I got a job offer today! A company i thought wouldn't pan out did. Almost exactly 4 months after being laid off. Unix sysadmin for a local healthcare company. Schweet pay/benes, too. I start either Wednesday or Monday!

im still jobless. this wouldn't be so bad if i could pay my mortgage. I mean, sitting on my tail all day has its advantages but it gets REALLY OLD after a while. Its kind of like staying home from school sick - you quickly find out that there isn't anything good on TV, none of your friends can come out to play because their all working, and you're too poor to do anything else entertaining, so you sit at home and read books you've already read and post to slashdot all day with meaningless posts which get moderated down to -1, Troll or -2, What the hell is this guy on

i've sold most of my dvd's on ebay and amazon. unfortunately most of that money went immediately to have one - just one - of my wisdom teeth painfully extracted. so you see, it never rains around here, it pours. But i think things may be looking better. There's a job on monster.com in the relatively local area that im qualified for! maybe i'll get it! i hope. for chrissakes - i cant even find a good contract. Local or otherwise! Just a few thousand dollars god, thats all i need to survive for a few more months! :( :(

Meanwhile, if anyone knows of anyone who wants to buy some x-men comics, e-mail me for my list. i'll sell cheap - under price guide values. Or if anyone, out of the kindness of their hearts, wants to donate cash to a geek in distress, feel free to paypal the cash to daniel_s_tate@hotmail.com. Sympathy letters also accepted. Spam too. Makes me feel wanted.

http://www.contentwatch.com/index.php

I just ran that on my computer. Among the things it listed as pornographic was anything with the word "homosexual" or "gay" in it. This brings a question to the front of my mind.. It seems that the stereotypical depiction of homosexuals as sexual beasts who will try to harm or recruit your children is so widespread it is considered beyond profane - it is pornographic.

I have to ask then.. Should parents have a right to know if their children are gay?

To me it's the same issue is should a family know their white, christian child is dating a black girl or a jewish girl or a islamic girl. Hell, i'm surprised "Islam" didn't come up in that scan.

I'll do anything for a job. I'm not above begging, or annoying slashdot with a sig under every post, on, or off topic. Its the capitalist mentality of putting your product in front of as many eyes as possible.

Unemployment sucks. I've been with 3 companies that have all had serious financial problems. I really pick the winners.

I've completed 4 of 7 tests for my MCSE. I have three sun certifications. I've worked my ass off at every job i've been at. After hours, before hours, on the weekends, slipping into alternate dimensions to finish work, streamlining existing procedures. The only thing i don't have is a bachelors degree, which bites my ass. I wish i would have gone to school. Now it's too late, with a car and a house, and much more debt than that.

Every company on the block now wants an MCSE with a bachelors degree with unix experience and 4 years of DBAing in Oracle with a little helpdesk and afterhours work, weekends twice a month, shitty bennies and no perks for 39,500 a year. Welcome to the real world. I'm probably going to lose my house. Where i'm going to get the money to finish my certifications, which all my friends & contemporaries say i need (especially the two managers and HR Director whom i count among friends) to get in the door.

I've sent my resume to many companies locally. Everyone else wants me to move on my own dime for a 5 or 6 month contract. i'm firmly planted where i am and it will take a long term engagement for me to uproot.

I've grown apathetic. I don't want them to take my house, of course. But if they do.. I'll live through it. Somehow, i'll live through this. Thats all that matters.

If anyone cares, my resume is at http://resumes.dice.com/dantate

Where have I been the last few weeks, (not like anyone has noticed..)

I got laid off February 15th. Bluestar, Bridgestone, now Shop at Home.

Well, it could be a good thing.. in 6 or so months. SAH wasn't the greatest.

if anyone needs a sysadmin, e-mail me for my resume at daniel_s_tate@hotmail.com. I have experience, certifications, and a nack for choosing the winners. :(

Read more about it in my other journal,
http://www.livejournal.com/~orbikitti

Jesus. People here just wont stop yapping about how microsoft won't open their source for anyone.

True enough they won't open it for you or I, or government. Its secret source code. It's some of the most valuable source code in the world. However, microsoft DOES open their source to true academics under STRICT NDA's.

So...
Quit.. Yer... BITCHIN.. If you REALLY want to look at/dis MS source code, perhaps you should just go to school. About 2 years into it perhaps you'll realize you're taking life a BIT too seriously.

From the page:
Microsoft® makes source code to Microsoft operating system products like Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows CE available to universities and other "not-for-profit" research institutions at no charge. Currently, there are over 100 universities worldwide with our source licenses.

http://research.microsoft.com/university/NTSrcLicInfo.asp

"Bill Gates trying to kill journalists!"

A noticably weakened Bill Gates today sneezed at a 4 PM press conference announcing his philantrhopic extension to the public library system. Gates later was diagnosted with a potentially fatal and communicable illness "Influenza".

