Americans.

Journal by BrynM

Time to update my sig again. This one is a David Bowie/Trent Reznor quote from the song "I'm afraid of Americans". My MP3 player cued it up for me and the lyrics really struck home given today's political world climate and the upcoming US Mid-term Elections. I'm a US native (Californian) and I don't think I know who Americans are anymore - my own people and many of them seem to hold beliefs that are alien to me.
User Journal

Journal Journal: Companies that lie about caring 3

Journal by BrynM
This was inspired by one of those "we care about you - our customers" commercials on TV. I want to see one company be honest and say "We don't care about you, but we do care if you get mad and complain - sometimes". It originally said "When a commercial says a company cares about you, they are talking to the 'you' in your wallet, not the 'you' that owns the wallet.", but that doesn't fit the /. 120 character limit for a sig.

The NSA Knows Who You've Called 1136

Posted by Zonk from the at-least-i-know-i'm-free dept.
Magnifico writes "USAToday is reporting on the National Security Agency's goal to create a database of every call ever made inside the USA. Aided by the cooperation of US telecom corporations, AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, the NSA has been secretly collecting phone call records of tens of millions of Americans; the vast majority of whom aren't suspected of any crime. Only Qwest refused to give the NSA information because they were uneasy about giving information to the government without the proper warrants. The usefulness of the NSA's domestic phone call database as a counterterrorism tool is unclear."

New Star Wars TV Series Confirmed 489

Posted by ScuttleMonkey from the i-hope-you-like-sandscapes dept.
merauder writes to tell us BBC News is reporting that the new Star Wars TV series is set to run at least 100 episodes. From the article: "The series will be set between episodes three and four of the film saga. It would cover the 20 years in the life of Luke Skywalker growing up that remains a mystery to most film-goers. McCallum said there would be 'a whole bunch of new characters' and the series would be 'much more dramatic and darker.'"

SCOTUS To Hear Patentable Thought Case 394

Posted by Zonk from the get-out-of-my-head dept.
skayell writes "The Supreme Court of the United States will hear a landmark patent case involving whether or not thoughts and relationships are patentable. Michael Crichton's essay in the New York Times attempts a thoughtful summary of Metabolite's primary assertion: they not only own the connection between homocysteine levels in the blood and vitamin B12 deficiency, but also any thought connecting the two."

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