• ben (unregistered) in reply to KenW
    KenW:
    Except that isn't what the interviewer asked now, is it? You know what they say about "assume", right? What if the interviewer was looking to find out if you were familiar with hex numbers instead? You've answered wrong.

    Except the part where you've replied with something germane, relevant, and intelligent to a vague question.

    KenW:
    Except again, that isn't what the interviewer asked him. What if the interviewer had meant "How do you feel about our policy of mandatory drug testing?" instead. You'd sound pretty stupid about talking about TDD and unit tests then, wouldn't you?

    Except, again, that you've done the best you can by providing the most reasonable and intelligent answer to a vague question.

    You could try the OP's approach, of not saying anything, or your approach of contrived game-playing and being an annoying pedant, but I think that giving the best-guess most intelligent answer is going to meet with more success.

  • Ǝ (unregistered) in reply to Bob
    Bob:
    Meh. 1. All-knowing, 2. Ageless, 3. Shape/size/substance changing.

    It's a complicated thing, the all-knowing. If I ever got it, the first thing I would figure out is how to temporally forget it all.

    You did.

  • (cs) in reply to will
    will:
    For me, what I want is the ability to Save Game. Seriously, I could Save, try to rob a bank, get killed, Load Game, and try again using knowledge from my first attempt.

    Forget robbing bank, time for a trip to Las Vegas and using the saved positions to make sport and roulette bets.

    If you are looking for a quick win a game of Keno

    Well yeah, but that's not as fun. :-P

    I was actually going to use that as an example for the "why I'd choose that:" I usually don't take risks unless there's a safety net. The save game gives me a permanent safety net. So when I go to a native american casino (I live in California), instead of only taking $100 to lose, I would take my life savings and put it on Black 13. When it comes up Red 34, I'll load the save game. My life savings is still in my hand, so I put the money on Red 34. When it comes up Black 20 I find out that life isn't as deterministic as I'd like, and try again until I eventually win or get sick of it (at which point I'll take the money I still have and won't have lost anything).

    Note: That determinism thing is a joke. In reality, so long as I place the bet after the ball starts rolling, it will end up in the same place. Someone used this to cheat the game, setting up a program that would calculate the position of the ball based upon when it passes a certain point on several rotations. The calculation only gave a six number spread (or something like that), but they got more than their money back by putting equal amounts on all six numbers. So obviously, roulette is more than deterministic enough, unless the act of loading/saving causes some sort of disruption.

  • (cs) in reply to Erzengel
    Erzengel:
    Note: That determinism thing is a joke. In reality, so long as I place the bet after the ball starts rolling, it will end up in the same place. Someone used this to cheat the game, setting up a program that would calculate the position of the ball based upon when it passes a certain point on several rotations. The calculation only gave a six number spread (or something like that), but they got more than their money back by putting equal amounts on all six numbers. So obviously, roulette is more than deterministic enough, unless the act of loading/saving causes some sort of disruption.

    For those interested, this is detailed in the book "The Newtonian Casino" by Thomas Bass, also known as "The Eudaemonic Pie".

  • DarkAges (unregistered)

    If you're into slave labor, check out THIS outstanding job opportunity (be sure to view the job description).

    http://www.co.hays.tx.us/JobListingDetails/tabid/134/jobid/3/Default.aspx

    Near as I can figure, for the munificent sum of $41K, they're looking for a composite:

    1. Web designer
    2. System Administrator (Linux and Windows)
    3. Programmer (ASP, PHP, HTML, Java, Javascript, Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Visual Studio .NET.)
    4. 24-hr/7day Tech support
    5. Hardware tech
    6. Network tech (may work in ceiling and under floor)
    7. Systems analyst
    8. Systems designer
    9. Technical Writer
    10. Trainer
    11. Presenter

    The successful candidate must have the following credentials: two year's of technical training in the area of Information Technology at a technical trade institute or College. · Requires four years of experience in Web Design and programming. Other Qualifications, Certificates, Licenses, Registrations · MCSE (Microsoft Certified System Engineer) - Preferred · A+ Certification or equivalent · Class C driver’s license · Ability to maintain continuing education requirements in the computer technology field.

    I first saw this posting in May, and I can't BELIEVE it's still open!

  • Mr.'; Drop Database -- (unregistered) in reply to FrankNorman
    FrankNorman:
    In many cases, the "damnation" would be inherent in the use of the power itself. The Mind-Control guy would never have normal relationships, friends, or anything. Ditto the Invisible Man - once people found out he could do it! Most of the others would soon end up either in a government lab, or as fugitives.
    That's why the correct answer is "healing eye beams".
  • Jay (unregistered)

    As I get older, I'm well beyond wanting x-ray vision, I'd settle for being able to read for fifteen minutes without my vision blurring. Ability to fly is good, but I'd settle for being able to get through the airport security line without having to take off my shoes and go through the metal detector six times.

