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Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
wrote:
On Thu, 12 Dec 2013 11:41:21 +0000 Recliner wrote: On Thu, 12 Dec 2013 10:27:20 GMT, d wrote: aversion to his plays, but that's got nothing to do with being able to communicate adequately in the modern world. Would *you* want a fast computer with no I/O functioning devices? You're the analogue equivalent. You remind me of plenty of snotty arts types who carry a superior air about their person because they know lots of multi syllabic big words and can quote famous authors or fire off snappy soundbites thought up by someone else, yet as soon as any topic of a mathematical or scientific bent is broached - ie something that requires them to actually THINK rather than just remember like a witless parrot - they just sit there open mouthed unable to comprehend, like the dribbling imbeciles they are. Being literate, I might remind you of a "snotty arts type", but my degrees were in engineering, and you won't ever find me quoting famous authors or sound bites written by others (I preferred my own). Once I was promoted into senior management, it was the ability to write and present ideas and decisions in English, rather than the ability to use a slide rule, calculator, FORTRAN compiler or Excel, that mattered. PowerPoint was more important, and knowing what to present. Perhaps you wouldn't always be so angry and frustrated if you had gained the ability to communicate effectively using your mother tongue? |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
"Peter Smyth" wrote:
Roland Perry wrote: In message , at 09:29:19 on Thu, 12 Dec 2013, remarked: There were more interesting and useful things to spend time learning in school than some **** poor plays by a dead 16th century playwrite. That's English Literature, a completely different subject. In my day (late 90s), Shakespeare was compulsory in both English Language and Literature. Helpfully that meant with a well chosen title, you could submit the same essay as coursework for both subjects. That was handy! I can't say I ever enjoyed Shakespeare, and once I got my O level in English Literature in the 1960s, I never read or watched a Shakespeare play again. I felt the same about poetry. |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
Robin9 wrote:
'Recliner[_2_ Wrote: wrote:- On Wed, 11 Dec 2013 14:18:41 -0600 Recliner wrote:- d wrote: - there is no version of "it's" without an apostrophe.- Oh dear, your English lessons really were truncated. As a matter of interest, is English actually your first language?- *shrug* There were more interesting and useful things to spend time learning in school than some **** poor plays by a dead 16th century playwrite. I gave up english as soon as I could. And if there are an errors in the above I don't give a flying **** not that you can tell the difference between spelling and grammar anyway.- Perhaps your career didn't involve written communication with others? Maybe something like busking, assuming you sing better than you write? If not, your lack of written credibility would surely have impeded it. And your frequent complaints about the competence of everybody around you are a little ironic, given your own lack of competence in making those complaints. You're overstating your case. Spud's spelling and/or grammatical mistakes do not make his posts unintelligible. I have never had any difficulty understanding him, either now or in his previous Boltar incarnation. Sometimes he is actually unintelligible, but he's almost always annoying. His inability to write does get in the way of the message. And as he's usually ranting about the serial incompetences of all those around him, he needs to set a higher standard in the one area where we can judge his own competence. We don't know if he can design trains so much better than Bombardier, or operate them so much better than LU, but we do know that be can't voice his complaints very well. If Internet fora were confined to those who have mastered syntax, spelling and grammar, there would be little point to them. Agreed. Most of us misspell from time to time, and typos are inevitable in dashed-off responses. I'm as guilty as anyone else. But we do get, for example, German contributors who actually write rather better English than Boltar. And, obnoxious as Polson often was, he always wrote carefully, with engineering knowledge and literacy, which made at least some of his claims to senior management experience credible. |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On 2013-12-12, Robin9 wrote:
'Recliner[_2_ Wrote: wrote: On Wed, 11 Dec 2013 14:18:41 -0600 Recliner wrote: wrote: there is no version of "it's" without an apostrophe. Oh dear, your English lessons really were truncated. As a matter of interest, is English actually your first language? *shrug* There were more interesting and useful things to spend time learning in school than some **** poor plays by a dead 16th century playwrite. I gave up english as soon as I could. And if there are an errors in the above I don't give a flying **** not that you can tell the difference between spelling and grammar anyway. Perhaps your career didn't involve written communication with others? Maybe something like busking, assuming you sing better than you write? If not, your lack of written credibility would surely have impeded it. And your frequent complaints about the competence of everybody around you are a little ironic, given your own lack of competence in making those complaints. Many of the people who post here have an engineering background, but are still capable of writing grammatical prose. You don't need have to have studied English literature in order to be able to use basic English grammar. You're overstating your case. Spud's spelling and/or grammatical mistakes do not make his posts unintelligible. I have never had any difficulty understanding him, either now or in his previous Boltar incarnation. Not unintelligible, but the style jars a bit (as do many of the opinions). This is not a problem. What is a problem is the apparent pride in ignorance and/or stupidity, and the insistence on the correctness of incorrect statements in the face of any challenge to them. On the other hand it is not implausible that much of the style and content could be could be being adopted as a deliberate provocation. If Internet fora were confined to those who have mastered syntax, spelling and grammar, there would be little point to them. Says the person using a Latin plural and the subjunctive. Eric -- ms fnd in a lbry |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
