* Posts by Jonathan Samuels

24 publicly visible posts • joined 13 Jul 2007

Which qualifications are worthwhile?

Jonathan Samuels

First get qualified in what you are currently working in unless you think its highly specialised and don't want to stay in that area.

Then you a choice between getting qualified in what you would like to work with in the future and getting qualified in what might get you promoted in your current position (they may be different). Do you want to be be programmer or work with infrastructure

Qualifications do count, they don't prove you actually know anything but generally you won't get a foot through the door no matter how much of a guru you are in real life

Microsoft qualifications are useful and relatively cheap (as in £90 per exam + books)

ESX is very nice too but thats a £1500 course + exams

Cisco stuff is good but its somewhat of a speciality

Lovefilm does a Wii after rival gets loaded on new Nintendo

Jonathan Samuels

Lovefilm is a latest DVD/Blueray rental business with some bonus online streaming. If you consider it that way its excellent value (compared to say Sky movies). You are not going to get the latest movies streaming not in the near future anyway

I make it about 10 new Blueray 'rentals' + a few bonus streaming movies for around a tenner a month which seem a good deal to me

Republican filibuster blocks Senate Cybersecurity bill

Jonathan Samuels

Re: that is NOT the job

That may be a nice theory but in practice thats not the reality. One of the best ways of getting elected is wait to the government to screw up (which all do eventually) and say absolutely nothing. A politicans job is to firstly to get elected and only secondly to implement any policies.

As for 'National Interest' any poltiical party that doesnt think getting into power is the national interest shouldnt be involved in politics in the first place

Electorate rational yeah right we are talking democracy here.

Jonathan Samuels

Its the job of the political opposition in any country to destroy the government, however in the US you have the system that just makes that very easy. As soon as the executive doesnt have the support of 51% of the legislature in any other country it resigns.

If you choose to fear strong government more than weak government then its not politicans at fault but the system/ public

Killers laugh in face of death penalty threat, say US experts

Jonathan Samuels

The issue with the penalty is it lowers the level for when violence can be justified.

Civilized countries generally say the only time violence is acceptable is in immediate self defence of yourself or others.You are not killing a defenceless (even if totally evil) prisoner out of self defence you are doing it because its feels right

Once you start using it for revenge or even 'justice' its becomes a lot easier to start justifying foreign wars, beating children etc and the general level of violence in society increases for everyone

Compulsory coding in schools: The new Nerd Tourism

Jonathan Samuels

Programming is a specialised area of Maths/Science, its simply makes no sense making that a compulsory subject. If someone wants to do an A level in 'Programming' then fine but for everyone else learning to use Word/Excel which absolutely everyone will need in the future makes far more sense.

Its the same as making everyone learn Chinese, sure having some more Chinese speakers would be useful but spending time on this instead of basic Maths or English is just silly

Game of Thrones Blu-ray disc set

Jonathan Samuels

Re: Book for adults

While sex and graphic violence may be neccessary for good adult drama swearing always is.

Nothing ruins good drama than people not swearing when they are in stressful situations.

I personally think after the watershed there isnt enough swearing, certainly far less than there is in real life

Game chain sold

Jonathan Samuels

Which is why there won't be any more physical media or if there is it will just be something to use to download the main product , 99.99% of users couldnt care less about DRM orbeing able to sell games second hand etc thats an IT geeks thing only

Jonathan Samuels

Getting into the 2nd hand market would be totally foolish as it isnt going to exist for more than a year or two.

All future software is going to be DRM's and linked to email accounts/credit cards whether you like it or not

The Facebook job test: Now interviewers want your logins

Jonathan Samuels

This would be illegal anywhere in the EU. you have a right to a private life even at work. Employers cant just randomly go through your email even if its on their servers never mind your home ones (they need to provide a plausible reason to look at 'your'/their company email, ie suspect you of doing something illegal or not in the company interest)

http://www.eucharter.org/home.php?page_id=14

iPlayer repeat fees threaten BBC earthquake

Jonathan Samuels

Re: Thinking about this...

