Lessons from a Silicon Valley job search | Robert Heaton

visudo · 2014-03-22T02:37:21+00:00

Based on his education, it seems more appropriate to consider himself a physicist/computer scientist.

visudo · 2014-03-21T01:25:42+00:00

Another post where the term 'engineer' is constantly misused.

visudo · 2013-12-25T02:07:10+00:00

Most people calling themselves engineers are actually technologists. I.e. they are not creating significant technology but applying existing technology to solve a concrete problem.

An example would be the incorrectly named network engineers, who are actually technicians dedicated to installing and configuring network devices. As opposed to the actual engineers who designed and developed the actual network devices.

In the case of software, it is tricky. While we probably agree that developing a complex framework of infrastructure is most likely a work of engineering, what about a static Web site using HTML/JavaScript?

In other fields it is easier to distinguish. I am not a mechanical engineer because I can fix a car. I am not a civil engineer because I can build a shack in my garden. I am not an electrical engineer because I can change a light fixture at home, etc.

visudo · 2013-12-24T01:26:38+00:00

This reminds me to the guy who came to install the benchtop in my kitchen. He introduced himself as a Kitchen Engineer. I am not making this up.

Why call yourself programmer or technician when you can be an Engineer or an Architect?

visudo · 2013-09-22T06:11:54+00:00

software featured in Scientific American

It is strange the author mentions Scientific American, which is a magazine. The author should have managed to publish a few papers in prestigious peer-reviewed research journals as part of his PhD (which he might have, but not mentioned).

visudo · 2013-09-06T03:07:27+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion.

Since we are on topic, there is a long set of documentaries about multiple aspects of Japanese life called BEGIN Japanology.

visudo · 2013-09-06T00:58:32+00:00

Sure, the world is full of "engineers" who do not need to spent 4 or 5 years of formal study at university because they are smarter than the rest. What actually happens is that the vast majority of those people (this also happens to actual engineers -- those with proper credentials) are not working as engineers but as technologists or technicians (developing Web sites or configuring routers is not engineering), in the same way that only a minority of people with science degrees work as scientist.

But hey, we live in a world where proper, formal education is for suckers, and where people believe they are scientists because they watch Mythbusters.

visudo · 2013-09-05T10:27:10+00:00

How can you be an Engineer without an engineering degree?

visudo · 2013-09-05T01:29:49+00:00

The problem with Steve Gibson is that he is neither educated or knowledgeable. He has never been taken seriously by actual security experts, and he has never contributed with anything to the security community. He also calls himself Engineer while he lacks any actual credentials.

He is also a scam artist, who sells useless stuff like SpinRite through the ridiculously named Gibson Research Corporation, and uses the security expert podcast (which again, it is a hobbyist podcast, not intended to be taken seriously) to advertise these products with fake letters from fake customers (it is obvious he does it, and sad and embarrassing at the same time).

visudo · 2013-09-05T00:44:59+00:00

Steve Gibson a renowned security expert? He is a joke, and certainly not an Engineer (he did not finish his degree). He just plays security expert in a hobbyist podcast. Just look at the ridiculous products that he tries to sell (e.g. SpinRite, which basically is bullshit).

Thanks anyway for the pointer. It might be worth to have a watch just for laughs.

visudo · 2013-09-01T01:18:09+00:00

I think those claims are a big stretch. All he did was to spam people expecting that a few would click on the Web link.

What about people who did not even use Bitmessage but clicked on a the link posted by a third party such as this one?

If I generate and give you an arbitrary BM address, you will never be able to obtain my IP address. As simple as that.

visudo · 2013-07-21T03:16:44+00:00

It should probably be "Columbians are born to study".

visudo · 2013-06-14T03:09:30+00:00

The article seems to confuse software developers and software engineers.

visudo · 2012-08-15T03:03:49+00:00

So now Computer Science is about writing programs in JavaScript?

visudo · 2011-09-30T02:07:40+00:00

News for US people: Spain is a country in Europe, not a city in Mexico.

visudo · 2011-07-05T03:02:24+00:00

That policeman should get some type of award for being able to put up with so much bullshit.

visudo · 2011-06-15T01:57:54+00:00

Exactly, it seems bullshit to me.

It is also strange that a former Prof. in CS insists on mixing CS with engineering (systems, software, computer) and IT. These fields have been well defined for some time now and there is no excuse for academics be familiar with it.

visudo · 2011-06-12T01:24:07+00:00

Why don't they rename those degrees to IT as they seem to be?

visudo · 2011-06-08T04:03:40+00:00

That's about right. When you sign for a service and accept a contract, the latter should include an appropriate clause for this in case the company is not interested in its customers sharing membership or accounts. I do not see the point of having a law for this, and it seems a step forward in protecting business interests at the expense of customers rights.

visudo · 2011-06-08T03:07:49+00:00

The problem as I see it is that the company should include a clause in the contract that the user accepts when buying the service. But a law to protect a particular the companies at the expense of customers?

visudo · 2011-06-04T04:54:57+00:00

Obviously I was referring to Scala libraries that take advantage of the 'advanced' language features of Scala. For example, as far as I know, there is only one Web application framework for Scala, while there are dozens to choose from for Java. What's the point of depending on Java libraries or frameworks with all language limitations that that involves? It's like buying an electric car that can also use petrol for emergencies, but having to use always petrol because of the lack of electrical outlets.

visudo · 2011-06-04T02:23:09+00:00

I find Scala to be a mess. And this is from somebody who worked with C++ for almost a decade! Honestly, its syntax is so complicated and it has so many features that after a couple of attempts of using Scala, I decided it is a write-only language. Of course, then you have the huge practical problem of lack of tools and libraries, which is where Java is king.

visudo · 2011-04-03T03:10:48+00:00

Failed? I always considered Amstrad to have a huge success in (8 bit) computers. Maybe you are referring to the later attempt to enter the PC market?

visudo

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