You are about to get advice from someone who is not in their dream job. I like the work that I do, but even my boss knows I do not envision myself in this position forever. I want to write fiction novels instead. Not for the fame, or even the fortune. I just want people [...]
We are going to be building a new Web application at work. I wish I could tell you what it is, but I am sworn to secrecy (legally). It is something none of us have ever created, nothing any of us have ever seen before, and sure to take longer than any of us can [...]
Some of the most popular posts I wrote on professional growth were well received even before we hit a recession. Now that times are tough in the US, I thought I would reference a few of these articles in hopes of helping programmers with finding the right job. Wishing you the best of success in [...]
The movie Twins with Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger is a campy flick from the 80s, which explores the separation and subsequent reuniting of twin brothers separated at birth. It is a light-hearted comedy, and worth a rent, but the back-story still attempts to explore more complicated and sensitive issues like eugenics and heredity. In [...]
Up-and-coming Web developers typically ask the same questions. What programming languages are important to know? What is a good entry level salary? Should I expect paid training from my employer? How do I estimate a new project? Although these are important questions, there is often a lack of interest in lessons learned by other developers. [...]
There is a common misconception that all programmers enjoy fascinating solitary pursuits like solving a Rubik’s Cube or reciting Pi beyond one hundred decimal places. These impressions are perpetuated by entertaining, yet grossly exaggerated stereotypes found on TV shows like Beauty and the Geek. It is ironic though that these very same geeks, who are [...]
I am not a system administrator. However, I am a software engineer, and responsible for administrating systems. As technical director, it is also my responsibility to create policies. Knowing that systems can be compromised, I know a policy needs to be in place for protection. Not allowing all engineers to run constantly as the root [...]