Comment On The Storage Warehouse, The Most Ethical, and The Customizer

Unicorn #8157:

I regret to inform you that late last night Alex was in an interview that resulted in him being offered another job. We're still trying to work out what we want to do with this site, whether we want to keep it going or call it. We wish Alex's family the best in these difficult times and ask that you bear with us.

new job? is he getting more take home salary?

Raman:

Nagesh:

One question people always ask is "What is most interesting project you have on your resume?"

I reply "All of them were interesting to someone or other. For me all of them held the same degree of interest only."

Maybe a better answer is:
"I left the most interesting ones off my resume, because "
(pick one of)
1) "I didn't want to look to geeky"
2) "I didn't want you to think I'd get bored in this role"
3) "It's a closely guarded Govt/military secret"
4) "We're still going through court...."
5) "I believe there's a patent pending"
6) "I'm not sure it's appropriate"

I have used #3 several times. My resume states where I was working and very generically what I was doing, while leaving out all of the details. If pressed, I just state "need to know".

Nagesh:

Anonymous Coward:

Heck yes, Eclipse IS a skill - do you know how much tinkering that pile of an IDE needs to be functional with the bunch of plugins usually gets tacked on to it?

Eclipse is bestest IDE as far as my knowledge.

beastiest is more like it.

Companies essentially get the employees they deserve.

I was teaching a C class years ago and I found it practical to have their first assignment just be "hello, world" so they got used to using the compiler. I also explained that 3/4 of their grade came from assignments, not tests (it being a practical class). One student was there every day, but only turned in the first assignment. He scored roughly 15% on the mid-term and only marginally better on the final. When his F grade arrived, he called and was all upset with me. I pointed out that he only turned in the first assignment and assignments were the majority of the grade. His stunning reply? "I thought my test grades would carry me." Um, sure.

Well, the point of this story is that the guy's company had paid for him to take the class to augment his work he did as a programmer for them. The class revealed that didn't know how to program at all. Zilch. And he had worked for them for a year. Now he was about to get fired. I got thinking, "great! a programmer who doesn't know how to program and an employer that doesn't know it. They shouldn't fire him; they are made for each other."

DudeWithTude:

I would rather see something like "Use mod-rewrite to produce complex URL rewrite rules", but I certainly wouldn't assume they thought they manually altered url's in stream. It wouldn't weight much against them getting a phone interview depending on the rest of the CV... although I might bring it up in that interview

Yeah, I'm doing 'URL rewriting' right now...that is, I'm writing some Joomla SEF routers for components that didn't have them or had crappy ones.

'URL rewriting' is kinda vague, considering how many levels that can work at. Server level, application level, hell, he could mean that he wrote some Javascript to rewrite URLs in a page, like to redirect outgoing links through analytics. (He is, after all, apparently made of written Javascript functions.;)

'Where did you do that?' and 'What did you use it for?' seem relevant questions in an interview, if just to make sure it's not 'I know how to input an old URL and a new URL in a GUI.'

crocko blocko:

Jay:

C-Octothorpe:

I would agree with you in that it would be unfair to ask a .net developer what the framework feature differences between Java 1.4 and 5 are or to code a solution on paper in PHP, but christ, not knowing what Java and JavaScript are? Wow...

To be fair, dividing the word "Javascript" into two words is no evidence at all that the writer doesn't know the difference between Java and Javascript. If someone wrote on a resume that he was "skilled in database desine" I might give him a small minus for the mis-spelling, but I wouldn't conclude that he was lying about having such a skill.

I'll bite. This is different. The IT world is so pedantic that anyone who uses JavaScript knows that it is JavaScript and must never be confused with Java. Uni grads (and backyard hobbyists) who have grown up on Java often seem to think that JavaScript is some sort of derivative of Java used in Web Development that they've never encountered. Writing Java Script is a sin punishable by death because it propagates these sort of attitudes. Seeing that on a resume would always have me assuming that this person either has a Java background, or has taught themselves to write some basic JavaScript in some hobby web development.

