Does a docking station really offer so much more?
It depends on the particular situation. If you have a lot of devices, multiple monitor setups, etc. then yes. Using a docking station, you simply sit the laptop on the dock and push down slightly (or close it and slide it in, depending on the laptop) and you're good to go. Otherwise, you have to connect a power cord, monitor cord(s), any USB devices you may be using, speaker connections, eSATA ports, etc. If you only have an external monitor, or a printer, or something where you're only talking power and a couple cords, it's not so bad without a dock. But even with that, it's still more convenient to simply have to deal with sitting the laptop in the dock than to try and get the video cable turned the right direction and aligned with the pins before you can get to work. Plus, some docks (like the Dell D series) can be mounted on notebook and monitor stands, giving you added benefit of a better viewing angle or a convenient storage spot while the book is docked. At least for me, it wouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker, as MacBooks are really nice systems, and I can live without a dock, but it really depends on your workflow.
You can't fire a developer that's leading in resolutions and completed requirements. It's that simple
Sure you can. If you have any measure of intelligence or ethics, you shouldn't... but you can.
I was laid off from a job after working there for five years, having completely rewritten most of our code from scratch, and ultimately being the *only* person in the company who knew how to interface with the various systems we had to generate reports and performance metrics for both of the company's call centers.
My final months there, I worked my ass off (often working overnight shifts) generating custom reports that my manager requested at the last minute, so that he could provide data to the CEO, often times giving me 15 minutes notice that he needed some outlandish custom data for a meeting. With the short notice, it wasn't uncommon for the manager to get his ass chewed for not having provided the data ahead of the meeting and for not being able to give any additional details (since he had no clue what was going on with the department outside of the data I had to provide to him).
So when the time came to make cuts, my manager decided to pass on the blame and selected me, claiming that I didn't do anything. Pretty much everyone else there knew differently, since they actually worked with me daily on different projects, but because senior management was under the impression that the manager was providing the data himself, they didn't question the claims against me. And since it was a layoff instead of termination, I really had no recourse anyways.
Or if he knew that employee spent time trying to cover his or her own ass instead of -- you know -- just get work done?
I have to agree with the article on the point of keeping documentation. It's a good idea, though you shouldn't be spending more time doing that than doing actual work. But if you find yourself in a situation like mine, where they choose to mask it as a layoff instead, all the documentation in the world will probably not help you much. I could have easily proved what I did, but luckily I didn't have to, since they soon found out once I was gone and the manager wasn't able to come up with the data he needed, and got himself fired just a couple weeks later.
By that time, I had found out the actual reasons behind my termination (since I was initially told it was just a routine layoff) and had heard what had happened after I left, but the company chose not to hire me back citing pay as the reason, just like ducomputergeek commented.
Every single graphical trick done to either speed up or sexify your web site is done with tables inside tables inside tables--it's tables all the way down!
Apparently, you've never visited the Zen Garden.
This comment is worded exactly as intended. Any application of lame "Fixed that for you" jokes will be "dealt with".
Fixed that for you. Sorry, couldn't help it.
Anyways, I agree... DVD and flash options have a very different use to many. I'm not going to go buy a pile of 4 GB flash drives and use them to backup my content, then stick them in a safe. I'll use a stack of DVDs for that. I also use DVDs for large installation files that I want to keep a copy of.
Flash drives are great for point-to-point copying and then deleting when you're done. No need to make a coaster. Plus they work in any computer with a USB port, where DVDs only work in DVD drives, and then only ones that can read the correct format (-R, +R, DL, etc).
Then, if the application is rejected after that, the developer needs to be given a very specific and detailed response as to why the app is rejected, and what (if anything) they can do to correct the problem. If necessary, this could be under the NDA (that the dev has already agreed to) so that they could disclose the reasons to the developer without restriction.
Either way, the decision and details should be fully documented so that any future questions could be answered. That way, if app A has been approved, and similar app B is rejected, then a dispute resolution could review the reasoning used in both decisions and determine a more fair resolution.
Just my 5 cents
Quantity is no substitute for quality, but its the only one we've got.