The BBC is a subsidy by the stupid to the intelligent which as wealth distribution goes isnt so bad.

What the BBC shouldnt be doing is getting into bidding wars for any sport F1, Tennis, Football anything

Chinese admirer fancies WD's 3.5-inch hardness - insider

Jonathan Samuels

China is the most capitalistic country in the world none of this union and worker rights malarky. Complain and you get shot

Kids should be making software, not just using it - Gove

Jonathan Samuels
Why exactly does the country need the entire population taught how to program? Schools should make sure pupils can use a word processor before they leave school (along with being able to read/write, speak a 2nd language and some basic science/maths). ICT that covers programming as an optional course is fine as a compulsory course is a complete waste of educational resources

US stealth bombers finally get nuke-nobbling super bomb

Jonathan Samuels

Yeah not as if christian nutjobs arent running the US military after all.

Personally we should sell Iran nuclears and guarantee there won't be a military conflict there

Amazon solves wait-at-home-for-deliveries problem

Jonathan Samuels
Meh

Surely this is expensive

Storing large bulky packages securely is going to cost someone?

Google and MS sued over links to file-sharing site

Jonathan Samuels

'Does copyright law now supersede all other considerations in modern society'?

'Does copyright law now supersede all other considerations in modern society'

No its not as big a threat as global warming but is probably a far bigger threat to the economy as whole than terrorism. Would certainly put it in the top 10

Microsoft swoops into schools to teach P2P morality

Jonathan Samuels

No one will ever buy something

When they can steal it for nothing without any real chance of getting caught

Doesn't matter if its software, a tv, a car.

Your average human being works on risk/gain not morality or ethics

Downing Street's website, the e-petitions hit tart

Jonathan Samuels

The easier it is to give your opinion

The less value it has.

Internet polls mean about as much as Sun telephone vote in's

RIAA hits paydirt: wins first music-sharing jury trial

Jonathan Samuels

1720 records = around 170 cd's

The person should get the same penalty as walking into a record shop and shoplifting 170 cd's

I think getting away with a fine is extremely lenient, they should be doing jail time and should have restrictions on computer access during any probationary period.

When will people get it into their heads that a record company can charge anything they want, make as much profits as they want, if you steal from them you are still a thief

If you don't want their product dont buy it

Free-market think tank urges EU to unbundle Windows

Jonathan Samuels

Normal people don't install OS's

When will geeks get it into their heads, normal people do not install operating systems, they don't install windows they don't install Linux.

Any operating system that needs to be installed is a waste of space for the mass market

Firefox-Google marriage on shaky ground?

Jonathan Samuels

Why do people expect to be able to access a web site for free

I think too many people these days expect things in life to be free, the internet as a commercial entity only really exists due to advertising and you can hardly blame people for trying to protect their revenue

Mystery SNAFU exposes email logins for 100 foreign embassies (and counting)

Jonathan Samuels

Complex passwords simply don't work

The more complex a password the more likely someone will just write it down.

Networks are actually more securely with less complex passwords through 1234 or password is maybe a little too simple

BioShockers delivered from DRM hell

Jonathan Samuels

General posting here seesm to be

I won't buy something with DRM but I will steal it.

This is exactly the reason software companies use DRM

Being able to install uninstall the software 3 times is sufficient for 99.9% of users.

The fact is 99.9% of people ARE dishonest if they think they can get away with it, thats human nature.

DRM has been around for a long time and is here to stay

BBC Trust to hear open sourcers' iPlayer gripes

Jonathan Samuels

A BBC licence does

NOT Guarantee that you can receive its programs

It merely means you are allowed to if you have the appropiate equipment.

I have to pay for Virgin cable to watch the BBC (no external antenna allowed, no internal reception), is this the BBC fault of course not, Do I expect the BBC to give me compensation or to change their entire systems for me of course not.