While covering the conference in his boxers, in his living room, Rob Malda noted that a member of the press who, at one time made a snide remark about Windows 3.1 being "Broken", was standing directly in front of and below Gates.

"I can only assume this was a pre-planned attack against the media. Gates will not stand for negative press, and, being the dark god Azmodeus himself, his vengence knows no limit of time".

When asked if this could be attributed to circumstance, or wild speculation on his part, he denied the accusation and began screaming "bitchslap dot pee ell! BITCHSLAP DOT PEE ELL!".

Hemos and Timothy could not be reached for comment.

Members of the mainstream media were not at a loss for words with this issue, mentioning:

"The things a mind can come up with, when deprived of intelligent human contact" -- Hugh Downs

"And you *LISTENED* to him?! He doesn't even have a mastery of the english language" -- Wolf Blitzer

"Jesus Christ.." -- Jesus Christ

"Taco is correct.. [What follows was a long-winded, dicursive diatribe blaming Bill Gates for Columbine. Omitted for the sake of brevity.]" -- Jon Katz

"I posted this story three minutes before he did" -- chrisd

Now this is just hypocritical! Slashdot, bastion for everything "Free Speech", censoring its own users. Editors abusing their privilages.

I urge anyone who reads this to put that link in their .sig. It is something that should be addressed. Hypocracy is a sign of cowardace.

I figure, with the diverse backgrounds offered here in /.-land, at least 1(,000) of you would have an astronomy background, in some way, shape, or form.

I've always had a passing interest in all things space, in particular, i've always been captivated by whats "out there". I was wondering if any of youse guys had suggestions on books, programs (Windows, or Linux), and especially GOOD telescopes (Sub-$500-range). I've looked through google, etc - but i want a community opinion!

Thanks.

What we need now is slashdot-like-kuro5hin.

And why the devil must i preview my own journal entry before posting? !

Anyone (Well, like anyone reads this thing) know how to get all your posted articles.. ever?

Its like you can search on everything BUT you're own name, and the last 24 articles arent helping.

Bibliodot
First scroll of the Wisdom of Penguins

One day as I strolled along the cold beaches of my homeland, pondering my last conversation in the forum of my life; I laid down into the sand. I awoke in a dream to find myself in a cold, white place, confronted by a council of penguins. Their grand sage, a tall Emperor of the name Tuxedo Rex, beckoned me to speak

Lo, he said - you have come to the beaches of enlightenment; ponder the wisdom of the forum; ask what thy will of us; we shall answer.

Now I had, for many suns, been a member of this forum; And a UID I had of not the minimum, but not of the maximum either; the behavior of some among us brought many a question to my head.

                        of the types of member..
1:4 I feel I must tell you of this land before we go any further.

1:5 Herein lies the Enlightened, who watch and rarely speak;
1:6 The editors, who know not the language;
1:7 The trolls; who may or may not be among the most enlightened, for they are silenced and able to be heard only by those with the most open of minds;
1:8 Those who are afraid to speak; for fear of retribution
1:9 Those who are loud, yet who's words are empty.
1:10 Those who are on the verge of enlightenment, yet shy away from the public; Some may wear the mask of the anonymous;
1:11 The trolls of the forever winter; and the Dark Lord of the Wide Orifice, Klerck;
1:12 The evil empire, from which much good has flown - The empire of the dwarves, the miniature and flaccid, with the lord Gates on the throne;
1:13 The avatars of those that make themselves visible first and foremost in the forum;
1:14 Those who's words fall on deaf ears;
1:15 Those who's minds are closed, the locks welded securely in place by the sands of time;

1:16 Now this forum has a method to separate thy wheat from thy chaff; yet those who most have this power use it to separate the chaff from the wheat;

1:17 Therefore the noise of this place may be deafening; the greatest minds drowned out by the mediocre and ignorant;

1:18 In this place of purported enlightenment, the ignorant and intolerant are loud.

2:1 Now, in this place, your worth rests in the hands of the others, as you're words are judged by the value they hold, not to the justness of the world; but to the mind of the one who holds the staff of the moderator

2:2 Now the methods used to select this moderator are odd indeed; no true method of knowing the criteria of which you are judged, or the stature of those who are judging you; Be you judged by your peers or by a youth who's face has not
yet cleared of acne and whos mind has not yet reached maturity

2:3 For these moderators of which I speak are often not of sound mind; Between their
inquiries of requests of the holy fried potato, they will judge you;

2:4 Whilst holding staff in thy hand, dreaming of the Queen of fantasy, they judge you.

2:5 While not yet completing the study or the acknowledgement of the wisdom of their forbearers; they will judge you.

2:6 Now I ask the penguin my first question - Why has the forum dropped into disarray?