Eric wrote:
On 2013-12-12, Robin9 wrote: 'Recliner[_2_ Wrote: wrote: On Wed, 11 Dec 2013 14:18:41 -0600 Recliner wrote: wrote: there is no version of "it's" without an apostrophe. Oh dear, your English lessons really were truncated. As a matter of interest, is English actually your first language? *shrug* There were more interesting and useful things to spend time learning in school than some **** poor plays by a dead 16th century playwrite. I gave up english as soon as I could. And if there are an errors in the above I don't give a flying **** not that you can tell the difference between spelling and grammar anyway. Perhaps your career didn't involve written communication with others? Maybe something like busking, assuming you sing better than you write? If not, your lack of written credibility would surely have impeded it. And your frequent complaints about the competence of everybody around you are a little ironic, given your own lack of competence in making those complaints. Many of the people who post here have an engineering background, but are still capable of writing grammatical prose. You don't need have to have studied English literature in order to be able to use basic English grammar. You're overstating your case. Spud's spelling and/or grammatical mistakes do not make his posts unintelligible. I have never had any difficulty understanding him, either now or in his previous Boltar incarnation. Not unintelligible, but the style jars a bit (as do many of the opinions). This is not a problem. What is a problem is the apparent pride in ignorance and/or stupidity, and the insistence on the correctness of incorrect statements in the face of any challenge to them. On the other hand it is not implausible that much of the style and content could be could be being adopted as a deliberate provocation. Yes, I sometimes wonder if this is the case, but I think the ignorance is real. It's how I soon realised that Spud was Boltar. |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
wrote:
On Thu, 12 Dec 2013 04:37:29 -0600 Recliner wrote: wrote: But I do know that I'd never have considered a CV or application form that was written as badly as every one of your posts. I'm surprised you need CVs for toilet cleaners. Is that your aspiration? But I'm happy to accept that this is your area of expertise. |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
In message
, at 15:24:49 on Thu, 12 Dec 2013, Recliner remarked: There were more interesting and useful things to spend time learning in school than some **** poor plays by a dead 16th century playwrite. That's English Literature, a completely different subject. In my day (late 90s), Shakespeare was compulsory in both English Language and Literature. Helpfully that meant with a well chosen title, you could submit the same essay as coursework for both subjects. That was handy! I can't say I ever enjoyed Shakespeare, and once I got my O level in English Literature in the 1960s, I never read or watched a Shakespeare play again. I felt the same about poetry. I didn't like Shakespeare taught exclusively from a book; these days it's so easy to see it on film (feature or made-for-TV) that it must transform the experience for the schoolkids. You could probably learn as much from watching the film twice as a whole year of staring at pages. (That's assuming the skill they are teaching isn't the ability to visualise a play from the script alone). -- Roland Perry |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Thu, 12 Dec 2013 15:20:32 -0600
Recliner wrote: Being literate, I might remind you of a "snotty arts type", but my degrees were in engineering, and you won't ever find me quoting famous authors or sound bites written by others (I preferred my own). Once I was promoted If you prefer your own it must be pretty quiet in your office since you don't appear to have any. into senior management, it was the ability to write and present ideas and I've generally found in my career that the sort of people who climb the greasy pole are the ones not very good at actually doing the job they were initially employed to do but had mastered the art of bull****ting. I'm one of those perhaps in your mind odd people who view computer science and engineering as a profession akin to medicine or law, not some bottom of the ladder job thyats merely a starting point to getting a space in the directors carpark. calculator, FORTRAN compiler or Excel, that mattered. PowerPoint was more important, and knowing what to present. LOL :o) Powerpoint eh? Oh dear, you poor poor deluded man if you think that program in any way aids communication other than for the simplest dumbed down comncepts. Perhaps you wouldn't always be so angry and frustrated if you had gained the ability to communicate effectively using your mother tongue? Perhaps you wouldn't talk to much drivel if you actually did a real job. Still, no doubt you have fun leveraging win-win enterprise visions in a downsized holistic stakeholder scenario while running ideas up the flagpole eh? I'm sure you also love to imagine you can "think outside the box", but you probably wouldn't even be able to open the flap. -- Spud |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Thu, 12 Dec 2013 16:00:43 -0600
