Posts by Oliver Brown 8 publicly visible posts • joined 4 Apr 2007
I did Computer Games Development at the University of Luton (and graduated from the newly formed University of Bedfordshire). Sounds like the most scoff-at-able course in the world. However, we only did Java in year 1 (and now it is all actionscript for new students) and ended up using C++ in Year 2 onwards (with some C#).
Although mostly unemployed since graduating in 2009, at the moment I am helping people with a unit at the Uni that people commonly struggle with; Object Orientated programming.
At the time, I didn't even care for the unit that I felt was mindnumbingly unengaging. However, it is a core part of programming within the games industry (and probably most other programming jobs). Many people think that the unit is very "foreign" to them, as they learn C# and they never use it in other units, but by year 3 I realised that most of these languages "do" the same things, just in a different way, and that learning the ideas behind this unit early on helps make a lot of other things just "make sense".
The problem isn't really that everyone knows Java, it is that they know *only* Java. I am now getting the students to all basically program the same things that they are doing in another unit (using C++) but with C#, making use of unique functionality that it can provide. I think that on any CS course that is not targetted at a specific profession that this is far more important as I would imagine that transferrable skills (and knowledge) is more important for a job with uncertain career prospects at the end.
Looking back over the last year-and-a-bit since graduation, all I really have to show for my time unemployed is a few contracts for different IT related work and a portfolio. My 2:1 doesn't even get me a reply from most places that I have applied to. So my advice to anyone chasing a job in the IT industry is - don't get an IT related degree. Think about what you want to really do and, if it involves programming, do some self study.
Programming is easy. A REAL degree is something like Applied maths or physics. I would imagine that a candidate with even a 2:2 in either of those and under hobbies "programming" would get an interview with more certainty than a candidate with a 2:1 in CS whose hobbies were "applied maths/physics". So if you do CS, make the most of what the course offers and find a way to set yourself apart from everyone else or you *will* end up unemployed.
So if you want to do CS, think about what you even want to do at the end of it because programming is not the hardest thing to do in the world and, really, is not represented by a degree. That is something for your portfolio instead. The degree really should set you aside from other candidates. Hell even a degree in ancient history would have set me apart (and its what I originally applied to do) and I reckon I would have a better chance at applying for jobs.
I think that the nuclear passion of the electorate is overestimated. Most probably wouldn't give a shit about nuclear dis/rearmament. In fact, just from the people I know, they think that the cost of Trident is money better spent elsewhere - nothing to do with disarming or renewing our deterrent.
So, sure, some people might actually care. I highly doubt that any significant number of 18-24 year olds really care, let alone actually want nukes.
Fighting 21st century war with 20th century weapons is so last.. er.. century. If anyone actually launched an attack against the UK we would all be screwed, whether or not we have our own nukes. I think that, as a deterrent, it is pretty redundant. Besides, we can just rely on America to be our deterrent!
Advertising and marketting is designed to reach any number and variety of people. Black comedy by its very nature often uses politically incorrect jokes as its substance. I think that jokes like this that constitute black comedy should not be used in advertising because of the broad audience.
If an advert is targetted towards people who do not already use that product, then you could be reaching somebody who is a cancer sufferer who is using IE. They would be unlikely to switch, since they have cancer already and have nothing to lose.. no really jokes aside they would understandably not find it funny since it is a rather tasteless (rather than offensive). It is thoughtless and insensitive of whoever the hell designed it, like people have also said above; how did it get past brainstorming? Sure if you make a comedy series on TV people will have a choice to watch it. People who like that comedy will watch it for that comedy.
So the logical conclusion from that would have been that firefox is really a joke. I use opera, but thats simply because I liked its features a long time ago. IE and Firefox work fine for me, I dont see what the big problem is. A browser opens and displays pages if you use it properly. The major downfall for me is the way that they have to belittle another company to make theirs look good, with untruthful comedy.
Very very sad, this whole disaster to me really puts me off them. It DOES reflect the views of Mozilla, since they are the ones who let it get up there. An apology for any offense caused is enough, denying involvement implies weakness in management (Mozilla letting that get past a scribble on paper).
This is kind of dangerous surely.. if people were to be filmed, for purposes of entertainment on the internet, that would immediately be putting their concentration off from the job at hand. I can't imagine its easy as it is, so having some camera shoved in your face, knowing you have to compose your speech before you say anything and having to remember not to actually hurt anyone (because that wouldn't be a Good Thing to show viewers) will distract you from actually doing your job, including staying alive.
Ok never mind that, i'm only kidding! Who needs free speech anyway...
Come on, we all know Youtube and video sites are just as uncontrollable as the interweb itself... it just goes to show how narrow minded the governments of the respectively hostile countries are.
Youtube is just a medium for others to use to share information, rather than publishing it itself. Of course, it is entirely possible that the Thai government has taken a disliking to Youtube and possibly put that clip on their itself....
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