2:7 The penguin responds to me: The masses have become caught up in a wave of fanaticism - Ignorant to this fact they are; yet they harp on thoughts given to them by others; not dissecting those, but claiming them for their own;

2:8 For these individuals would not know their own thoughts if one occurred to them; Any such occurrence would surely be the speediest of trips;

2:9 These persons believe their lives to be defined by their causes; which may be the case; however their cause has not been chosen in a firm basis; for this firm basis must be found in the study of the elders;

2:10 They rally around the teachings of freedom and utopia; yet know not the dangers of either; While the blind attempt to lead the sighted into oblivion;

2:11 The sighted do follow; for it is the way of youth to follow that which is popular

2:12 The masters of academia sit back and watch; rarely striking a match to light the flames; for they have known for much time their worth to these persons is naught;

2:13 From this we can establish that the forum has fallen into disarray because of the quality of the mind inside of it; Ignorance flourishes under bigot sunshine; Grave crimes are propagated by this forum.

2:14 Therefore I ask the penguin: I am of the forum; the forum focuses around you; yet you speak of their crimes. What crimes has this forum committed?

2:15 The forum respects not law, nor power, nor those who wish to make money from their works, nor the good that intrinsically comes from evil.

2:16 The forum has become the counterculture. Feel with your heart, don't think with your head. Abolish 5,000 years of civilizations evolution to justify thyself as right.

2:17 The forum is their temple. The zealots and the faithful gather regularly and converse, yea, the zealots lead. Sensationalism is their call, and welcome it they do;

2:18 They remove themselves from the restrictions of thy laws seen as unjust. For some laws will be unjust; and the wrongs lie in the law, not what the law abolishes; yet, some laws will be just, and good for the many; yet those who wish not to let go of their purse in pursuit of their gratification will call these laws evil, and unjust.

2:19 Thy enlightened ones shall have their thoughts called off the topic of the conversation; for the general topic is ignorance and enlightenment is counter to ignorance; Some will have their comments called heresy, and therefore that they bait the flames of others; Some will even be labeled as the Trolls of the Pit;

2:20 These posts, which make thy brain spark, are against this new order; yet they are the basis of this new order. The spark of the mind must be extinguished; lest the spark occur in the same manner of thy judge;

2:21 Within this forum; there are no areas for the conversation of the masses on topics other than those approved by the hierarchy;

2:22 In summary, the greatest crimes procured by the forum is that of ignorance and theft; The Promotion of Ignorance and intolerance being the greatest crime of all; The gods and idols of this forum instructed not about ignorance, nor intolerance; alas, they are silent on this issue; allowing the baser instincts of the voices to take hold of the baser instincts of the listener.

3:0 But, I said, much intolerance has been associated with their idol;

3:1 Their idol, said the penguin, is not of an intelligent nature - it has become a figurehead, a mascot of ideas. Its intrinsic worth has been marred by the attitude of the forum and its members; Its respectability diminished by
those who support it; They are so caught up in the cacophony of their own voices; they have no idea the harm they cause themselves; they are blind to it

3:2 The actions of the followers mar, beyond repair, the perception of the good;

3:3 More, I said, on the subject of those known as the editors; What are your thoughts on them?

3:4 The editors are each their own person; acquiring traits over time. These editors; like so many of the day; are not concerned with expousing the truth or enlightenement; but of assuring the expansion of their wallets;

3:5 While I have discussed in the past the importance of capitalism; a forum that carries such importance in the community owes itself respect ; and it owes its parishioners the truth;

3:6 It is ironic to say the least that, while these editors have learned many things, not among the least of which is intolerance, or a façade of intolerance, against their devil; the entity known as Gates, and his legion of followers; great in number; Again I state that it is classic of the counter-establishment movements common throughout history.

3:7 The irony lies in the fact that they lave learned many things; except a mastery of the English language;

3:8 Among these editors lies one who is exceptionally verbose, yet empty in meaning; the one known as Katz; He does not follow the idol; yet he is used to stir the kettle of sensationalism. Posting on major world events; his philosophies may very well be dangerous to those who cannot hold two conflicting ideas inside their heads and continue to function.

3:9 At this time, we must separate; Call upon my guidance again, young learner; for now you must go to work;

The ephermids at the bottom get increasingly annoying as time goes by. Nonsensical quotes from anonymous sources - at least let them be philisophical in nature and not so empty in content.

I would like to ask slashdot their opinion on the formation of a formal decleration of end-user rights. More of less unenforcable, but a statement of what we expect should be made and presented to the public for consideration. Things that the user community should expect to be fullfilled in their online experience. Topics should range from the Operating Environment, Advertisements, Unsolicited and Batch e-mail, etc.