    But hey, after reading this thread, I realize that the super-power question can be a great psychological profiler.

    invisibility or x-ray vision: pervert

    mind-control: control freak

    invincibility: excessive risk-taker

    Etc.

    I'm sure that from the interviewer's point of view, the right answer is: "I'd like the superpower of being able to live without food or shelter, so that I could accept a job here even though it only pays minimum wage."

  • Jay (unregistered)

    How do I feel about numbers?

    I really love the number 28. I thought she was absolutely perfect. We got married and exchanged rings, but then I had an affair with the square root of 7. It was irrational, I know, but I couldn't help myself. 28 found out about it and left me. I briefly dated 4 + 3i, but our relationship was always so complex, it just didn't work out. Besides, I always had the impression that she just wasn't being real with me. I loved 0/0 but she strung me along for several years and refused to make any commitments; she was just too indeterminate. I thought I really clicked with 0x3F, but social pressures ruined it: her family and friends refused to accept me because I was of a different radix. I tried to win 28 back, but then she met 2 pi. How could I compete with someone who was so transcendental? I got so depressed, for a while I was even hanging out at sleazy bars with -2 and -5, even though I knew they were less than nothing.

    I think my problem is that my relationships are never symmetric. They are too transitive, and I jump from one to another almost reflexively. Maybe it's a disjunction. I should try to get some help, maybe join an Abelian group.

  • fa_f3_20 (unregistered)

    Some years ago, I was working for company A in Florida. However, I was looking for something else, because company A's managers were a bunch of drama queens and I was fed up with their act. So a contact I knew at company B got me an interview there. I took a vacation day (cleared a week in advance) to go over to company B and interview. It went pretty well, but they told me that one manager who wanted to interview me was traveling that week, and could they schedule an after hours follow-up for the next week. I said sure.

    The next day, I reported for work at company A and was immediately marched into a conference room. There, I was placed on trial, j'accuse fashion. They knew all about the interview; in fact, they knew some of the questions that were asked, and what my answers were. This greatly puzzled me since I had told no one at company A about the interview. After two hours of interrogation, they marched me back to my desk to clean it out, and that was that. After I left, I called my contact at company B and told him what had happened.

    The next morning, company B called me back. I expected a call to schedule the follow-up interview, but instead they had an offer ready, and it was a generous one. And I could start that day if I wanted to. Young, not long out of school, and no savings -- believe me, I wanted to. The manager I was assigned to was surprised to see me; he wasn't aware that he had hired anybody, but he took it in stride. It turned out to be a good job, and I stayed there for about five years.

    It wasn't until a couple of years after I started at company B that I found out the back story. As it turned out, company B's HR manager lived next door to company A's VP. The evening of the day I interviewed at company B, they had a back yard barbeque together, and said HR manager casually mentioned to said VP that company B had interviewed one of company A's employees that day. Needless to say, said VP (who was one of company A's worst drama queens) was very interested, and asked to see the file, which said HR manager was only too happy to provide. The next day, when my contact at company B called HR to find out WTF, someone somewhere (fortunately for me) put together the story and realized that if they didn't hire me and I ever found out what had happend, I'd sue the snot out of them. But it all ended well for me. Not so much for the HR manager, who was fired.

  • 008 (unregistered)

    My superpower: Dynamic code execution. If someone's being an asshole, all I have to do is say "delete &asshole;", and they disappear. Need a little money? "this->BankAccountBalance=1e100;" (That should be enough to last throughout life several million times over). About to die? "this->CancelImminentDeathStatus();". Full heal!

  • Mr. Bojangles (unregistered) in reply to Buddy
    Buddy :
    Invisibility wouldn't be so great. Technically, you wouldn't be able to see, because your eyes wouldn't absorb any light. If you made an exception that your retina would be visible, then you still couldn't see without an opaque sclera, and a lens. Essentially you would be two bulging eyes floating in space. Quite gross actually.

    UNLESS... you somehow made it that while invisible, your eyes only interacted with light in the infrared range (and your retina could detect infrared light), and were invisible to normal light. Then you'd still be invisible to humans.

    The other limitations would still apply.

  • 'Nally (unregistered) in reply to Anon
    Anon:
    think it was due to agreeing with my new boss that being invisible would be the best superhero ability to possess.

    It's funny, that was exactly what I was thinking when I saw the super power question. Either great minds think alike, or we're all perverts.

    You might find this episode of the This American Life public radio program interesting.