Recliner wrote: Robin9 wrote: You're overstating your case. Spud's spelling and/or grammatical mistakes do not make his posts unintelligible. I have never had any difficulty understanding him, either now or in his previous Boltar incarnation. Sometimes he is actually unintelligible, but he's almost always annoying. The fact that a few typos make a post unintelligable to you says a lot about your lack of comprehension abilities and possible lack of intelligence. Keep digging that hole. -- Spud |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
wrote:
On Thu, 12 Dec 2013 15:20:32 -0600 Recliner wrote: Being literate, I might remind you of a "snotty arts type", but my degrees were in engineering, and you won't ever find me quoting famous authors or sound bites written by others (I preferred my own). Once I was promoted If you prefer your own it must be pretty quiet in your office since you don't appear to have any. into senior management, it was the ability to write and present ideas and I've generally found in my career that the sort of people who climb the greasy pole are the ones not very good at actually doing the job they were initially employed to do but had mastered the art of bull****ting. I'm one of those perhaps in your mind odd people who view computer science and engineering as a profession akin to medicine or law, not some bottom of the ladder job thyats merely a starting point to getting a space in the directors carpark. As I suspected, your lack of communications skills stopped you from being promoted into management. No wonder you're always angry and frustrated. Just think how much more successful you could have been in your career had you not skipped those English lessons. calculator, FORTRAN compiler or Excel, that mattered. PowerPoint was more important, and knowing what to present. LOL :o) Powerpoint eh? Oh dear, you poor poor deluded man if you think that program in any way aids communication other than for the simplest dumbed down comncepts. That's what's needed at executive level. Unfortunately, you'll probably never find out. I doubt that someone with your exquisite manners would ever be allowed into a board room, even as a guest. Perhaps you wouldn't always be so angry and frustrated if you had gained the ability to communicate effectively using your mother tongue? Perhaps you wouldn't talk to much drivel if you actually did a real job. Fortunately, I made more than enough money to be able to retire early when I got bored with work. I wouldn't have been able to do that had I not been able to communicate effectively. |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 10:46:49 -0600
Recliner wrote: wrote: As I suspected, your lack of communications skills stopped you from being promoted into management. No wonder you're always angry and frustrated. A moot point given I've been a self employed contractor for years and in most jobs I've done I probably took home more after tax than most of the management. But if job titles are your willy waving thing I was a director of my own company for a long time until I decided umbrellas were less hassle. LOL :o) Powerpoint eh? Oh dear, you poor poor deluded man if you think that program in any way aids communication other than for the simplest dumbed down comncepts. That's what's needed at executive level. Unfortunately, you'll probably Ooooh, get you, an "executive"! Were you a results driven thought leader in the loop who got the Big Picture and scoped out action points? Watch out Gordon Gecko! Did you get scented soap in the toilets and a secretary in a short skirt to screw after hours? never find out. I doubt that someone with your exquisite manners would ever be allowed into a board room, even as a guest. Thanks, but there are less soul destroying ways to earn 6 figures than ending up there. Perhaps you wouldn't talk to much drivel if you actually did a real job. Fortunately, I made more than enough money to be able to retire early when I got bored with work. I wouldn't have been able to do that had I not been able to communicate effectively. Oddly I don't get bored with my work. But then I don't have to **** about with powerpoint and talk ******** all day - I actually do something useful and productive. Now , isn't it time you went and drilled down to touch base with the organic growth figures of the best-of-breed marrows in your greenhouse old man? -- Spud |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On 2013-12-13, Recliner wrote:
wrote: snip I'm one of those perhaps in your mind odd people who view computer science and engineering as a profession akin to medicine or law, not some bottom of the ladder job thyats merely a starting point to getting a space in the directors carpark. As I suspected, your lack of communications skills stopped you from being promoted into management. No wonder you're always angry and frustrated. Just think how much more successful you could have been in your career had you not skipped those English lessons. Do you mean that, or are you just attacking? Some people don't want to be managers, and deliberately stay away from any such opportunities, without being made angry and frustrated by what are, after all, their own deliberate and reasoned choices. Being a manager is not equivalent to being successful. Eric -- ms fnd in a lbry |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
Eric wrote:
On 2013-12-13, Recliner wrote: wrote: snip I'm one of those perhaps in your mind odd people who view computer science and engineering as a profession akin to medicine or law, not some bottom of the ladder job thyats merely a starting point to getting a space in the directors carpark. As I suspected, your lack of communications skills stopped you from being promoted into management. No wonder you're always angry and frustrated. Just think how much more successful you could have been in your career had you not skipped those English lessons. Do you mean that, or are you just attacking? Some people don't want to be managers, and deliberately stay away from any such opportunities, without being made angry and frustrated by what are, after all, their own deliberate and reasoned choices. Being a manager is not equivalent to being successful. That's an interesting point, but unfortunately is usually true. In most technical fields, you're at your most productive from your mid 20s to late 30s; after that, someone else will be a sharper programmer, etc. I was confronted with this at the age of 27 when I was offered my first management job -- I was reluctant to take it, as I reckoned I was doing better and earning more as a non-manager. But it was explained to me that I'd be overtaken by my peer group if I refused the promotion (and drop in salary), so I reluctantly accepted. However, I still did techie stuff whenever I could, and didn't regret my move into management. By my early 40s I was a director, enjoying commuting by air-conditioned BMW 535i (my older colleagues preferred Jaguars), rather than the sweaty Piccadilly line. And, yes, I had a reserved spot in the directors' car park by the age of 41. I wouldn't have wanted to still be a techie, working for a younger manager, and competing with younger, sharper, more recently qualified colleagues. I was much happier commissioning and owning projects, rather than just doing what I was told. My technical background meant that the programmers working on my projects couldn't pull the wool over my eyes as easily as they might have done, but most of my colleagues also had numerate degrees, as did the CEO. So I'm happy to see techies progressing into senior management, where they will probably be more effective than if they stayed as technicians. And they will understand the technology much better than an arts grad. Although I never needed to do any finite elements analysis after I got my master's, I did use some of the same mathematical techniques much later in financial models, even as a manager. Being a manager didn't stop me from writing and selling complex North Sea oil tax models, so I got the best of both worlds. I think Spud/Boltar is showing all the signs of hating having to work for younger, better-paid managers (or customers) he doesn't respect. The feeling is probably mutual. He probably now has to compete with younger, sharper techie colleagues/competitors who also perform better than him, and will probably soon overtake him. It must be very frustrating for him, and It's hardly surprising that, as compensation, he feels the need to be so obnoxious in an anonymous forum like this. He probably thinks the same of his bosses, but can't say so. |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
wrote:
On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 10:46:49 -0600 Recliner wrote: wrote: As I suspected, your lack of communications skills stopped you from being promoted into management. No wonder you're always angry and frustrated. A moot point given I've been a self employed contractor for years and in most jobs I've done I probably took home more after tax than most of the management. But if job titles are your willy waving thing I was a director of my own company for a long time until I decided umbrellas were less hassle. Yup, I was self employed for many years, too. Still travelled business class kept driving very nice cars, though., and never needed to play management buzzword bingo But did have to learn more accounting than I enjoyed. Fortunately, I made more than enough money to be able to retire early when I got bored with work. I wouldn't have been able to do that had I not been able to communicate effectively. Oddly I don't get bored with my work. But then I don't have to **** about with powerpoint and talk ******** all day - I actually do something useful and productive. Programming? At your age? How thrilling! Now , isn't it time you went and drilled down to touch base with the organic growth figures of the best-of-breed marrows in your greenhouse old man? You seem to have learned an awful lot of management ******** -- you've used more in this thread than I did in my whole career. |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On 2013-12-13, Recliner wrote:
wrote: snip Oddly I don't get bored with my work. But then I don't have to **** about with powerpoint and talk ******** all day - I actually do something useful and productive. Programming? At your age? How thrilling! Thrilling? Yes, it can be. At any age. Actually that line says more about your personality than about anything else. Eric -- ms fnd in a lbry |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
Eric wrote:
On 2013-12-13, Recliner wrote: wrote: snip Oddly I don't get bored with my work. But then I don't have to **** about with powerpoint and talk ******** all day - I actually do something useful and productive. Programming? At your age? How thrilling! Thrilling? Yes, it can be. At any age. Actually that line says more about your personality than about anything else. Yes, perhaps. I moved on from programming a long time ago. For me, it was never more than a means to an end, and I was happy to switch to code-free environments once they could do what I wanted. I certainly didn't want to make my living from it, and never did, despite writing programs that could tie up the then world's largest computer for 20 minutes when I was doing my thesis. The last 3GL code I wrote was probably around 30 years ago (very much as a part-time activity), and 4GL 15+ years ago. Even programming fancy Excel formulas or macros doesn't turn me on any more. Once I knew I could do it, I didn't get any thrills from doing it year after year. There were new challenges to turn me on, and programming seemed like an activity best reserved for younger, cheaper people. I know what code can do, but it doesn't have to be me doing it, any more than I would want to wash my car myself. I do appreciate that some people enjoy washing their own cars, and others continue to enjoy programming. But there are better ways to make a living for those who can. |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 14:41:02 -0600