Computers above all else are a tool. And if my drill stopped every 5 seconds, played a commercial for a feminine hygene commercial, and would not continue functioning until i had acknowledged that indeed, I was sure I did not want this product, I would be upset. Just as upset as when i'm researching on the web and suddenly 15 new messages of spam hit my mailbox, 2 browser windows pop up, and my theoretical 12 year old son is exposed to a questionable X10 advertisment.

Suggestions should be realistic. Spam is not going to go away - banner ads are not going to go away. But as I stated, We must find some way to.. "Powerfully Suggest" how we would prefer things to be.
Below i've attached my recommendations.

End-users bill of rights

Section A) Advertisements

Section A.i) Web/HTML Advertisements

For the purposes of this section, "Intrusive" is defined as any advertisement that is not integrated statically into the page. This includes pop ups, pop unders, and flash animations.

1. No advertisements should be made to appear as components of the operating system itself, especially a dialog which would commonly be used as an error. This should be construed as entrapment and misdirection.

2. Any intrusive advertisement should have a well-defined and obvious mechanism of closure.

3. Any intrusive advertisement should have a method available for opting out.

4. Under no circumstances should a web advertisement interfere with work. This includes any respawning advertisements.

5. Advertisements on websites should be in the manner of the website. For instance, no material which may be deemed inappropriate for children (Analog - PG-13) on a website otherwise suitable for general consumption (child-safe portals, news sites, etc) (G-PG)

6. Any applications, or instances of applications, should not be invoked by anyone but the end-user or a preauthorized agent.

a. Entry into a websites domain should not be considered preauthorization. The user must have complete and unabated knowledge of the action and the circumstance before authorizing it. Any prompts should be presented in "flat" format, as an additional section conspicuously placed on what would otherwise be the parent website.

Section A.ii) E-Mail Advertisements

1. Completely unsolicited e-mail is not recommended as a method of advertisement.

2. Advertisements in commercial or bulk-email that have been opted into must be clearly marked as such. This includes any advertisement, invitation, or informational letter regarding a product or service.

a. The marking should be defined as the abbreviation ADV: as the first three letters of the subject line.

3. Consumer Misdirection
  No commercial, unsolicited e-mail should appear to reference any prior message sent by the user.

  No commercial e-mail should take a personal intonation in its invitation.

4. Falsification of return e-mail address - the senders address should be clearly visible and unmodified. This e-mail should be an administrative alias.

5. The users e-mail address should never be shared with any other party without the express consent of the owner of the e-mail address.

6. The e-mail should not return any information to the sender without the express preauthorization of the recipient.

7. The receivers anonymity should be held in the highest regard.

8. Cancellation of Subscription

a. The administrative alias should accept unsubscribe requests.
i. The format of this request should be UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject field of the e-mail.
b. Upon cancellation of subscription, the e-mail address should be immediately deleted from the system.
c. The senders of the e-mail message must provide customer response and product responsibility.

Section B) Operating Systems, Kernels, and Operating Environments

1. An operating system should not, barring a critical error of the most serious nature, interrupt the users work.
2. The user should be able to set, Inside of an operating environment, his or her preferred level of assistance, broken down into these levels:
a. Beginner, Novice - Help dialogs, balloons, and interactive assistants enabled by default. Obtrusive notifications for information of importance levels analogous to "information" and above.
b. Intermediate - Help dialogs available, Obtrusive notifications for information of importance levels analogous to "error" and above.
c. Power-User - All help dialogs, notifications, balloons disabled by default. Obtrusive notifications allowed in only the most critical of errors.
i. A critical error should be defined as an error that would, or has, impended the operation of the computer - NOT an internal function of the application.

I looked through the FAQ but didn't find the answer.. I was wondering if you had any plans to create a slashdot general forum? The slashdot community has grown by leaps and bounds, and like a newsgroup, it has become a community of extraordinary proportions. It would be good to have a place to pick the brains of others, en masse, and just have random discussions, as opposed to moderated and closed-focus story threads.

In the past, when slashdot was smaller, and its focus not so broad, I could understand not wanting to add such a section - but now, with people using their journals for private conversations, It may be the appropriate time to add general fora.

In order to keep the flame/troll threads to a minimum/etc, keep the moderation system, but remove "offtopic", "redundant" and "Flamebait" since offtopic wouldn't apply to a nontopical forum. Only trolls [Klerck.. BTW, I used to be on an IRC channel with him. He's difficult to get rid of, I can certainly sympathize.. he wasn't always as bad is he is now.] would be moderated down in the ideal system. Alternately, make a general forum and a forum for each of the individual topics you normally post on.

Rotate the boards on a daily-or-weekly basis or rotate inactive threads out of the board once a week. IRC is dying, Newsgroups aren't as broad as they used to be (and the forever December is still in effect), and I feel that at least some of slashdot would fall behind me in requesting this. At least consider the idea.