Follow Slashdot blog updates by subscribing to our blog RSS feed

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×

Comment AKA Computer Voo Doo (Score 4, Insightful) 321

You were the last compentent person to touch their system. The only one who knew how to make changes. They know they changed nothing. How could this problem exist, it requires a change to have been made?

Computer Voo Doo. It has to be the change you made 2 years ago that caused the virus today.

Ah, Voo Doo, I know thee well. Many of my customers have claimed I have practiced the art.

Comment Re:Regular universities don't sell you the knowled (Score 1) 98

While in college I was the only student that learened to code "old school". I have written out a lot of code in the past on paper. Even now, I still doodle out pseudo code on paper and then sometimes refine it into actual code.

We had an intructor at one point asked for a simple 10 line progam be written down on a test. Out of 60 students I am the only one that was able to produce running code. Everyone else was so used to relying on Intelesense that their code was riddled with syntax errors. They were to used to relying on the IDE to provlde the proper name of the function and the order and type of paramaters it needed.

What has made me a better programmer? A combination of reading on problem solving, data structures, writing maintainable code AND actually having to read and fix code that I wrote more than 5 years before, as well as porting other peoples software. A "trick" is no good if you can't modify it 5 years later without spending a week reverse engineering it.

Comment Re:Regular universities don't sell you the knowled (Score 1) 98

I started out coding as a hobby in my teens. I have something most kids in there mid 20's do not have when they get out of college.

Perspective.

How do I know my code is maintainable? I a have looked at code I have written 5 years ago, 10 years ago, or longer and had to maintain it. I have adjusted my coding paractices accordingly. If something I wrote 5 years ago is broke or needs to be modified and I can't figure out the logic, flow of the program, the data structures, etc by the comments, variable and function names, then I have done something wrong.

The more I have to revrse engineer my work, the more I suck at maintainability. When I code nowdays, I can read it 5 years from now just fine. Most college students I have delt with can fix code they wrote last term. Actual coding practices related to maintainabilty are taught be the threat of an employer drop kicking you to the street. Not by theory taught at College.

Comment Re:Regular universities don't sell you the knowled (Score 2) 98

The "Highly skilled mentors and teachers" had this point of view.

20% of the class will pass no matter what, so ignore those students. Do not answer their questions. It is not about improving them or preparing them for employment or future studies. The short tem goal is of getting the most students to pass the coruse. Providing any mentoring to those students who will pass anyways is a waste of time.

Then there are 20% who will fail no matter what. They will not grasp the material in the 10 or 12 weeks they have to work through it. Once again, ignore these students, since we are not willing to cheat on their behalf, we cant save them, they are a waste of time as well.

That leaves 60% of the class who may fail or pass. All of these students can be helped to the point to where they will at leat pass. Focus all of your energy on these students. If you do, you can have 75% to 80% of your class pass every course.

In my case, since I was in that first 20%, I got nothing. I was told my questions were not going to be answered because they would confuse other students. No recommendations on what I could study to further my understanding of the topic. No critique of my code. Any investment in me would be a waste of time.

As it turns out. I did not get along well with the faculty. For what I was paying in tuition and books, I wanted some value for it. I read the book already. The teacher just repeated what was in the book for the slower students and proctored and corrected tests to prove I had read the material. I expeted more value for my money that that. I kept pressuring the faculaty to share with me some of that "Highly Skilled" stuff they were so famous for.

I think this is a reflection of the institution I was attending. I think other institutions may be better, but I am not sure how much better.

Also, I went to college in my mid 40's. I have a world view that is jaded by 25 years of work experience. I was paying for the education myself and expected I would learn something more that if I just read a book on my own. Another issue is I have worked for bosses from hell, been fired, dealt with plant closures, family members dying, etc. I am not intimadated by a professor who is 2 years older than me, does not like me, and thinks no matter the quality of the work I turn in, that giving me an F will put me in my place. It is the other way around. If I did a half assed job like they were doing, my employer would fire me. I am paying a PREMIUM for their time and attention. They had better provide some value for it or expect to hear from me about it.

Comment Re:Linux may be cheaper (Score 2) 219

Whereas when you replace him with a compentent Linux admin, the new admin can probably clean up the files in /etc and get the systems going again. Even a good Windows admin can have a problem with trying to clean up strange behaviours with the mystery meat that is the windows registry. That means the windows guy is going to have to do forinsic work on what's on the box, what's its supposed to do, try an capture progam settings from programs that wont run and then reinstall the OS, reinstall the software and then configure it properply.

vi + /etc over regedit any day of the week.

Comment Re:microsoft looks to have fired to architect of w (Score 1) 663

Also MS is wants users to purchase metro apps and not standard apps. It is all cloudy, it is cool, it is hip, get your data and apps at any computer you sit at. As long as they are metro apps, purchased at the windows store where they get a slice of every sale. MS does not want to encourge the usage of traditonal apps that can be purchased and installed without giving MS a cut.

So the interface that MS wants you to use, prefers you to use and if they can have their way the only interface that will eventually be available and by the way, IS the only interface available on WinRT. That is the interface that Jacob Nielson is reviewing. And he is right. it is shockingly bad.

Comment Re:Stop deifying this guy (Score 1) 130

Remember. He did his best work with his ex-wife. There is the possibility that as a patent clerk, it was Einstein and his wife that worked on the theory of relativity.

After the divorce, he never did anything that matched the quality of that work. Much like George Lucas with Ex, Marcia Lucas.

Comment Re:Don't get in the way (Score 1) 490

If people are too busy to wait a few hours for it to recharge, that is a problem with their lifestyle, not the car.

So what you essentially saying is that people should spend 70,000 or more on a car, move to a place where home, work and shopping are within 25 miles of each other and be thankful thankful for it?

Maybe we should make things eaiser for the blind by only selling computers with brail input devices. As for those who need a regular ASCII keyboard, that is a problem with their lifestyle, not the computer.

Comment Re:Libre Office (Score 1) 349

http://www.matthartley.com/wp-content/uploads/remote2.png

If new computer had a "word processor ballot" like the "web browser ballet" in the EU, what do you think home users would so?

[ ] MS Office $250 per person
[ ] MS Office 1Yr 5 person $100
[ ] LibreOffice $0 unlimided installs

Most home users would to just fine with LibreOffice.

Slashdot Top Deals

The only possible interpretation of any research whatever in the `social sciences' is: some do, some don't. -- Ernest Rutherford

Working...