Recliner wrote: That's an interesting point, but unfortunately is usually true. In most technical fields, you're at your most productive from your mid 20s to late 30s; after that, someone else will be a sharper programmer, etc. I was Rubbish. There's more to programming than just how quick off the mark you are. Over the years you gather a large mental box of tricks and knowledge of common gotchas and solutions which means you're generally more prepared for most eventualities than someone who's only been in the game a few years. Sadly you seem to be the type who thinks its just a job rather than a profession. I can't see many people asking a surgeon in his 40s why he's still working at the front line rather than sitting in an office playing with powerpoint. confronted with this at the age of 27 when I was offered my first management job -- I was reluctant to take it, as I reckoned I was doing better and earning more as a non-manager. But it was explained to me that I'd be overtaken by my peer group if I refused the promotion (and drop in salary), so I reluctantly accepted. You can move to other companies you know. move into management. By my early 40s I was a director, enjoying commuting by air-conditioned BMW 535i (my older colleagues preferred Jaguars), rather Is a 535 your idea of having "made it"? Sad. directors' car park by the age of 41. I wouldn't have wanted to still be a techie, working for a younger manager, and competing with younger, sharper, more recently qualified colleagues. I was much happier commissioning and owning projects, rather than just doing what I was told. Translation: I wasn't a very good techie so I jumped into the first career lifeboat than drifted past because I knew I wouldn't get a job elsewhere. Yeah , i know your type. I think Spud/Boltar is showing all the signs of hating having to work for younger, better-paid managers (or customers) he doesn't respect. The Someones age doesn't bother me. I'd far sooner work for a 25 year old manager who's got a clue than some idiot in his 50s or 60s like you who clearly doesn't. will probably soon overtake him. It must be very frustrating for him, and It's hardly surprising that, as compensation, he feels the need to be so obnoxious in an anonymous forum like this. He probably thinks the same of his bosses, but can't say so. Can't say no? Sorry, which bit of "self employed" are you having trouble understanding or is that beyond the limit of your comprehension too? -- Spud |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 16:36:10 -0600
Recliner wrote: Eric wrote: Thrilling? Yes, it can be. At any age. Actually that line says more about your personality than about anything else. Yes, perhaps. I moved on from programming a long time ago. For me, it was never more than a means to an end, and I was happy to switch to code-free And that says even more about you - ie no good at programming, should never have gone into it in the first place and you didn't have the balls to look elsewhere for a job - you took the easy option. You'd have probably been happy as a retail manager in a tesco or something similar. environments once they could do what I wanted. I certainly didn't want to make my living from it, and never did, despite writing programs that could tie up the then world's largest computer for 20 minutes when I was doing my thesis. This is priceless :o) Anyone could tie up a single threaded computer for all eternity just by sticking it in an endless loop you dimwit. 20 mins, FFS ... The last 3GL code I wrote was probably around 30 years ago (very much as a part-time activity), and 4GL 15+ years ago. Even programming fancy Excel formulas or macros doesn't turn me on any more. Once I knew I could do it, I hate to break the news to you, but writing Excel macros is only "programming" if you're a complete beginner. I expect you think writing HTML is programming too hmm? I didn't get any thrills from doing it year after year. There were new challenges to turn me on, and programming seemed like an activity best reserved for younger, cheaper people. I know what code can do, but it doesn't have to be me doing it, any more than I would want to wash my car myself. Obviously you have zero imagination to boot. I do appreciate that some people enjoy washing their own cars, and others continue to enjoy programming. But there are better ways to make a living for those who can. Poor analogy. The programmer/engineer is the person who built the car, the one washing it is the person who uses it on a daily basis. Eg , the pointy haired manager who uses Powerpoint for example. Face it - you have no clue about what you're talking about, you were a failure as a progammer who jumped before he was pushed and you could be Exhibit A from the Dilbert Principle. Oh, but your spellings ok. Well hallelujah, watch the company share price rise! -- Spud |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
"Recliner" wrote in message ... Eric wrote: On 2013-12-13, Recliner wrote: wrote: snip Oddly I don't get bored with my work. But then I don't have to **** about with powerpoint and talk ******** all day - I actually do something useful and productive. Programming? At your age? How thrilling! Thrilling? Yes, it can be. At any age. Actually that line says more about your personality than about anything else. Yes, perhaps. I moved on from programming a long time ago. But what do you move onto? IME one in a 1000 of the available opportunities for advancement for senior/principle engineers are "technical lead" positions. The rest are in project management or line management - aka sitting at a desk pushing bits of paper around, answering the phone from the client and attending meetings all day. and you think that is preferable, I certainly don't tim |
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Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Sat, 14 Dec 2013 13:57:39 +0100, "tim......"
