The hardware is obsolete and outclassed by current kit. HP-UX also ran on itanium- are we going to demand access to that? Pay off the technical debt - its never going to get easier or less expensive

The value of a degree might be depressed, and that is true. Education inflation is real. But there's a basic problem here. Having no degree bans you from a lot of jobs. You are filtered out by the AI or automated system before your CV ever hits the eyes of a human. The degree at least cracks open the door.

I have an extensive resume, with almost thirty years in critical systems, from operational programming and 24x7 support to my PMP, extensive leadership and managerial experience, successful projects up to $50M... everything but a degree. When I took a voluntary buyout, it took me a year and over 150 applications to find my next job... and I got it through personal contacts. I received exactly one callback through cold application. And my CV is excellent.

I retired last year. I shudder to think of what would happen if I had to enter this market, filled with newly exited, degree-bearing, hungry folks.

The degree is more valuable than not having one. That's what it comes down to.

Because if it's one thing the United Kingdom has a shortage of it's workers looking for good-paying jobs. Clearly we need more automation.

Or you sit on it until circumstances change. Wash the data one direction, wash the money in others. Data brokerage started out off of plumb. It's not going to get straighter. The ethics were broken from the get go.

Traceability is no deterrent. Putting serial numbers on cars didn't stop auto thef5.

To do a lot more than just simple documents. They want full-on applications with lots of features. Remember the 80/20 rule. 80% of your users only use 20% of your features but it's a different 20% for every user.

So yeah capitalism does fuck things up here. Also capitalism isn't allowed to function anymore. There is no competition to speak of because there's no antitrust law enforcement.

But in addition to that a modern web browser is basically an operating system in itself. There is literally no application you couldn't write for a web browser as a platform.

So they suck for the same reason that operating systems suck. It's a complex system with shitloads of features and a diverse user base.

If we had proper competition that was regulated by a proper government than there would be a lot less shit because well, capitalism would be able to do its job and deliver an improved product. But that ship sailed 25 years ago when we elected George Bush Jr and he shut down the Microsoft antitrust investigation...

The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.

To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it.

To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.

To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem.

And so this is the situation we find: a succession of Galactic Presidents who so much enjoy the fun and palaver of being in power that they very rarely notice that they’re not. And somewhere in the shadows behind them—who? Who can possibly rule if no one who wants to do it can be allowed to?"

Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

Of every single institution designed to protect you.

Every single thing had to go wrong for Trump to get a second term.

That said voter suppression is the primary reason Trump won his second term. Approximately 7 million Americans tried to vote and couldn't. A combination of illegal challenges to signatures and voter registrations and multi-hour wait times to vote in swing States is what made Trump president.

So mind you yes, as fucked up as it is if the Democrats had run a youngish white man Trump probably would have lost because Trump needed everything to go wrong to get his second term.

But that's small potatoes compared to the millions of people denied the right to vote. There's an old saying among the left in america, there are no red States just States where people aren't allowed to vote.

About 3% of young men voted for Trump over Kamala Harris. People talking about young men going for Trump are massively overstating the margins.

During Trump's first run boomers gave us trump. Both in the primary and the general election boomers overwhelmingly went for Trump No boomers no Trump.

For the second win the boomers only went for Trump by 5%. It was the older genexted overwhelmingly went for Trump and cinched the election for him. Basically 50 to 65-year-olds. It was still old people. No old people no Trump.

I can forgive a damn young man working three jobs with six roommates for getting fooled.

You're 50 fucking years old and you have watched multiple Republicans run roughshod over you and your kids and you keep voting for them. At 50 years old you should be able to find a Wikipedia article discussing how and why Democrats are better for the economy.

So yeah I'm going to blame old people and the old people here on this website are going to get pissed off about that because that's what old people do.

With declining birth rates old people are in charge and this whole mess is the fault of old people but if it's one thing old people hate more than anything else it's taking responsibility for being in charge.

Old people have literally been blaming young people for the messes they caused since fucking Socrates.

Because at the moment liberal arts majors have lower unemployment than computer science majors.

But even ignoring that, if we have people who have successfully learned a skill and the job creators refuse to employ that person maybe, we shouldn't be relying on those job creators. Because they're not doing their fucking job of creating jobs.

The ones I hate are the smug Google IT! answers. I did Google it, but all of the results pointed to people smugly replying that I should google it!.

In his book, the actual leader of the universe turned out to be oblivious to it. His thinking was that anybody who aspires to the role should under no circumstances be permitted to have it.

I've been saying for a decade or more that the altruistic public servant is an extinct species, and people entering politics now should immediately be suspect. It attracts poor quality people.

who don't get to come into the country and do real work.

they only do that for *your* kids.

You mean ExpertSexChange ?

Luck/Good Fortune and a dose of hard work and focus are more important in my experience. Of course being good at managing your money is pretty important as well.

Sure, some people inherit money, but history says at least half squander the money away within two generations.