My primary work is ...
We don't know who it was that discovered water, but we're pretty sure that it wasn't a fish. -- Marshall McLuhan
We don't know who it was that discovered water, but we're pretty sure that it wasn't a fish. -- Marshall McLuhan
WTF? (Score:5, Insightful)
So apparently everyone on slashdot is expected to be a developer? WTF
Re:WTF? (Score:5, Informative)
So apparently everyone on slashdot is expected to be a developer? WTF
Exactly. There is a whole lot more to IT than writing software. The unix admins, windows admins, other OS admins, DBAs, network people, telecoms people, hardware people, user support people, and so on must outnumber developers by at least 10 to 1.
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That basically boils down to two classes though.
"Sysadmin" and "Desktop Support".
Re:WTF? (Score:5, Insightful)
That basically boils down to two classes though.
"Sysadmin" and "Desktop Support".
"computer people" and "lawyers" both boil down to "Knowledge workers".
"Knowledge workers" and "fast food vendors" both boil down to "employed people".
You can group different things into generic categories, so what?
Re:WTF? (Score:5, Funny)
You can group different things into generic categories, so what?
Maybe that's his job, you insensitive clod.
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Well played sir, well played. I shall tip the waitress on my way out.
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Now that was funny. Well done!
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How do you fit QA into those classes? For us, this includes performance testing, not just functional and regression.
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Is webmastering for an gouvernemental organisation is "Developing software for a company"?
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No.
I work in WebOps for a Government and I most definitely don't develop software. That's the job of the developers.
I maintain the build systems and I integrate tools which give the Developers the ability to publish their software. I describe our systems (in Puppet) to allow us to deploy them at will and I monitor the heck out of them. Each of those items does require some level of scripting or programming, but I don't consider that "what I do" - my focus is on building and maintaining an operational platfo
Re:WTF? (Score:5, Informative)
And there is a whole lot more to writing software than IT and desktop computing. I am an embedded software developer. I also do some electronics and design work in that area. I write software for microcontrollers that typically have say 4k of RAM and run at 8MHz or less. No OS, no C++ or object oriented stuff, just raw C and assembler on the bare metal.
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raw C??? Talk about having it easy!
Back the good ol' days we programmed these things in hex machine code. Eventually -- after a decade or two of indentured servitude -- we were allowed to use the assembler.
Re:WTF? (Score:5, Funny)
You were lucky.
We dreamed of hex code. Our cubicles were in a septic tank, and we had to solder op-amps directly onto the PCB. During our break, our manager would thrash us with his belt.
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Wow, you got a break? We got hit with that switch while soldering together the point-to-point work using a steel rod heated up in the central furnace. It was so hot in there you couldn't even wear clothes to protect you from the hickory switch!
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Ha, you jest but I actually have been soldering op-amps to a PCB in the past few weeks... Not even a proper PCB, just protoboard, and not DIP ICs either, I had to hand convert SOIC parts using enamelled copper wire. As DIP parts become harder to get and non-existent for new ICs I wonder how we will prototype anything in a few years time.
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Since when are 'telecoms people' IT?
As a fiber optic transport engineer, I scoff at you, sir.
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For what it's worth, the results as of right now have over 40% of Slashdotters being developers. Only 22% chose the "something else" option, which would include all the people you listed.
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The point of this poll is to find out?
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It's a shame isn't it? You'd think on a site "for nerds" that at least some of the polls would be thought through and give some interesting results. But our polls are even worse than the ones you commonly see on popular news pages.
Surely they can get someone who at least thinks for a second about the options. I don't expect any statistical analysis, I don't even expect them to write anything down. But I would like if they just spent four seconds reading the options to see if they make sense.
It's a lot to as
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Well, I know I am. And an electrical engineer, marketing specialist, DBA, customer support, chef, mechanic, accountant. I do a lot of things at my job. Software developement is probably at the top of the list.
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Mod parent down (Score:2)
He read the first two poll options and then inferred (incorrectly) what the remaining four would be. Hey, I know you want first post, but at least read half the options.