For the first time ever, I must agree with the Octothorpe that such a mistake would have alarm bells ringing so loudly for me that resume goes to shredder. Then again, misspelling design would have a similar effect on me (it's a resume for crying out loud, this document represents you and your abilities to communicate; it's probably written in an editor that has a spell checker, and yet you manage to misspell a reasonably basic word).

But some of us are a little elitist

In most cases I agree with that, but the article mentioned this guy was from overseas and possibly a non-native English speaker -- so he'd get cut some slack for the Java Script thing.

Silfax:

Nagesh:

Anonymous Coward:

Heck yes, Eclipse IS a skill - do you know how much tinkering that pile of an IDE needs to be functional with the bunch of plugins usually gets tacked on to it?

Eclipse is bestest IDE as far as my knowledge.

beastiest is more like it.

Name anything that come close to Eclipse for java development. If you are very found of VS2010, I can step into your shoes and understand that. But if you're are doing java development, then Eclipse is best!

Nagesh:

Name anything that come close to Eclipse for java development. If you are very found of VS2010, I can step into your shoes and understand that. But if you're are doing java development, then Eclipse is best!

IntelliJ IDEA 11 is vastly superior to eclipse IMO. Opinion being the keyword you'll probably miss.

I've used both professionally.

I would find it incredibly hard to believe there isn't some shit in the contract which says you can't quit on them, but they are free to fire you whenever they feel like.

Knot Westwood:

Matt Westwood:

Samurai Pizza cat:

Zylon:

Knife, Fork and Spoon!

They fight crime!

ALL OVER TOWN!

Jim the Fork and Fred the Spoon vanished into obscurity, while someone wrote a song about that fuck-wit cunt Mac.

Westwooded TFY

You stupid arse-faced pig - fuckwit has no hyphen.

Coyne:

Matt Westwood:

Coyne:

operagost:

dpm:

We have had a problem with people leaving prematurely, so you would need to sign an agreement that you'll work here for two years.

I cannot remember a finer example of ignoring the cause when treating the problem.

Putting a duration on this "agreement" makes it a contract, for sure. Sure, no raise for two years (or as this tale implies, ever) but you're guaranteed two years at whatever salary is in the contract. Unless you break the terms of the contract, they can't fire you without buying out your contract.

Gee, aren't you the "glass half full" kind of guy? I'm willing to bet the company end of the contract is full of loopholes like "probationary periods", "employee handbook violations" (not that the employee will ever see the handbook), and "business need" exceptions.

In the pro-business case-law environment that exists in this country: The definition of "idiot" is any manager that can't figure out how to throw your tail onto the street without having to pay you another dime.

If you don't see the handbook and they try to ditch you for violating it, *you* can sue *them*.

Absolutely. And they will give you what's behind door 3, which is one, lonely, corroded nickel. 40% of which will go to legal costs.

Oh yes of course, you live in that poor benighted land where justice is a game.

anon:

Backseat lawyer:

dpm:

We have had a problem with people leaving prematurely, so you would need to sign an agreement that you'll work here for two years.

I cannot remember a finer example of ignoring the cause when treating the problem.

Interesting that the company lawyers said that was ok.

Pretty sure that is an unenforceable clause that may even make the entire contract invalid.

Certainly they're begging for a lawsuit.

Uh, yea, no it's certainly not illegal or unenforceable. It's actually the entire basis of employment contracts, and it goes both ways. You can't quit without cause, and they can't fire you without cause. There are generally provisions for buying out the rest of the contract if one side wishes to terminate early.

For some reason, I find it hard to believe this place would be benevolent enough to offer such reciprocity. I'm guessing there's a clause that says they can fire you whenever they want without penalty.

I would second IntelliJ. I haven't used it for quite some time though (it would have been back when Eclipse was 2.0 and truly a steaming pile of turd). IntelliJ was a joy. I tried to get management to buy it, but I couldn't convince them that the increase in efficiency with intellij would pay for itself (sigh). Oh well.

- doc

Ben Jammin:

Tud:

Jay:

On the serious side ... People regularly post on here, "The real WTF is PHP" or "The real WTF is VB". I hope they're joking. While languages have pros and cons and I certainly have my preferences, you can write real programs in VB and PHP is quite useful for some types of apps.