wrote: "Recliner" wrote in message ... Eric wrote: On 2013-12-13, Recliner wrote: wrote: snip Oddly I don't get bored with my work. But then I don't have to **** about with powerpoint and talk ******** all day - I actually do something useful and productive. Programming? At your age? How thrilling! Thrilling? Yes, it can be. At any age. Actually that line says more about your personality than about anything else. Yes, perhaps. I moved on from programming a long time ago. But what do you move onto? IME one in a 1000 of the available opportunities for advancement for senior/principle engineers are "technical lead" positions. The rest are in project management or line management - aka sitting at a desk pushing bits of paper around, answering the phone from the client and attending meetings all day. and you think that is preferable, I certainly don't I moved into sales, then marketing, then general management. being technical, I was the one sales guy who never needed a bag carrier, as I could demonstrate everything I sold, and didn't sell things that wouldn't do the job for the customer. I later got to invent and specify new products, which teams of techies then built. It was much more fun (and lucrative) than just being one of those techies. |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Sat, 14 Dec 2013 14:34:27 +0000
Recliner wrote: On Sat, 14 Dec 2013 12:52:28 GMT, d wrote: Anyone could tie up a single threaded computer for all eternity just by sticking it in an endless loop you dimwit. 20 mins, FFS ... Oh dear. Running large mesh finite element programs is computationally intensive, especially if it's iteratively simulating thermal creep. But you probably only know about the other sort of creep. Running a prime number generator is computationally intensive and a simple one of those is about 3 lines of C. Whats your point exactly? That my program took X minutes on computer Y so it must have been impressive? Err, no, sorry. I hate to break the news to you, but writing Excel macros is only "programming" if you're a complete beginner. I expect you think writing HTML is programming too hmm? As I said, even basic programming like Excel macros, let alone the hard-core stuff, bores me to tears. I doubt you would know where to start if someone told you to go off and write some hard-core stuff. But as you say , you got other people to do the hard work while you just shuffled paperclips around. I wasn't ever a programmer, as I keep pointing out. It might have been your highest aspiration; it was never mine. I just wrote code as You can't really aspire to something you're clearly no good at. I was happy in the company, and BTW, I was promoted from being a software sales exec to sales manager, managing the sales people and techies who had to support the customers. I made a lot more in commission as a techie sales exec than as a techie sales manager, and far more than anyone doing an actual techie job. Oh dear, its so sad that you genuinely think that making it to the position of a sales rep is something to boast about. You'd sooner do a job whose most famous exponent is David Brent instead of one represented by people such as Alan Turing , Ada Lovelace, Steve Wozniak and so on. I rest my case. Yes, I was pretty pleased to have one built for me, to my exact spec, in my 30s. It was a lot better than the Audi, Alfa, etc that I'd previously chosen. And in those days, there were no tax penalties. So in other words it wasn't even your own car, it was a company car. But lets not forget it had an 'i' on the end - 'i' for "important", right? :o) So do you tell your clients what you really think of them? I have done in the past when I've no intention of ever going back there. -- Spud |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
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Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On 2013-12-15, Recliner wrote:
On Sat, 14 Dec 2013 16:45:35 GMT, wrote: So has Spultar now turned into Neil (perhaps your real name)? Somebody uses that email address when posting to uk.transport. I don't actually read the group so I have no idea whether it's the same person or not. Anyone who uses different addresses for different purposes is likely to accidentally use the wrong one from time to time. The funny thing is that you actually remind me of a Neil who once worked for me, who had a very similar personality. You can imagine just how popular he was with his colleagues. Anyway, this thread has been very illuminating in other ways, too. We can all be very pleased for you, having achieved your life's ambition to be a contract programmer, despite the obvious gaps in your education. Few other people are lucky enough to achieve all of their career goals (I know I didn't). It must be this deep contentment with your career that makes you such a placid and pleasant person, so willing to see the best in all that surrounds you. "contract programmer" (or the similar but different "independent IT consultant") is not a career goal, it's a way of getting quite a good income doing work that, at worst, you are quite comfortable with and, at best, find very enjoyable. The downsides are a bit of uncertainty and the really horrible management types you sometimes have to deal with (but only sometimes). It's strange how those who have career goals (and/or ambition) often fail to understand, and look down on, those who don't. Sorry, all they are is different from you, it's allowed. Eric -- ms fnd in a lbry |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Sun, 15 Dec 2013 11:55:05 +0000
Recliner wrote: On Sat, 14 Dec 2013 16:45:35 GMT, wrote: Anyway, this thread has been very illuminating in other ways, too. We can all be very pleased for you, having achieved your life's ambition to be a contract programmer, despite the obvious gaps in your education. Few other people are lucky enough to achieve all of their career goals (I know I didn't). It must be this deep contentment with your career that makes you such a placid and pleasant person, so willing to see the best in all that surrounds you. Well quite. Glad we agree on something. -- Spud |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Mon, 16 Dec 2013 11:35:37 +0000