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Something else, and NOYB. (Score:5, Insightful)
We have to explain below?
Screw that. If I wanted people on here to know what I do, I'd link to my resumé (haven't updated it in years) or LinkedIn (not that I explain what I do on there, either).
I get it ... you're trying to justify charging more to advertisers by claiming that you have a certain niche audience that they want ... but if you paid attention, we're also a group who value our privacy.
Re:Something else, and NOYB. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Something else, and NOYB. (Score:4, Insightful)
Wow, your sig really applies to this post.
I agree a bit, but I also think that the combination of your signature and your post is kind of funny.
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Build it, and they will come^Hplain. (Score:2)
Re:Something else, and NOYB. (Score:5, Funny)
"but if you paid attention, we're also a group who value our privacy."
"Note to advertisers:
Slashdot Comment History Data Mining will soon be in place to give you a better picture of this influential techie community. They are very savvy and resistant to standard astro-turfing, so this target market must be approached with sophistication. The rewards for success are considerable. Contact us to develop an effective approach tailored to your product or service! Our satisfied clients include industry heavyweights such as MyCleanPC."
Working for the man (Score:3)
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Dehumanizing (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Dehumanizing (Score:5, Funny)
I studied human-cyborg relations in college, but after the economy tanked I had to take a job programming binary load lifters.
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Everything Else (Score:3, Funny)
Code is for code monkeys. I'm a JOAT for IT (Jerk of All Trades).
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I just read "The Lovers" by Philip José Farmer [wikipedia.org] where the main protagonist called himself a JOAT (Jack of All Trades, not Jerk) and it was weird.
.. she is an insect that is mimicking a hot chick. Then she dies when the babies are born - well actually they start eating her from
While rebelling against the strict religious principles of his post-apocalyptic society he hooks up with this hot chick on this alien planet and bangs her repeatedly until she gets pregnant. Except she isn't a hot chick
Talking (Score:2)
My job description covers developing software for a company, but reality involves rather little development.
Most of my time is spent on investigations (but not real systems analysis), documentation (sometimes contracts, sometimes draft or pre-politicized end-user instructions), internal support, and elevated customer support.
Not in IT (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Not in IT (Score:5, Funny)
That depends:
vi or emacs?
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emacs is a nice operating system, but it really needs a good text editor.
Required link: http://xkcd.com/378/ [xkcd.com]
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nano.
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Written by someone who doesn't work in IT, to boot. Unless there really are IT departments out there comprised entirely of "coders" and "managers".
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We have both kinds of visitors on Slashdot: people who have jobs in IT developing software, and people who have jobs in IT not developing software!
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I hope your life is so carefree that getting insulted by an online poll was just the worst thing you ever experienced.
First World Problem:
Clicked to vote on Opinion Poll
My answer is not one of the options!
disagreement problem [knowyourmeme.com]
RETIRED (Score:2)
For over 40 years, I was a software professional. I started as a programmer, but spent 30+ years as a software test engineer (not licensed, but then never working in Texas). My career is described at .
Retirement is the best "work" of all. It gave me time to serve two one-year terms on my county's grand jury, putter endless hours in my garden, serve as an unpaid docent at a local public garden, visit my grandchildren, etc. I can travel to foreign lands without first checking with some security officer at
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My career is described at http://www.rossde.com/retired.html [rossde.com].
I apologize for not previewing my prior response to this poll and thus not noticing that the link to my "Retired" page -- which summarizes my career -- did not appear.
i am disabled! (Score:1)
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missing option... (Score:1)
Student (Score:1)
all of the above (Score:2)
I run a small company that does quite some coding and R&D. I join in all aspects of it: management, sales, coding, R&D.
Nerd != Coder (Score:1)
I do the work that allows Developers, among many others, to do their work. My team keeps the Infrastructure humming.
Funny you should ask... (Score:5, Funny)
My primary work is mining demographic information on readership of news-aggregate sites by hijacking their built-in poll systems.