But "The real WTF is MS Access" ... that one leaves me hard-pressed to think of a counter-argument.

I don't think it's such a big WTF. I mean, MS Access is a program specifically designed for creating databases, forms, etc. Give me an equivalent software that can let a "standard user" do that with just a bit of trial and error. It's ideal for a small business (between 10 and 1000 records I'd say). Of course it's not intended to be used in an actual production environment. The WTF is that they didn't have anyone (or hire anyone) who knew how to handle "actual databases" and instead chose to keep their existing inadequate system.

Please wash your mouth out with soap. MS Access is a blight. The problem with using it in any business sense is that the main goal of any business is to grow/stay around. This means anything made with Access will need to be scalable and maintainable. Access is neither, especially when given to a standard user. If someone wants to catalog their movie collection, give em Access. If a pointy-haired manager wants to say he can make databases and doesn't need programmers, he'll use Access. I assume since you are on this site, you are neither, and should be ashamed of yourself.

Of course, this rant may be caused by years of my life being wasted by upgrading, consolidating, and maintaining friggin Access apps.

I find it hard to believe that there isn't some kind of easy migration solution to big boy databases (at least MS SQL databases) for Access. It seems like a nice way to not only get extra money out of a customer, but to get them paying for bigger toys.

Matt Westwood:

Coyne:

operagost:

dpm:

We have had a problem with people leaving prematurely, so you would need to sign an agreement that you'll work here for two years.

I cannot remember a finer example of ignoring the cause when treating the problem.

Putting a duration on this "agreement" makes it a contract, for sure. Sure, no raise for two years (or as this tale implies, ever) but you're guaranteed two years at whatever salary is in the contract. Unless you break the terms of the contract, they can't fire you without buying out your contract.

Gee, aren't you the "glass half full" kind of guy? I'm willing to bet the company end of the contract is full of loopholes like "probationary periods", "employee handbook violations" (not that the employee will ever see the handbook), and "business need" exceptions.

In the pro-business case-law environment that exists in this country: The definition of "idiot" is any manager that can't figure out how to throw your tail onto the street without having to pay you another dime.

If you don't see the handbook and they try to ditch you for violating it, *you* can sue *them*.

You're assuming that 1). The former employee can actually afford legal representation, and 2). That the former employee knows this.

AN AMAZING CODER:

Nagesh:

Name anything that come close to Eclipse for java development. If you are very found of VS2010, I can step into your shoes and understand that. But if you're are doing java development, then Eclipse is best!

IntelliJ IDEA 11 is vastly superior to eclipse IMO. Opinion being the keyword you'll probably miss.

I've used both professionally.

what is price for IntelliJ Idea? Is this from same people who are making Resharper for VS2010?

Don't be evil.

Earp:

Don't be evil.

Define "evil" and "be".

s73v3r:

Ben Jammin:

Tud:

Jay:

On the serious side ... People regularly post on here, "The real WTF is PHP" or "The real WTF is VB". I hope they're joking. While languages have pros and cons and I certainly have my preferences, you can write real programs in VB and PHP is quite useful for some types of apps.

But "The real WTF is MS Access" ... that one leaves me hard-pressed to think of a counter-argument.

I don't think it's such a big WTF. I mean, MS Access is a program specifically designed for creating databases, forms, etc. Give me an equivalent software that can let a "standard user" do that with just a bit of trial and error. It's ideal for a small business (between 10 and 1000 records I'd say). Of course it's not intended to be used in an actual production environment. The WTF is that they didn't have anyone (or hire anyone) who knew how to handle "actual databases" and instead chose to keep their existing inadequate system.

Please wash your mouth out with soap. MS Access is a blight. The problem with using it in any business sense is that the main goal of any business is to grow/stay around. This means anything made with Access will need to be scalable and maintainable. Access is neither, especially when given to a standard user. If someone wants to catalog their movie collection, give em Access. If a pointy-haired manager wants to say he can make databases and doesn't need programmers, he'll use Access. I assume since you are on this site, you are neither, and should be ashamed of yourself.

