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  • Effects of automated time tracking/monitoring [closed]

    - by user73937
    What are the effects of monitoring the developers' computer usage? (Which program they use - based on the title of the applications - and how much time in a day they use the keyboard and mouse.) Would it has any positive or negative effects on productivity, morale, motivation, etc? It will not have any direct impact on the developers' salary or their performance review it's just for curiosity. The developer and their manager will only see the results. Would it change anything if only the developer is allowed to see the results? The developer can disable the monitoring (for privacy) but it won't count as work time (in the monitoring program).

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  • Rolling your own Hackathon

    - by Terrance
    Background Info Hey, I pitched the idea of a company Hackathon that would donate our time to a charity to work on a project (for free) to improve morale in my company and increase developer cohesion. As it turns out most like the idea but, guess who's gonna be the one to put it together. lol Yeah me. I should add that we are a fairly small shop with about 10-12 programmers (some pull double duty as programmers, inters etc..) So, that might make things a bit easier. Base Question While I am no means a project manager or of any level of authority (Entry level guy) I was wondering if anyone knew the best approach for someone in my position to put together such an even with possibly (some) company backing. Or for that matter have any helpful advice to pass along to a young padawan. So far..... As of right now it is just an idea so, to start with I presumably would have to put together some sort of proposal and do some that office stuff that I became a programmer to steer clear of to some extent.

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  • Would this be viewed poorly amongst the programming community?

    - by Eric P
    So one of my responsibilities at work is to build an internal tool that helps the workers enter in all their information. It's an enterprise application that is similar to a Windows forms database tool. So it's not much different than like developing a Word + Excel combo application, but the average person in this workgroup is a 20-40 year old woman or a random chatty male type. Plus I know all of these people are heavily involved with Facebook on a daily basis. How bad would it be if I styled my new interface to be similar to what Facebook does. People could get award points and stuff when they fill out different types of forms and basically compete against each other like it was a game. When people had completed one, it would be posted on their wall and everyone could comment/like stuff just like in Facebook. And it would be like they are doing peer reviewing for fun. The rewards would be outstanding I would imagine. These people are so into Facebook and Facebook games that productivity would rise due to them trying to compete and earn points and achievements. Would this be taking advantage of the people by 'tricking them into working harder by giving them a game' or would it be viewed as something that would improve happiness at work?

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  • Would adding award points or game features to workplace software be viewed poorly amongst the programming community?

    - by Eric P
    So one of my responsibilities at work is to build an internal tool that helps the workers enter in all their information. It's an enterprise application that is similar to a Windows forms database tool. So it's not much different than like developing a Word + Excel combo application, but the average person in this workgroup is a 20-40 year old woman or a random chatty male type. Plus I know all of these people are heavily involved with Facebook on a daily basis. How bad would it be if I styled my new interface to be similar to what Facebook does. People could get award points and stuff when they fill out different types of forms and basically compete against each other like it was a game. When people had completed one, it would be posted on their wall and everyone could comment/like stuff just like in Facebook. And it would be like they are doing peer reviewing for fun. The rewards would be outstanding I would imagine. These people are so into Facebook and Facebook games that productivity would rise due to them trying to compete and earn points and achievements. Would this be taking advantage of the people by 'tricking them into working harder by giving them a game' or would it be viewed as something that would improve happiness at work?

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  • What would you do if you just had this code dumped in your lap?