I'm a lawyer (Score:1)
Anyone else?
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Yep. But I've done web apps on the side for the last 12 years or so.
I like this poll, duchy just like me (Score:2)
Bow before me!
Engineer (Score:2)
What about QA/Test? (Score:5, Insightful)
Nobody ever remembers us, despite our critical function. Makes you wonder about the "team demographics" hereabouts.
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Makes sense that they forget about you. It's not just in the poll, considering the website itself (both the code and the content).
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Most of my automation work has been done in the domain of testing. You are not forgot!
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Actually, coding is just part of it. (Score:2)
Thinking about what I've done in the last 10 years... I've coded several different applications, learned a couple of programming languages, designed and coded an automated testing system architecture around TestComplete, written documentation, taken apart and fixed HP servers, developed virtual machine templates, maintained a dozen VMWare servers, taken out the trash, listened to co-worker's emotional problems, kept a client from being fired for doing something illegal (unknowingly), designed parts of our f
Just another highly valued IT worker (Score:2)
Ans: From all the debugging we do when using software.....
Greetings, Program! (Score:2)
Stop the MCP!
De-resolution is the only solution
EOL
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Stop the MCP!
Don't do it! I work on a piece of hardware where the MCP really is the operating system. (Steady as a rock too - no tendency to chase rogue programs on a lightbike).
Problem solver (Score:2)
I fix the problems created by programmers, management and end users. Anything and everything that comes down the pipe I will eventually see or be asked to correct.
I also continually harp on the zero communication that takes place where I work. When I say zero, I mean zero. "We have someone starting today, we need an account and a PC by 2" says the management hack at 1.
"We have new equipment arriving in 30 minutes. Do you need any information to help the delivery person when they get here?" I get in an em
Developing software, for a government agency (Score:3)
Other... (Score:2)
Something Else (Score:2)
Developing electronics
Forgot one (Score:2)
Professional Shill anyone? I've seen a few of these around.
Though seriously, I feel like this poll is more appropriate to another site, where you know, people talk about coding more often than other things. I rarely see any threads or even stories here that discuss coding in any particular length. Most of the time it's tech gadgets, dupes, political tech stories, or dupes.
Though I suppose if we had a poll of our actual demographic, we'd have a poll of dupes.
Something else... (Score:2)
Book indexer (Score:2)
I'm unemployed... you insensitive clod? (Score:2)
Up the "Wow" factor (Score:2)
currently building a case against the British Government for kidnap, child trafficking and genocide.
Dog Walking! But.... (Score:3)
Learned web stuff because someone had to do it, and we were tired of paying people to do it badly.
Learned Photoshop and Pagemaker because we needed stuff designed and we were tired of paying people to do it badly.
Learned to build, repair, and upgrade PCs because we needed it and we were tired of paying people to do it badly.
Learned Windows inside out from 3.1 to Vista because someone had to know how to make stuff work.
Plus I eventually learned Apple stuff because some people demanded them and I wanted to be able to separate reality from hype.
Now that I only support myself, plus a couple of small websites, I'm living on Linux, Joomla, and Android, and am quite happy.
I have though learned to STFU and not tell anyone that I could fix their computer.
I do architecture -- building architecture. (Score:2)
People Skills! (Score:2)
Not all nerds are programmers. (Score:2)
Engineering consultant (Score:2)
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Thats kind of what my managers do to our customers.
Developing (Score:2)
Voted developing but it is 99% fixing broken crap.
What? No room for students? (Score:2)
Radio engineering (Score:2)
Which encompasses everything from making little custom boxes to do clever stuff with existing equipment, to climbing up very tall buildings, drilling holes in them, and bolting aerials on.
I'm a radio amateur and into urbex, so it's just about perfect.
Other: I've got a corner office on top floor. (Score:2)
Cooler Than Most (Score:2)
...training... (Score:2)
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Re:10% Unemployed. (Score:5, Insightful)
And where's the "Underemployed" option?
Tell me about it brother!