Of course, this rant may be caused by years of my life being wasted by upgrading, consolidating, and maintaining friggin Access apps.

I find it hard to believe that there isn't some kind of easy migration solution to big boy databases (at least MS SQL databases) for Access. It seems like a nice way to not only get extra money out of a customer, but to get them paying for bigger toys.

Supposedly, Access has an Upgrade Wizard for Sql Server and Sql Server has an import wizard for Access. I say supposedly, because both routes are not perfect conversions and while it tries to take care of data, it is easier for me to do that instead. It seems to have issues with unicode characters in their automated processes.

However, neither automated upgrade solve the fact that the whole app was made by someone who shouldn't have been making the app, and I'm still stuck with all the forms/reports.

Nagesh:

Earp:

Don't be evil.

Define "evil" and "be".

Define "Define".

N% of lacking-unnecessary-keywords resumes don't make it past HR.

M% of interviewers will forgive lying on a resume if you fess up immediately and explain the contents of this post.

If M>(100-N) then you should lie on your resume. Feel free to supply your own values for N and M.

Sparr:

N% of lacking-unnecessary-keywords resumes don't make it past HR.

M% of interviewers will forgive lying on a resume if you fess up immediately and explain the contents of this post.

If M>(100-N) then you should lie on your resume. Feel free to supply your own values for N and M.

Shouldn't that be M>(N-100) ?

Robbert:

Shouldn't that be M>(N-100) ?

No, wait. That's even worse.

Captcha: Motherfucking Idiot.

shadowman:

crocko blocko:

Jay:

C-Octothorpe:

I would agree with you in that it would be unfair to ask a .net developer what the framework feature differences between Java 1.4 and 5 are or to code a solution on paper in PHP, but christ, not knowing what Java and JavaScript are? Wow...

To be fair, dividing the word "Javascript" into two words is no evidence at all that the writer doesn't know the difference between Java and Javascript. If someone wrote on a resume that he was "skilled in database desine" I might give him a small minus for the mis-spelling, but I wouldn't conclude that he was lying about having such a skill.

I'll bite. This is different. The IT world is so pedantic that anyone who uses JavaScript knows that it is JavaScript and must never be confused with Java. Uni grads (and backyard hobbyists) who have grown up on Java often seem to think that JavaScript is some sort of derivative of Java used in Web Development that they've never encountered. Writing Java Script is a sin punishable by death because it propagates these sort of attitudes. Seeing that on a resume would always have me assuming that this person either has a Java background, or has taught themselves to write some basic JavaScript in some hobby web development.

For the first time ever, I must agree with the Octothorpe that such a mistake would have alarm bells ringing so loudly for me that resume goes to shredder. Then again, misspelling design would have a similar effect on me (it's a resume for crying out loud, this document represents you and your abilities to communicate; it's probably written in an editor that has a spell checker, and yet you manage to misspell a reasonably basic word).

But some of us are a little elitist

In most cases I agree with that, but the article mentioned this guy was from overseas and possibly a non-native English speaker -- so he'd get cut some slack for the Java Script thing.

JavaScript is a name - For that it is quite moot what he speaks.

Kinda amazing how one cannot grasp Martijn simple point.

dgvid:

Andrew:

> the development manager lead me to the board room.

It's led, please; led, OK? *Sobs at the state of the world*

No, no, the manager actually did use a soft, grayish metal (atomic number 82) to prod the guy into the board room. I mean it may be soft as metals go, but you still don't want to be hit in the head with it.

Most peculiar (and interesting) thing about the English language:
If you see the word, read, is it present-tense or past tense?
This is why machines have difficulty reading/writing English.
For example.

ParkinT:

dgvid:

Andrew:

> the development manager lead me to the board room.

It's led, please; led, OK? *Sobs at the state of the world*

No, no, the manager actually did use a soft, grayish metal (atomic number 82) to prod the guy into the board room. I mean it may be soft as metals go, but you still don't want to be hit in the head with it.