    - by chickeninabiscuit
    Man, I just had this project given to me - expand on this they say. This is an example of ONE function: <?php //500+ lines of pure wonder. function page_content_vc($content) { global $_DBH, $_TPL, $_SET; $_SET['ignoreTimezone'] = true; lu_CheckUpdateLogin(); if($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['switch'] == 'unmanned' || $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['switch'] == 'touchscreen') { if($content['page_name'] != 'vc') { header('Location: /vc/'); die(); } } if($_GET['l']) { unset($_SESSION['dash']['VC']); if($loc_id = lu_GetFieldValue('ID', 'Location', $_GET['l'])) { if(lu_CheckPermissions('vc', $loc_id)) { $timezone = lu_GetFieldValue('Time Zone', 'Location', $loc_id, 'ID'); if(strlen($timezone) > 0) { $_SESSION['time_zone'] = $timezone; } $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'] = $loc_id; header('Location: /vc/'); die(); } } } if($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']) { $timezone = lu_GetFieldValue('Time Zone', 'Location', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'], 'ID'); if(strlen($timezone) > 0) { $_SESSION['time_zone'] = $timezone; } $loc_id = $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']; $org_id = lu_GetFieldValue('record_ID', 'Location', $loc_id); $_TPL->assign('loc_id', $loc_id); $location_name = lu_GetFieldValue('Location Name', 'Location', $loc_id); $_TPL->assign('LocationName', $location_name); $customer_name = lu_GetFieldValue('Customer Name', 'Organisation', $org_id); $_TPL->assign('CustomerName', $customer_name); $enable_visitor_snap = lu_GetFieldValue('VisitorSnap', 'Location', $loc_id); $_TPL->assign('EnableVisitorSnap', $enable_visitor_snap); $lacps = explode("\n", lu_GetFieldValue('Location Access Control Point', 'Location', $loc_id)); array_walk($lacps, 'trim_value'); if(count($lacps) > 0) { if(count($lacps) == 1) { $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['lacp'] = $lacps[0]; } else { if($_GET['changeLACP'] && in_array($_GET['changeLACP'], $lacps)) { $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['lacp'] = $_GET['changeLACP']; header('Location: /vc/'); die(); } else if(!in_array($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['lacp'], $lacps)) { $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['lacp'] = $lacps[0]; } $_TPL->assign('LACP_array', $lacps); } $_TPL->assign('current_LACP', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['lacp']); $_TPL->assign('showContractorSearch', true); /* if($contractorStaff = lu_GetTableRow('ContractorStaff', $org_id, 'record_ID', 'record_Inactive != "checked"')) { foreach($contractorStaff['rows'] as $contractor) { $lacp_rights = lu_OrganiseCustomDataFunctionMultiselect($contractor[lu_GetFieldName('Location Access Rights', 'ContractorStaff')]); if(in_array($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['lacp'], $lacp_rights)) { $_TPL->assign('showContractorSearch', true); } } } */ } $selectedOptions = explode(',', lu_GetFieldValue('Included Fields', 'Location', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'])); $newOptions = array(); foreach($selectedOptions as $selOption) { $so_array = explode('|', $selOption, 2); if(count($so_array) > 1) { $newOptions[$so_array[0]] = $so_array[1]; } else { $newOptions[$so_array[0]] = "Both"; } } if($newOptions[lu_GetFieldName('Expected Length of Visit', 'Visitor')]) { $alert = false; if($visitors = lu_OrganiseVisitors( lu_GetTableRow('Visitor', 'checked', lu_GetFieldName('Checked In', 'Visitor'), lu_GetFieldName('Location for Visit', 'Visitor').'="'.