My current job is packing video games for JVC - when I can get hours via the labor agency they use. They prefer the Mexicans - even though there are plenty of Americans who WANT to work, JVC schedules the Mexicans mostly because it's up to them: NOT the agency they outsource for the labor.
Anyway, when I get work, I have to show up, wait in line (they over schedule because a lot of folks have transportation issues - it sucks being poor) and hopefully get in. Get there early (over an hour early during Christmas rush in Sept, Oct & Nov - wainting in line is UNPAID) so that you may make the cut.
Then you have to go through security - NO electronic devices - ESPECIALLY CELL PHONES - and if you have one, automatic firing - forever.
Then you're on your feet 8 - 10 hours except for breaks. Sitting gets you fired - forever. Swearing gets you fired - FOREVER.
After work, you clock out and then wait in line to go through security - UNPAID - and it sometimes takes as long as a HALF HOUR.
At security, you get wanded down, you have to show skin at your ankles if you're wearing pants. Oh, you cant' take food out with you. If you bring it in (clear see through containers) you canot bring it back out. So your 9.5 hours (PAID) is really a 12 hour day or more. Back when I was an IT contractor I was able to bill for that entire 12 hours at $61/hour. Now it's 12 hours for 9.5 hours billable at minimum wage.
There's plenty of other little insults that one has to put up with working there. But you smile and take it.
There are other things that I won't mention here, but from what I've heard from the developers and what I've gone through as a minimum wage peon packing their shit, the video game industry is just like the athletic shoe industry only their shit is done here in N. America.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, at least I got a "job".
This has been horribly humbling. Now, I have to work on my rage when I see BULLSHIT about how poor people are in their situation because of their moral or work ethic inadequacy.
I work with many working poor and I can tell you that they work just as hard as anyone. And many work two jobs. That's right; after working 10 hours on their feet, they clock out and go work at a restaurant until 2 AM and then sleep for a few hours to come back in at 6AM. Day in and day out.
I am so grateful that I'm able to live the way I do. My wife is in medical and she is so understanding of my job situation. I lucked out BIG TIME! But then again, medical is in decline and she's having problems too. You see, medical is dependant on folks having health insurance and since most folks (in the US) have their health insurance through their employer, well, many can't afford medical care and don't see the doctor.
Medical and dental practices are suffering. Great time to get a deal on elective medical care - if you have the cash.
Anyway, this is getting long. This has been so humbling for me. If, and that's a big IF because I've been unemployed for so long and my businesses have tanked, I make it big again, I will be more compassionate of the poor and the outcasts of society. I'm not saying that I'll give them a free ride - like excusing abhorant behavior: there is SOME personal responsibility here! - but understand that life deals some shitty blows and at a point in time you have to make a decision between two shitty choices. Both lead to shit but you choose the less shitty.
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I'm curious, what were you doing in IT when you could bill $61 / hr that you can't do now?
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The other issue they mentioned was the looking for unicorns syndrome. Employers have gotten so picky that no one can meet their requirements.
That's been a problem for many years - I remember seeing a job posting at the Hire-A-Student for a minimum wage "programming intern" with five years experience in multiple languages.
There's a theory among employers that you should ask for the "perfect employee", and then settle if needed. Recently I've seen the twist where they hire for jobs they don't need to immediately fill - the posting is just in case their Prince Charming applies.
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Capitalism will eat itself and we're watching it happen. I'd be watching with a mixture of amusement and fascination if it wasn't so horrifying due to our reliance on it to provide people with their basic needs to remain alive.
As businesses become more labor-efficient they fire people, hire less people. This is good for the individual business because they become more cost-effective and can produce the same amount of goods/services using less people. Good for them, right? Well every other business is doing
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Or Slashdot just has a healthy readership among students? Not to ruin your rant or anything, but, you know, Occam's Razor and all...
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Exlax watches? Like, ex-lax [ex-lax.com]? Is there a yuppie trend I haven't heard about?
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I write code with nucleic acids.
'course, there's an emacs command to do that. oblig [xkcd.com]