Most peculiar (and interesting) thing about the English language:
If you see the word, read, is it present-tense or past tense?
This is why machines have difficulty reading/writing English.
For example.

yeah, that's totally different in other languages.

ParkinT:

dgvid:

Andrew:

> the development manager lead me to the board room.

It's led, please; led, OK? *Sobs at the state of the world*

No, no, the manager actually did use a soft, grayish metal (atomic number 82) to prod the guy into the board room. I mean it may be soft as metals go, but you still don't want to be hit in the head with it.

Most peculiar (and interesting) thing about the English language:
If you see the word, read, is it present-tense or past tense?
This is why machines have difficulty reading/writing English.
For example.

Yeah, that's the greatest problem.

Phrases like "The current president repents the incident" or "Oh, awesome, really" can easily be solved for their meanings and emotions.

Hint: Context.

Mathew:

ParkinT:

dgvid:

Andrew:

> the development manager lead me to the board room.

It's led, please; led, OK? *Sobs at the state of the world*

No, no, the manager actually did use a soft, grayish metal (atomic number 82) to prod the guy into the board room. I mean it may be soft as metals go, but you still don't want to be hit in the head with it.

Most peculiar (and interesting) thing about the English language:
If you see the word, read, is it present-tense or past tense?
This is why machines have difficulty reading/writing English.
For example.

yeah, that's totally different in other languages.

Indeed. In the german language for example, you have a special form of "read":

Ich lese.
Ich las.
Ich habe gelesen.

You can totally not express this in english.

Btw: Go back to school and learn stuff, you know.

AN AMAZING CODER:

Nagesh:

Name anything that come close to Eclipse for java development. If you are very found of VS2010, I can step into your shoes and understand that. But if you're are doing java development, then Eclipse is best!

IntelliJ IDEA 11 is vastly superior to eclipse IMO. Opinion being the keyword you'll probably miss.

I've used both professionally.

And I kick your ass professionally. Really, your opinion is shit, you 20 year old should come to big corporates first.

Mathew:

Mathew:

ParkinT:

dgvid:

Andrew:

> the development manager lead me to the board room.

It's led, please; led, OK? *Sobs at the state of the world*

No, no, the manager actually did use a soft, grayish metal (atomic number 82) to prod the guy into the board room. I mean it may be soft as metals go, but you still don't want to be hit in the head with it.

Most peculiar (and interesting) thing about the English language:
If you see the word, read, is it present-tense or past tense?
This is why machines have difficulty reading/writing English.
For example.

yeah, that's totally different in other languages.

Indeed. In the german language for example, you have a special form of "read":

Ich lese.
Ich las.
Ich habe gelesen.

You can totally not express this in english.

Btw: Go back to school and learn stuff, you know.

Yeah genius, I was more like referring to the fact that all human spoken languages have ambiguity. Something op implicitly assigned specifically to english.
I don't need to go to school - I just schooled you.

Mathew:

Mathew:

ParkinT:

dgvid:

Andrew:

> the development manager lead me to the board room.

It's led, please; led, OK? *Sobs at the state of the world*

No, no, the manager actually did use a soft, grayish metal (atomic number 82) to prod the guy into the board room. I mean it may be soft as metals go, but you still don't want to be hit in the head with it.

Most peculiar (and interesting) thing about the English language:
If you see the word, read, is it present-tense or past tense?
This is why machines have difficulty reading/writing English.
For example.

yeah, that's totally different in other languages.

Indeed. In the german language for example, you have a special form of "read":

Ich lese.
Ich las.
Ich habe gelesen.

You can totally not express this in english.

Btw: Go back to school and learn stuff, you know.

and btw - why would a machine have difficulty to differentiate between 'I was reading' and 'I read'?
Maybe if you have programmed it...

I really liked your reference to the debate about the google german translator.

Mathew:

and btw - why would a machine have difficulty to differentiate between 'I was reading' and 'I read'?
Maybe if you have programmed it...

I read [reed]. -> At the moment.
I read [red]. -> In the past.

I guess that's what Mathew talked about.

Andrew:

> the development manager lead me to the board room.