$_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'].'" AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Checked Out', 'Visitor').' != "checked"'), false, true, true)) { foreach($visitors['rows'] as $key => $visitor) { if($visitor['expected'] && $visitor['expected'] + (60*30) < time()) { $alert = true; } } } if($alert == true) { $_TPL->assign('showAlert', 'red'); } else { //$_TPL->assign('showAlert', 'green'); } } $_TPL->assign('switch', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['switch']); if($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['switch'] == 'touchscreen') { $_TPL->assign('VC_unmanned', true); } if($_GET['check'] == 'in') { if($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['switch'] == 'touchscreen') { lu_CheckInTouchScreen(); } else { lu_CheckIn(); } } else if($_GET['check'] == 'out') { if($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['switch'] == 'touchscreen') { lu_CheckOutTouchScreen(); } else { lu_CheckOut(); } } else if($_GET['switch'] == 'unmanned') { $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['switch'] = 'unmanned'; if($_GET['printing'] == true && (lu_GetFieldValue('Printing', 'Location', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']) != "No" && lu_GetFieldValue('Printing', 'Location', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']) != "")) { $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['printing'] = true; } else { $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['printing'] = false; } header('Location: /vc/'); die(); } else if($_GET['switch'] == 'touchscreen') { $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['switch'] = 'touchscreen'; if($_GET['printing'] == true && (lu_GetFieldValue('Printing', 'Location', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']) != "No" && lu_GetFieldValue('Printing', 'Location', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']) != "")) { $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['printing'] = true; } else { $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['printing'] = false; } header('Location: /vc/'); die(); } else if($_GET['switch'] == 'manned') { if($_POST['password']) { if(md5($_POST['password']) == $_SESSION['dash']['password']) { unset($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['switch']); //setcookie('email', "", time() - 3600); //setcookie('location', "", time() - 3600); header('Location: /vc/'); die(); } else { $_TPL->assign('switchLoginError', 'Incorrect Password'); } } $_TPL->assign('switchLogin', 'true'); } else if($_GET['m'] == 'visitor') { lu_ModifyVisitorVC(); } else if($_GET['m'] == 'enote') { lu_ModifyEnoteVC(); } else if($_GET['m'] == 'medical') { lu_ModifyMedicalVC(); } else if($_GET['print'] == 'label' && $_GET['v']) { lu_PrintLabelVC(); } else { unset($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['checkin']); unset($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['checkout']); $_TPL->assign('icon', 'GroupCheckin'); if($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['switch'] != 'unmanned' && $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['switch'] != 'touchscreen') { $staff_ids = array(); if($staffs = lu_GetTableRow('Staff', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'], 'record_ID')) { foreach($staffs['rows'] as $staff) { $staff_ids[] = $staff['ID']; } } if($_GET['view'] == "tomorrow") { $dateStart = date('Y-m-d', mktime(0, 0, 0, date("m") , date("d")+1, date("Y"))); $dateEnd = date('Y-m-d', mktime(0, 0, 0, date("m") , date("d")+1, date("Y"))); } else if($_GET['view'] == "month") { $dateStart = date('Y-m-d', mktime(0, 0, 0, date("m"), date("d"), date("Y"))); $dateEnd = date('Y-m-d', mktime(0, 0, 0, date("m"), date("d")+30, date("Y"))); } else if($_GET['view'] == "week") { $dateStart = date('Y-m-d', mktime(0, 0, 0, date("m"), date("d"), date("Y"))); $dateEnd = date('Y-m-d', mktime(0, 0, 0, date("m"), date("d")+7, date("Y"))); } else { $dateStart = date('Y-m-d'); $dateEnd = date('Y-m-d'); } if(lu_GetFieldValue('Enable Survey', 'Location', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']) == 'checked' && lu_GetFieldValue('Add Survey', 'Location', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']) == 'checked') { $_TPL->assign('enableSurvey', true); } //lu_GetFieldName('Checked In', 'Visitor') //!