that someone working on 5k files that represent 3 months of his life would treat them with a bit of caution. In any school I've been to, they talk about save frequently.. because computer errors happen. When I got into IT 20ish years ago and heard of backups, my brain immediately applied that same mentality to it. This guy, whose livelihood may depend on this code.. couldn't be bothered to protect his work? Well, that will weed him out of the employment pool.

I have 20 fingers and toes, two ears, two eyes. Most places, the biometric data is stored locally. We're quibbling over what is quite possibly the weakest possibly security measure known though.. Passwords are all nothing but security via obscurity (worst practice). The weakest link in this whole authentication scheme isn't the password, its the user. Didn't the reg have an article where something like 40% of users would give up their password for a piece of chocolate?

The longer the password req, the harder it is for normal users to remember them. I keep a 30 ish character password for my real accounts. I see folks having trouble with 14 characters.. writing down hints, doing keyboard runs, reusing passwords all over the place. How bout we stop using 1 factor authentication (something you know, 2x in normal logins) and kick it up to 2 or 3.. Say go to a smart card with identity certs on them and a pin, or a token, pin, biometric combo?

we do have the worlds best doctors.. we just happen to have some of the worlds worst too :D

So statistically speaking, I'm safer around guns than doctors?

Of course its to millenials, if it doesn't apply to you then ignore it. I have seen the argument since I can get it cheaper, the rich have to pay to make it cheaper for me floated more than a few times by millenials though.

As to healthcare, definitely NOT a free market. I couldn't agree more.

As to everybody else saying go to college.. F em. We need to start teaching kids to think on their own, do their own research. I have yet to meet a college admissions person who would advocate going 60k into debt on a liberal arts major. I've never met a SINGLE person who advocated going into unmanageable debt for any degree. I have seen all sorts of folks say you need to get a degree to get a good job, which is demonstrably crap. More and more studies are coming out saying its not a bad thing to take a year off. More and more studies are showing low employment rate for college graduates... I think one of the biggest things society needs to do is start encouraging folks to be doctors and lawyers (still), but to point out its ok to be a mechanic, machinist, etc.. You know, those skilled jobs that don't require a degree.

Why are we expected to take on so much debt for college?
Why are they willing to take on crippling debt without a method to pay for it just because someone else says its a good idea?

Why am I expected to fund my own retirement when my predecessor got a defined benefits package that I'm paying for?
Well, you took your shot at the baby boomers, how bout the gen X'rs who are saying start saving and fund your retirement? We wont have the defined benefits package either, suck it up butter cup and step up. Two generations before the Millennials have been doing it, your turn.

Why is healthcare so expensive?
Because we're subsidizing the rest of the world would be my guess. The reason it costs 20 cents for the same pill that costs 5 dollars in America is partially due to us footing the bill for the development here in the US, as well as how much they can charge in any given area. When the monthly income of an area is 30 bucks a month, you're not going to get 5 dollars a pill, period. When the weekly income is 400, that's a bit easier pill to swallow. So I guess it would be profit driven pricing based on what the market can bear. In other words, complaining that someone gets something cheaper than you do because they barely make a couple % of what you do while asking the rich to pay for more of your own expenses rings a bit hypocritical.

Why can't companies show a little bit of loyalty to us?
Companies are unfeeling profit machines, they don't have loyalty. They don't have emotions.. Unlike the books you were read, they aren't inanimate objects displaying human traits.. time to put away the kid books and step into the real world.. It hates you, you hate it, now go beat it and drink wine from your enemies skull.

actually, I do sign paperwork A. Dike just to get reactions (first initial, last name). Love it when I have to put my name on the board. I do this just to get a reatction out of the youngens in my class.. I'm mid 30's and going back to school for the fun of it :D

My last name tripps up decency filters on websites. My wife tried to create an account on some website and it wouldnt accept our last name in the registration field saying foul language wasn't allowed.

My last name.. Dike

What good does great graphics ability serve if the processors and input systems still suck? Lets be blunt, its not like office aps are brutal, but they're still a pain in the buttox to use on a tablet or phone.. Why? Because the input system isn't suited for that type of work. OK, we have graphics, which will probably mean games or vr. Well, thats gonna require a pretty hefty CPU behind it as well, something very few tablets can even start to claim to have. I just dont see a large market for a beefed up graphics system unless they're gonna also make the rest of the peripherals available, and when you start toting around a bunch of peripherals with your tablet or phone.. why not just get a laptop??

It all depends on what your IT department is set up like. Are your networking / server people working hand in hand with you? System Engineers (the server sysadds at my job) work hand in hand with the Service desk. If you are qualified, can show experience, and have a well written resume.. they will look at you when a position opens up. Same with the networking engineers.

I was in your position back in Dec. I asked the IT manager if they were looking for people and on what teams. He replied that they were looking for NE's to work a hell shift (12's, 4 on , 4 off, nights). I got my resume together, started brushing up on my networking and interviewed for the job. I have a co worker who is in the same situation and they won't look at him. He is trying to get to the systems side of the house. He is a MCSE for 2k3 and can't even get an interview.....

There has to be an opening you can move into. Start working towards your trade certs (juniper, cisco, microsoft, etc.). It will be easier to get to an interview if you have the certs to back it up. You already have your foot in the door. IF you are good at what you do, management will have noticed. They are the ones to talk to about moving up into an open slot. If your companies turn over rate involves death... then you might want to put out a resume.

TIPS on your resume..
1. Proof read.
2. Tailor it to each job you are applying for.
3. Write a separate and distinct objective statement and cover letter for each application.
4. No huge blocks of texts. Make it easy on the eyes.
5. Take the skills listed in the job listing and make sure those words match in your resume, most HR departments do a key word search because they don't understand a tech resume.
6. Give a specific outline for your repsonibilites for each job... if they want to know more they will ask you in the interview.

Once you get to the interview.. the job is yours to lose.. not yours to gain.

You see... what had happened was....

Ummm... it involved an atari joystick that some irresponsible child had left on a couch.... and a... ummm... he was just minding his own business and sitting down to read the paper... and ummm ... they all laughed at him.. noooo.