Eric wrote: On 2013-12-15, Recliner wrote: On Sat, 14 Dec 2013 16:45:35 GMT, wrote: So has Spultar now turned into Neil (perhaps your real name)? Somebody uses that email address when posting to uk.transport. I don't actually read the group so I have no idea whether it's the same person or not. Anyone who uses different addresses for different purposes is likely to accidentally use the wrong one from time to time. I mix and match id's and sometimes I use the wrong one. Its hardly for secrecy, its simply to prevent bots amalgamating all my posts into one lump for someone to pore over one day. "contract programmer" (or the similar but different "independent IT consultant") is not a career goal, it's a way of getting quite a good income doing work that, at worst, you are quite comfortable with and, at best, find very enjoyable. The downsides are a bit of uncertainty and the really horrible management types you sometimes have to deal with (but only sometimes). That pretty much sums it up. You can't really ask for much more careerwise that doing a job you quite like, being paid hansomly for it and not having to worry too much about day to day company politics. It's strange how those who have career goals (and/or ambition) often fail to understand, and look down on, those who don't. Sorry, all they are is different from you, it's allowed. The ambitious types generally don't give a monkeys what industry they're in, all they care about is being top dog to satisfy their own egos. Which means they're exactly the wrong sort of person to be in charge. -- Spud |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 15:56:34 GMT, d wrote:
On Thu, 12 Dec 2013 15:20:32 -0600 Recliner wrote: Being literate, I might remind you of a "snotty arts type", but my degrees were in engineering, and you won't ever find me quoting famous authors or sound bites written by others (I preferred my own). Once I was promoted If you prefer your own it must be pretty quiet in your office since you don't appear to have any. into senior management, it was the ability to write and present ideas and I've generally found in my career that the sort of people who climb the greasy pole are the ones not very good at actually doing the job they were initially employed to do but had mastered the art of bull****ting. I'm one of those perhaps in your mind odd people who view computer science and engineering as a profession akin to medicine or law, not some bottom of the ladder job thyats merely a starting point to getting a space in the directors carpark. calculator, FORTRAN compiler or Excel, that mattered. PowerPoint was more important, and knowing what to present. LOL :o) Powerpoint eh? Oh dear, you poor poor deluded man if you think that program in any way aids communication other than for the simplest dumbed down comncepts. Perhaps you wouldn't always be so angry and frustrated if you had gained the ability to communicate effectively using your mother tongue? Perhaps you wouldn't talk to much drivel if you actually did a real job. Still, no doubt you have fun leveraging win-win enterprise visions in a downsized holistic stakeholder scenario while running ideas up the flagpole eh? I'm sure you also love to imagine you can "think outside the box", but you probably wouldn't even be able to open the flap. Boltar, when I am in London, I want to buy you a beer. You take down the u.t.l. narcissist so effectively. You are a bona fide hero. -- http://www.991fmtalk.com/ The DMZ in Reno |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 17:20:13 +0000 (UTC),
d wrote: On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 10:46:49 -0600 Recliner wrote: wrote: As I suspected, your lack of communications skills stopped you from being promoted into management. No wonder you're always angry and frustrated. A moot point given I've been a self employed contractor for years and in most jobs I've done I probably took home more after tax than most of the management. But if job titles are your willy waving thing I was a director of my own company for a long time until I decided umbrellas were less hassle. My son and I have come to the same conclusion. In the UK it is better to utilize an umbrella than faff around with one's own company. It is different in those US. LOL :o) Powerpoint eh? Oh dear, you poor poor deluded man if you think that program in any way aids communication other than for the simplest dumbed down comncepts. That's what's needed at executive level. Unfortunately, you'll probably Ooooh, get you, an "executive"! Were you a results driven thought leader in the loop who got the Big Picture and scoped out action points? Watch out Gordon Gecko! Did you get scented soap in the toilets and a secretary in a short skirt to screw after hours? One doubts very much if that is his preference. The degree of self-love the poster displays is not usually accompanied by normal mating and nesting instincts. Oedipus complex, homosexuality, or pedophilia, or any combination of the aforementioned would be fitting for his personality disorder. never find out. I doubt that someone with your exquisite manners would ever be allowed into a board room, even as a guest. Thanks, but there are less soul destroying ways to earn 6 figures than ending up there. Perhaps you wouldn't talk to much drivel if you actually did a real job. Fortunately, I made more than enough money to be able to retire early when I got bored with work. I wouldn't have been able to do that had I not been able to communicate effectively. Oddly I don't get bored with my work. But then I don't have to **** about with powerpoint and talk ******** all day - I actually do something useful and productive. Real tech. skills improve with experience. Now , isn't it time you went and drilled down to touch base with the organic growth figures of the best-of-breed marrows in your greenhouse old man? ROTFL. -- http://www.991fmtalk.com/ The DMZ in Reno |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Sat, 14 Dec 2013 12:33:46 +0000 (UTC),
