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Open Source....Beyond Open Source->

Submitted by
jammag
jammag writes "The idea of open source is greatly influencing the larger world — far beyond software. As detailed in this article, an "open source" housing competition freely shares all winning blueprints. Likewise the Open Source Washing Machine Project and Open Source Solar. Open Source Yoga believes no practice should be copyrighted. The folks at Open Source Cupcake enthuse that "it's time to open source the cupcake." Open Source Prosthetics claims that fake limbs "shouldn't cost an arm and a leg," and so freely share all designs. Where's it all headed? Is the proprietary finally dying?"
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Linux

Will Windows 8 'Secure Boot' Hamper Linux Use? -> 1

Submitted by
jammag
jammag writes "A new feature coming in Windows 8 called Secure Boot may prevent users from installing Linux on a PC. It's likely, of course, that Windows 8 users will be able to turn off or disable Secure Boot. But will most users know this and — a bigger challenge — understand how to do it? And how will the OEMs handle this? Is it vaguely paranoid to think that OEMs might present a "once per boot" disable function for Secure Boot that will place a stumbling block in front of Linux users?"
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Fear and Loathing: Software Developers Do Customer->

Submitted by
jammag
jammag writes "A longtime developer talks about the semi-rebellion that erupted when his manager decided that the developers were going to provide phone support to end-users. "I left out the obscenities to protect our younger readers. But they were numerous, salty, and at the level of your average drunken sailor," he writes. But with today's bare-bones staffs, developers are being forced into this role more often (especially when they launch their own small shops). With proper guidelines and perhaps a CRM package, can developers be effective at phone support? Should developers ever be asked to operate a live telephone?"
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Lessons From Quirky Software Development Managers->

Submitted by
jammag
jammag writes "Veteran software developer Eric Speigel describes some of the odd and annoying bosses he's worked for during years of coding. The litany runs from the "friend" who wants to hang out (until the crap hits the fan and the screaming starts) to the "hovering micro-manager" who sneaks up behind him. Yet as every coder should know, there are ways of dealing with these difficult personalities, which Spiegel details (sort of — in the end it might be a case of grin and bear it). How do you cope with difficult managers as you code?"
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Do Developers Really Need A Second Monitor?->

Submitted by
jammag
jammag writes "It was an agonizing moment: a developer arrived at work to realize his second monitor had been taken (given to the accounting dept., to add insult to injury). Soon, the wailing and the gnashing of teeth began. As this project manager recounts, developers feel strongly — very strongly — about needing a second monitor (maybe a third?) to work effectively. But is this just the posturing of pampered coders, or is this much screen real estate really a requirement for today's developers?"
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That Developer's Salary is Bigger than Mine!-> 2

Submitted by
jammag
jammag writes "Longtime developer Eric Spiegel remembers earlier in his career when he accidentally glimpsed all his fellow developers' salaries. To his shock, he realized he was almost the lowest paid coder at the company — though he wasn't the newest or youngest. As he confronted his manager (who had just praised him in a salary review) he realized some nitty gritty facts about programmer pay — including how he had failed to get the best pay package for himself."
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GNOME

GNOME vs. KDE: The Latest Round->

Submitted by
jammag
jammag writes "The debate about whether KDE or GNOME is the better Linux desktop is longstanding. Yet as Linux pundit Bruce Byfield discusses, it has entered a fresh chapter now that both desktop have versions that are radically different from their incarnations just a few years back. Moreover, "the differences in KDE 4.6 and GNOME 3 (the latest releases) are greater than they have ever been," he writes. Casting aside his usual diplomacy, Byfield acknowledges that he's heard rave reviews about GNOME 3, but disagrees: "I suspect that the majority of users are more likely to be satisfied with KDE 4.6 than GNOME 3.""
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The Dumbest Ways To Interview A Developer->

Submitted by
jammag
jammag writes "It seems like it's a growing trend: developers are asked some dumb or weird questions as part of their interview process. A veteran developer talks about some of the strangest ones he's heard of, including one about the relationship between light bulbs and java coding. Huh? Companies apparently want to find the brightest, most creative minds (witness Google's baffling mind field of interview questions) but in the process, what about...actual coding expertise? And what's the strangest question you've ever been asked?"
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What Makes A Smart Developer? (Is it Google?)->

Submitted by jammag
jammag writes "A project manager talks about hiring young developers in the Age of Google. He points out that, for many of them, "I can just Google it" is a substitute for a larger knowledge base. He concedes that, okay, he himself used to rely (heavily) on reference books, but he wonders if it hasn't gone too far. Oh, and by the way, they wear flip-flops to job interviews. What's up with their young whipper snappers?"
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What ever happened to happily ever after?