It's led, please; led, OK? *Sobs at the state of the world*

Just like the past participle of "read" is "red". Easy to remember.

operagost:

Nagesh:

FRIST PROBABLY

Nope, Chuck Testa.

Uh-oh. Is Reddit leaking again?

hugh:

emurphy:

C-Octothorpe:

Forgot to mention that I wouldn't disqualfy any resume based solely on the fact that, LOLOMG they didn't write it exactly how *I* would have written it!!!1@

Hell, I've had to repeatedly correct at least two colleagues on the difference between Java and Javascript, but then it's a .NET shop so it's pretty rare that any of us need to work directly with either. The same mistake in a J2EE shop would be orders of magnitude WTFier.

Aye, and the people who think all .Net is C# and C# is MSVC (which is an IDE not a language, aside from all else - I guess people list Eclipse as a skill too??).

I think you mean MSVS.

And actually, yes, they do. People actually care what IDE you're used to using. I've had people ask me in interviews whether I worked with Visual Studio or some other IDE.

Coyne:

In the pro-business case-law environment that exists in this country: The definition of "idiot" is any manager that can't figure out how to throw your tail onto the street without having to pay you another dime.

I don't know what country you live in. Here in the U.S., any company I've worked for that wanted to fire someone spent months documenting the justification and evidence to back up that justification to protect themselves from lawsuits. A friend of mine who owns a small business fired someone for sleeping on the job. He sued claiming his sleeping was caused by a medical condition and she was forced to rehire him with back pay. I just saw a story in the news of a religious school that fired a teacher for teaching religious doctrines contrary to the beliefs of the organization. She sued for religious discrimination and won the first round of court battles. The school won on appeal; I don't know if that's the end or if there's yet another appeal. But if it's debatable whether you can fire someone for actively working against the goals of the organization, what CAN you fire someone for?

Matt Westwood:

If you don't see the handbook and they try to ditch you for violating it, *you* can sue *them*.

I'm not a lawyer, but I would think that if you didn't see the handbook because they refused to show you a copy, you might have a case. If you didn't see the handbook because you didn't bother to ask for it, I don't see how you'd have a case. "I didn't bother to check the building codes before beginning construction" is not a defense.

Jay:

Coyne:

In the pro-business case-law environment that exists in this country: The definition of "idiot" is any manager that can't figure out how to throw your tail onto the street without having to pay you another dime.

I don't know what country you live in. Here in the U.S., any company I've worked for that wanted to fire someone spent months documenting the justification and evidence to back up that justification to protect themselves from lawsuits. A friend of mine who owns a small business fired someone for sleeping on the job. He sued claiming his sleeping was caused by a medical condition and she was forced to rehire him with back pay. I just saw a story in the news of a religious school that fired a teacher for teaching religious doctrines contrary to the beliefs of the organization. She sued for religious discrimination and won the first round of court battles. The school won on appeal; I don't know if that's the end or if there's yet another appeal. But if it's debatable whether you can fire someone for actively working against the goals of the organization, what CAN you fire someone for?

Matt Westwood:

If you don't see the handbook and they try to ditch you for violating it, *you* can sue *them*.

I'm not a lawyer, but I would think that if you didn't see the handbook because they refused to show you a copy, you might have a case. If you didn't see the handbook because you didn't bother to ask for it, I don't see how you'd have a case. "I didn't bother to check the building codes before beginning construction" is not a defense.

I'm not a lawyer, but only because I don't want to pay the annual dues. The point of being bound by the handbook is that you basically agree to it. You can't agree to it if it isn't available.

However, unless you have a good-cause employment contract, it hardly matters.

Well, if the storage guy paid what my degree was worth, I just might take him up on it.

Pascal, not PASCAL. Dammit. Surely you do not call it PERL?

Pet résumé peeve #1:

Submissions in MS Word format

Pet résumé peeve #2:

Submissions in MS Word format that are rife with spelling mistakes that Word underlines in red so they are completely obvious

If you're worried that a prospective employer might not be able to open a PDF, ask yourself whether you really want to work for someone who can't open a PDF.