d wrote: On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 14:41:02 -0600 Recliner wrote: That's an interesting point, but unfortunately is usually true. In most technical fields, you're at your most productive from your mid 20s to late 30s; after that, someone else will be a sharper programmer, etc. I was Rubbish. There's more to programming than just how quick off the mark you are. Over the years you gather a large mental box of tricks and knowledge of common gotchas and solutions which means you're generally more prepared for most eventualities than someone who's only been in the game a few years. Absolutely, problems that once seemed hard are now solvable in multiple ways. Sadly you seem to be the type who thinks its just a job rather than a profession. I can't see many people asking a surgeon in his 40s why he's still working at the front line rather than sitting in an office playing with powerpoint. confronted with this at the age of 27 when I was offered my first management job -- I was reluctant to take it, as I reckoned I was doing better and earning more as a non-manager. But it was explained to me that I'd be overtaken by my peer group if I refused the promotion (and drop in salary), so I reluctantly accepted. You can move to other companies you know. move into management. By my early 40s I was a director, enjoying commuting by air-conditioned BMW 535i (my older colleagues preferred Jaguars), rather Is a 535 your idea of having "made it"? Sad. directors' car park by the age of 41. I wouldn't have wanted to still be a techie, working for a younger manager, and competing with younger, sharper, more recently qualified colleagues. I was much happier commissioning and owning projects, rather than just doing what I was told. Translation: I wasn't a very good techie so I jumped into the first career lifeboat than drifted past because I knew I wouldn't get a job elsewhere. Yeah , i know your type. I think Spud/Boltar is showing all the signs of hating having to work for younger, better-paid managers (or customers) he doesn't respect. The Someones age doesn't bother me. I'd far sooner work for a 25 year old manager who's got a clue than some idiot in his 50s or 60s like you who clearly doesn't. will probably soon overtake him. It must be very frustrating for him, and It's hardly surprising that, as compensation, he feels the need to be so obnoxious in an anonymous forum like this. He probably thinks the same of his bosses, but can't say so. Can't say no? Sorry, which bit of "self employed" are you having trouble understanding or is that beyond the limit of your comprehension too? You would think the poster would be an expert on obnoxious. Like me I am sure you have black and white lists of clients. -- http://www.991fmtalk.com/ The DMZ in Reno |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 08:22:53 +0000, Roland Perry
wrote: In message , at 15:24:49 on Thu, 12 Dec 2013, Recliner remarked: There were more interesting and useful things to spend time learning in school than some **** poor plays by a dead 16th century playwrite. That's English Literature, a completely different subject. In my day (late 90s), Shakespeare was compulsory in both English Language and Literature. Helpfully that meant with a well chosen title, you could submit the same essay as coursework for both subjects. That was handy! I can't say I ever enjoyed Shakespeare, and once I got my O level in English Literature in the 1960s, I never read or watched a Shakespeare play again. I felt the same about poetry. I didn't like Shakespeare taught exclusively from a book; these days it's so easy to see it on film (feature or made-for-TV) that it must transform the experience for the schoolkids. You could probably learn as much from watching the film twice as a whole year of staring at pages. (That's assuming the skill they are teaching isn't the ability to School killed Shakespeare for me. It was many years before I came to appreciate the depth of his work. Now I wish I could spend more time in it. Burton performing Hamlet is something I enjoy on DVD. -- http://www.991fmtalk.com/ The DMZ in Reno |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Thu, 12 Dec 2013 10:26:17 GMT, d wrote:
On Thu, 12 Dec 2013 03:45:22 -0600 Recliner wrote: Many of the people who post here have an engineering background, but are still capable of writing grammatical prose. You don't need have to have studied English literature in order to be able to use basic English grammar. Most people on here can do better than the repost of last resort which is to point out typos. Thats the refuge for people like you who are desperate to post something to get noticed but don't actually have anything to say. Boltar, he is a waste of your time. Killfile the SoB. -- http://www.991fmtalk.com/ The DMZ in Reno |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Sun, 22 Dec 2013 12:33:27 -0800
Aurora wrote: On Fri, 13 Dec 2013 15:56:34 GMT, d wrote: On Thu, 12 Dec 2013 15:20:32 -0600 Recliner wrote: Perhaps you wouldn't always be so angry and frustrated if you had gained the ability to communicate effectively using your mother tongue? Perhaps you wouldn't talk to much drivel if you actually did a real job. Still, no doubt you have fun leveraging win-win enterprise visions in a downsized holistic stakeholder scenario while running ideas up the flagpole eh? I'm sure you also love to imagine you can "think outside the box", but you probably wouldn't even be able to open the flap. Boltar, when I am in London, I want to buy you a beer. You take down the u.t.l. narcissist so effectively. You are a bona fide hero. No, I just like arguing especially when you can watch your opponent digging a nice hole for themselves and then fall in :o) -- Spud |
Proposal - every Tube ticket office to close by 2015
On Sun, 22 Dec 2013 12:48:27 -0800
Aurora wrote: You would think the poster would be an expert on obnoxious. Like me I am sure you have black and white lists of clients. There are certainly a couple of places I'd think twice about working at again. They're the sort of places that think contractor = permie without paid holidays and expect you to work whatever hours they request without paying extra. You go to any small business and ask them to do some extra work for you for free and you'll be shown the door pdq, yet it seems to be the attitude amongst some companies that freelancers are fair game. No, we're not. An extra half an hour here or there occasionally is fine, but if a company expects me to regularly work and hour or 2 beyond my contracted hours then they can swivel on it. -- Spud |
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