Forgot your password?

Comment: Student loans (Score 1) 223

by EMG at MU (#46468583) Attached to: Silicon Valley's Youth Problem
If I graduate with a lot of student debt and my choice is between: working for a company that benefits humanity but pays little, or, working for a company that makes shitty apps for idiots to play with but pays very well what is the most rational choice?

The middle class in America is fucked. And 99% of those people who could "help cure cancer" would end up there if they chose to pursue more altruistic careers. Its a rat race and if you are smart and motivated and at prestigious school I think the path towards $$ is always going to be the most attractive.

+ - Scammers with a conscience emerge-> 1

Submitted by hypnosec
hypnosec writes "A new Ransomcrypt Trojan, detected recently, lets users request a decryption key without paying – that is if they wait for a month. The ransomware is no different from any other Trojan in the same family, but the authors of the Trojan claim that if users don’t wish to pay the ransom to get the unlock key they are entitled to a free unlock if they wait for a month from the day their personal files were encrypted. “P.S. Remember, we are not scammers. We don’t need your files” reads the ‘how to get data.txt’ file that comes along with the Trojan. "If you want, you can get a decryptor for free after a month. Just send a request immediately after infection. All data will be restored absolutely. Your warranty – decrypted samples and positive feedbacks from previous users.""
Link to Original Source

Comment: Not DRM, just an old business model (Score 2, Insightful) 768

by EMG at MU (#46390811) Attached to: The Next Keurig Will Make Your Coffee With a Dash of "DRM"
Get out your cartridge razor handle. Find a razor cartridge from a different manufacture and try to mate the two, e.g: Schick stick with Gillette cartridge. It will not work. There is no reason it will not work besides the companies want you to only buy their razors.

This isn't DRM it is just an update on an old business model that happens to use a small circuit to achieve the same result.

Comment: Re:Teach the fundamentals (Score 1) 246

The fundamentals never change. With a solid base, there is nothing a programmer can't do.

An AA program focused on what will get them hired today is exactly what will not get them hired tomorrow.

That is true. And so many of us are thankful we learned the fundamentals and principles because we have had really gainfull and fulfilling careers because of it. But not everyone is like us.

There are a lot of people who don't want to / cannot learn the fundamentals. But since they have been told the only path towards the middle class is to go to a 4 year school they will enroll and either drop out, flunk out, change majors, or graduate being barely competent in what they studied. And they will most likely have a lot of debt.

Wouldn't it be better to give those who wish it another option?

Comment: Why Not? (Score 3, Interesting) 246

There are a lot of people who go to 4 year schools expecting a vocational training program and not a education in the principals of their field. AKA anyone who has complained about learning "fluff". A large percentage of a CompE/Computer Science program's students will state that they just want to learn what will get them a job in the real world. These same students are going to slack off in the "fluff' classes and come out with no ability to apply what they learned in those classes. It is wasted time, money, and energy. Give them another option.

To me the question is who is better off: someone who half-assed their way through a CompE degree, got out with $50,000 in debt and is still barely employable as a entry level programmer? Or someone who skipped all the "fluff" and got a 2 year practical programming degree for a fraction of the cost, and is still barely employable as an entry level programmer? I'm arguing it is the guy with less debt.

Comment: Mistress (Score 2) 264

by EMG at MU (#46389029) Attached to: Apple Launches CarPlay At Geneva Show
If you have this you better hope you have nothing to hide from the other people who might be in your car.

Siri: "I see that you have received a text from Ms. Longlegs with the address for the Super 8 motel, would you like directions?"

Siri: "I noticed that your most frequent destination is: Woody's Rub and Tug, would you like directions? Shall I make a reservation?"

Comment: Because they don't preach (Score 5, Insightful) 794

by EMG at MU (#46371211) Attached to: Whole Foods: America's Temple of Pseudoscience


1) Whole Foods is a grocery store, the Creation Museum claims to be a museum.

2) Certain states aren't trying to teach children the "controversy" surrounding dandelion root extract supposedly curing my ailments. There isn't a national debate surrounding gluten-free pancake mix. Politicians don't get elected to office by appealing to the "this organic sea salt is only 4000 years old" crowd.

Comment: Re:Productivity gap (Score 2) 333

by EMG at MU (#46351607) Attached to: Will Peggy the Programmer Be the New Rosie the Riveter?
You obviously ignored the sarcasm tags.

But to play ball: in the US as in many other developed nations you can't discriminate against employees because of things like that. If I have diabetes you can't discriminate against me because I may have low blood sugar one day and have to go home. You can't discriminate someone with a propensity to get the flu every winter because on average that person misses more days than someone who doesn't get the flu. Furthermore you can't just lump all women together and generalize about them. Some choose not to have children, should they be punished because some women do choose to have children?

Were you really trying to say that there is such a disparity between the number of men and women in software engineering because they may take more time off? Or were you just waiting for your chance to get in a cheap shot against women?

You may not be a misogynist, but you do have some silly thoughts regarding women.

Comment: Re:Productivity gap (Score 1) 333

by EMG at MU (#46351451) Attached to: Will Peggy the Programmer Be the New Rosie the Riveter?

The same productivity gap for women exists in all industries. 5 days a month and doesn't die, etc. etc.

Every time some neckbeard opens his mouth and allows the misogyny to flow out it just reinforces the notion that there needs to be more incentive for women to get into software. I know this is /. but you probably just made some femnazi's panties crawl up her ass....dammit.

Comment: Nursing? (Score 1) 333

by EMG at MU (#46351313) Attached to: Will Peggy the Programmer Be the New Rosie the Riveter?

I know it is impossible, but I just want there to be honest discourse about this supposed "STEM shortage / gender gap". There is no STEM shortage just like there is no Lawyer shortage. The gender gap in software engineering isn't a problem just like the gender gap in nursing isn't a problem. Corporations want to turn software engineers into a commodity. Period.

Some people carve careers, others chisel them.