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Going online without understanding the basics of how the internet works is like getting behind the wheel without knowing the road rules: you might still get where you’re going, but you could be a danger to yourself and those around you.
Using the internet is now a daily activity for most Australians. Yet, the number of people who actually understand the internet’s mechanics is small. Government and schools do work to promote cyber security and cyber safety, but the message is still not getting widespread attention.
Ultimately there is only so much that government or businesses can do to keep us safe online. At a certain point, we need to take personal responsibility and educate ourselves about how to use the internet safely.
http://theconversation.com/we-need-to-take-responsibility-for-our-own-safety-online-38368
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday March 17 2015, @04:54PM
Monolithic corporation is what it means. They will just steam roll anything that comes in their way being powered by (ab)used wage slaves chained by salary and debt to their cubicles. They do however as a functional unit tend to lack imagination and forth sight. That's why they buy up smaller companies.
(Score: 2) by Zinho on Tuesday March 17 2015, @05:13PM
Right, like I said: enormous piles of fossilized excrement.
"Space Exploration is not endless circles in low earth orbit." -Buzz Aldrin
(Score: 1) by anubi on Wednesday March 18 2015, @01:20AM
Its not that they *lack* imagination; rather its been my observation that corporate structure will not *tolerate* it.
Been there. Seen it.
To build something innovative and new takes the artistry of an engineer ( didn't say a *degreed* one! ).
Laying off the engineer for failing to kiss the ass takes the leadership skill of a manager.
Placing a bunch of paper-pushers over the creative types takes the organizational skill of an executive.
Each is paid what the people hiring them think they are worth.
Its been my observation that most investors value an executive handshake more than they value the creation of new things the world has never seen before.
That does not stop innovation though. It gets done anyway. In some guy's garage.
There will always be artists that will create - even if they aren't paid.
Its "in our blood". Some of us seem ingrained this is what we must do. And we will do it, employed or not.
Then the big company buys it up - mostly for the patent rights to keep anyone else from competing with them. Which leads to yet another round of price hikes and executive handshakes.
We engineers only see the tail of this monster girded in contracts and legal protections. Wanna see ground zero? Musicians! Every musical artist I have talked to tells me the same tale of woe, of all the labels, leeches, and people living high on the hog at his expense - as per contract.
Its our fault in a way, because we won't make contracts of our own for them to sign.
We are so afraid that if we dare ask them to sign a contract, we will be seen as a pain in the ass to do business with and they will find someone else that treats their business relationships better, however they are not limited by that same fear of customer rejection upon presentation of the contract; and that's how they get away with imposing themselves onto the rest of us.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday March 18 2015, @01:45AM
I'll agree with you on people having imagination and that corporate structure will not tolerate it.
Interesting example with musicians!
I think the advantage the executive has is that there's likely always another sucker to pull the stunt on. So the question is if one really have a choice.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Wednesday March 18 2015, @02:55AM
I feel you are so right...
The desperate bloke doesn't have much choice, so the corporate manager is left with his choice of those who have no other choice.
The ones he really needs to make his division productive would probably not be compatible with his leadership style. Its not him, personally, rather its the corporate immediate bottom-line this quarter mentality along with rules that you have to spend money for things you do not need but you are not authorized to get the things you do need.
People who have experienced the takeover of technical companies by investor-types would probably elect to go at it again by forming yet another small group of techie people with the common goal of making yet another small productive company than try to be a survivor at a big corporate entity. My skills are in making things work, not the fine art of office politics. I flat suck at office politics.
So, I am trying to start up another small company after my layoff. I have slim hopes any existing entity would hire me. I am too old, seen too much, and recognize too fast when someone is pulling a fast one at my expense. They need $20/hr wage-slave people for that. Not me.
I see no logic in trying to tell some manager type I want two monitors, a specific type of display card, I need EAGLE and LTSpice, etc. Take those away from me and I am about as productive as a gardener without his pruning shears... there are just certain things I cannot discuss with someone who has the leadership skills to see my demands as threats to his leadership superiority and force him to again lay me off.
However, I have also seen the dearth of people out there who have a really good feel for engineering and circuit design. It is a lot easier to lay one off than to find one. That is the one facet of my enterprise that for now I go at it alone, as all of the guys I know who have a really intuitive feel for it are either treasured at the company they presently work at or have formed their own company. Its really hard - once I have the experience - to take orders from someone else like I used to, as I do not want to accept responsibility for the result which I already know will result if I do it the way I am told to do it.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday March 18 2015, @01:29PM
The problem with going alone is that you need money to buy equipment and pay rent + food. And there could be some female nagging about getting "a real job". Even if you could make lots of money on your product it won't produce a penny until it ships and can be billed.
Btw, what is your opinion on KiCAD?
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday March 18 2015, @01:35PM
The problem is that one often needs money upfront to support buying equipment, materials, food, rent, dresses for spouse etc. So even if the product is the best since nuclear power one still can't make money on it until it ships and can be billed. Oh and then there's the nagging female at home that may tell one to "get a real job".
Btw, what do you think of KiCAD?