    The theme of that particular episode is superpowers and in one of the segments they discuss the topic of "which superpower would you rather have: flight or invisibility?" and find an interesting correlation for who tends to choose each power.

  • A (unregistered)

    The first story reminds me of a job interview I had a couple months ago.

    The position I was applying for was a programming position, but when they found our I was a system administrator for 5 years they decided I'd fit in good doing that too.

    After several rounds of interviewing they decided I'd be a good fit and my first assignment would be to fix a Linux cluster they were setting up for a client, but couldn't get working.

    I originally told them I'd need $30/hr to start which I though was fair for the kind of work (System admin / programming) they wanted me to do. Thinking in 3 to 6 months I could get a raise. This wasn't the case. They told me they just couldn't afford that. They didn't have a lot of employees and I didn't know what their income was like and I needed a job so I told them I could take $20 and I couldn't go any lower.

    Everything seemed good and we sat and talked about random things for a while. Then he brought up the fact that he sold the Linux cluster no one could get working for $500k. That struck a nerve, because it was an 8 node cluster not even using top end hardware from what he told me. Meaning paying me $30/hr shouldn't have been out of the question.

    Just for fun I waited to see what they thought I should be paid and they came back with $12/hr. Needless to say I didn't take the job.

  • [email protected] (unregistered)

    earn some money , is like a basic some people do for their living, between getting a salary or get a bonus from internet this is quite more interesting

  • Steph, not Steve (unregistered) in reply to Siloria

    My reaction was indeed unprofesional but he really was refering to the hourly (Canadian) minimum wage. I suppose my use of the term "salary" was inapropriate in this case. Also, english is not my first language (I live and work in Montreal), which might excuse my poor choice of terms.

  • Garth (unregistered) in reply to Justin Wielly
    Justin Wielly:
    Dude with that many years in the business, I am surprised you just dont start your own business and work for yourself.

    JT www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com

    He never mentioned how many years he's been working. The company had been in business for 20 years though.

  • John (unregistered) in reply to BentFranklin

    As far as selfish powers go, the absolute best would be the ability to guess winning lottery jackpot numbers.

  • itsmo (unregistered) in reply to Charles
    Charles:
    Who needs a superpower if you have Batman's utility belt?

    "What superpower would you have?" - I was thinking China!

  • itsmo (unregistered) in reply to fa_f3_20
    fa_f3_20:
    Some years ago, I was working for company A in Florida. However, I was looking for something else, because company A's managers were a bunch of drama queens and I was fed up with their act. So a contact I knew at company B got me an interview there. I took a vacation day (cleared a week in advance) to go over to company B and interview. It went pretty well, but they told me that one manager who wanted to interview me was traveling that week, and could they schedule an after hours follow-up for the next week. I said sure.

    The next day, I reported for work at company A and was immediately marched into a conference room. There, I was placed on trial, j'accuse fashion. They knew all about the interview; in fact, they knew some of the questions that were asked, and what my answers were. This greatly puzzled me since I had told no one at company A about the interview. After two hours of interrogation, they marched me back to my desk to clean it out, and that was that. After I left, I called my contact at company B and told him what had happened.

    The next morning, company B called me back. I expected a call to schedule the follow-up interview, but instead they had an offer ready, and it was a generous one. And I could start that day if I wanted to. Young, not long out of school, and no savings -- believe me, I wanted to. The manager I was assigned to was surprised to see me; he wasn't aware that he had hired anybody, but he took it in stride. It turned out to be a good job, and I stayed there for about five years.

    It wasn't until a couple of years after I started at company B that I found out the back story. As it turned out, company B's HR manager lived next door to company A's VP. The evening of the day I interviewed at company B, they had a back yard barbeque together, and said HR manager casually mentioned to said VP that company B had interviewed one of company A's employees that day. Needless to say, said VP (who was one of company A's worst drama queens) was very interested, and asked to see the file, which said HR manager was only too happy to provide. The next day, when my contact at company B called HR to find out WTF, someone somewhere (fortunately for me) put together the story and realized that if they didn't hire me and I ever found out what had happend, I'd sue the snot out of them. But it all ended well for me. Not so much for the HR manager, who was fired.

    Given the 'at will' nature of much employment in the US, it's not much of suprise that the story is the guy was canned by his (somewhat unreasonable) company but that they could be arrogant and stupid enough to quote back interview questions/answers in this 'na-na-na, we know what exactly what you're up to' manner is near-unbelievable. What a bunch of pr!cks - you are well out of there.
  • Kempeth (unregistered)

    Well one time I went out for lunch with a colleague we too had our CEO come in and sit at the next table with some customers that were in town for training courses.

    When we ordered the bill we learned that he paid our food too. I prefer this scenario...

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