= "checked" //date('d/m/Y'), lu_GetFieldName('Date of Visit', 'Visitor') if($visitors = lu_OrganiseVisitors(lu_GetTableRow('Visitor', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'], lu_GetFieldName('Location for Visit', 'Visitor'), lu_GetFieldName('Checked In', 'Visitor').' != "checked" AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Checked Out', 'Visitor').' != "checked" AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Date of Visit', 'Visitor').' >= "'.$dateStart.'" AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Date of Visit', 'Visitor').' <= "'.$dateEnd.'"'))) { foreach($visitors['days'] as $day => $visitors_day) { foreach($visitors_day['rows'] as $key => $visitor) { $visitors['days'][$day]['rows'][$key]['visiting'] = lu_GetTableRow('Staff', $visitor['record_ID'], 'ID'); $visitors['days'][$day]['rows'][$key]['visiting']['notify'] = $_DBH->getRow('SELECT * FROM lu_notification WHERE ent_ID = "'.$visitor['record_ID'].'"'); } } //array_dump($visitors); $_TPL->assign('visitors', $visitors); } if($_GET['conGroup']) { if($_GET['action'] == 'add') { $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['conGroup'][$_GET['conGroup']] = $_GET['conGroup']; } else { unset($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['conGroup'][$_GET['conGroup']]); } } if(count($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['conGroup']) > 0) { if($conGroupResult = lu_GetTableRow('ContractorStaff', '1', '1', ' ID IN ('.implode(',', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['conGroup']).')')) { if($_POST['_submit'] == 'Check-In Group >>') { $form = lu_GetForm('VisitorStandard'); $standarddata = array(); foreach($form['items'] as $key=>$item) { $standarddata[$key] = $_POST[lu_GetFieldName($item['name'], 'Visitor')]; } foreach($conGroupResult['rows'] as $conStaff) { $data = $standarddata; foreach($form['items'] as $key=>$item) { if($key != 'ID' && $key != 'record_ID' && $conStaff[lu_GetFieldName(lu_GetNameField($key, 'Visitor'), 'ContractorStaff')]) { $data[$key] = $conStaff[lu_GetFieldName(lu_GetNameField($key, 'Visitor'), 'ContractorStaff')]; } } $data['record_ID'] = $data[lu_GetFieldName('Visiting', 'Visitor')]; $data[lu_GetFieldName('Date of Visit', 'Visitor')] = date('Y-m-d'); $data[lu_GetFieldName('Time of Visit', 'Visitor')] = date('H:i'); $data[lu_GetFieldName('Checked In', 'Visitor')] = 'checked'; $data[lu_GetFieldName('Location for Visit', 'Visitor')] = $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']; $data[lu_GetFieldName('ConStaff ID', 'Visitor')] = $conStaff['ID']; $data[lu_GetFieldName('From', 'Visitor')] = lu_GetFieldValue('Legal Name', 'Contractor', $conStaff[lu_GetFieldName('Contractor', 'ContractorStaff')]); $id = lu_UpdateData($form, $data); lu_VisitorCheckIn($id); //array_dump($data); //array_dump($id); } unset($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['conGroup']); header('Location: /vc/'); die(); } if(count($conGroupResult['rows'])) { foreach($conGroupResult['rows'] as $key => $cstaff) { $conGroupResult['rows'][$key]['contractor'] = lu_GetTableRow('Contractor', $cstaff[lu_GetFieldName('Contractor', 'ContractorStaff')], 'ID'); } $_TPL->assign('conGroupResult', $conGroupResult); } $conGroupForm = lu_GetForm('VisitorConGroup'); $conGroupForm = lu_OrganiseVisitorForm($conGroupForm, $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'], 'Contractor'); $secure_options_array = lu_GetSecureOptions($org_id); if($secure_options_array[$_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']]) { $conGroupForm['items'][lu_GetFieldName('Secure Area', 'Visitor')]['options']['values'] = $secure_options_array[$_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']]; $conGroupForm['items'][lu_GetFieldName('Secure Area', 'Visitor')]['name'] = 'Secure Area'; } else { unset($conGroupForm['items'][lu_GetFieldName('Secure Area', 'Visitor')]); } if($secure_options_array) { $form['items'][lu_GetFieldName('Secure Area', 'Visitor')]['options']['values'] = $secure_options_array; $form['items'][lu_GetFieldName('Secure Area', 'Visitor')]['name'] = 'Secure Area'; } else { unset($form['items'][lu_GetFieldName('Secure Area', 'Visitor')]); } $_TPL->assign('conGroupForm', $conGroupForm); $_TPL->assign('hideFormCancel', true); } } if($_GET['searchVisitors']) { $_TPL->assign('searchVisitorsQuery', $_GET['searchVisitors']); $where = ''; if($_GET['searchVisitorsIn'] == 'Yes') { $where .= ' AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Checked In', 'Visitor').' = "checked"'; $_TPL->assign('searchVisitorsIn', 'Yes'); } else { $where .= ' AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Checked In', 'Visitor').' != "checked"'; $_TPL->assign('searchVisitorsIn', 'No'); } if($_GET['searchVisitorsOut'] == 'Yes') { $where = ''; $where .= ' AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Checked Out', 'Visitor').' = "checked"'; $_TPL->assign('searchVisitorsOut', 'Yes'); } else { $where .= ' AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Checked Out', 'Visitor').' != "checked"'; $_TPL->assign('searchVisitorsOut', 'No'); } if($searchVisitors = lu_OrganiseVisitors(lu_GetTableRow('Visitor', $_GET['searchVisitors'], '#search#', lu_GetFieldName('Location for Visit', 'Visitor').'="'.$_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'].'"'.$where))) { foreach($searchVisitors['rows'] as $key => $visitor) { $searchVisitors['rows'][$key]['visiting'] = lu_GetTableRow('Staff', $visitor['record_ID'], 'ID'); } $_TPL->assign('searchVisitors', $searchVisitors); } else { $_TPL->assign('searchVisitorsNotFound', true); } } else if($_GET['searchStaff']) { if($_POST['staff_id']) { if(lu_CheckPermissions('staff', $_POST['staff_id'])) { $_DBH->query('UPDATE '.lu_GetTableName('Staff').' SET '.lu_GetFieldName('Current Location', 'Staff').' = "'.$_POST['current_location'].'" WHERE ID="'.$_POST['staff_id'].'"'); } } $locations = lu_GetTableRow('Location', $org_id, 'record_ID'); if(count($locations['rows']) > 1) { $_TPL->assign('staffLocations', $locations); } $loc_ids = array(); foreach($locations['rows'] as $location) { $loc_ids[] = $location['ID']; } // array_dump($locations); // array_dump($_POST); $_TPL->assign('searchStaffQuery', $_GET['searchStaff']); $where = ' AND record_Inactive != "checked"'; if($_GET['searchStaffIn'] == 'Yes' && $_GET['searchStaffOut'] != 'Yes') { $where .= ' AND ('.lu_GetFieldName('Staff Status', 'Staff').' = "" OR '.lu_GetFieldName('Staff Status', 'Staff').' = "On-Site")'. $_TPL->assign('searchStaffIn', 'Yes'); $_TPL->assign('searchStaffOut', 'No'); } else if($_GET['searchStaffOut'] == 'Yes' && $_GET['searchStaffIn'] != 'Yes') { $where .= ' AND ('.lu_GetFieldName('Staff Status', 'Staff').' != "" AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Staff Status', 'Staff').' != "On-Site")'. $_TPL->assign('searchStaffOut', 'Yes'); $_TPL->assign('searchStaffIn', 'No'); } else { $_TPL->assign('searchStaffOut', 'Yes'); $_TPL->assign('searchStaffIn', 'Yes'); } if($searchStaffs = lu_GetTableRow('Staff', $_GET['searchStaff'], '#search#', 'record_ID IN ('.implode(',', $loc_ids).')'.$where, lu_GetFieldName('First Name', 'Staff').','.lu_GetFieldName('Surname', 'Staff'))) { $_TPL->assign('searchStaffs', $searchStaffs); } else { $_TPL->assign('searchStaffNotFound', true); } } else if($_GET['searchContractor']) { $_TPL->assign('searchContractorQuery', $_GET['searchContractor']); //$where = ' AND '.lu_GetTableName('ContractorStaff').'.record_Inactive != "checked"'; $where = ' '; if($_GET['searchContractorIn'] == 'Yes' && $_GET['searchContractorOut'] != 'Yes') { $where .= ' AND ('.lu_GetFieldName('Onsite Status', 'ContractorStaff').' = "Onsite")'; $_TPL->assign('searchContractorIn', 'Yes'); $_TPL->assign('searchContractorOut', 'No'); } else if($_GET['searchContractorOut'] == 'Yes' && $_GET['searchContractorIn'] != 'Yes') { $where .= ' AND ('.lu_GetFieldName('Onsite Status', 'ContractorStaff').' != "Onsite")'. $_TPL->assign('searchContractorOut', 'Yes'); $_TPL->assign('searchContractorIn', 'No'); } else { $_TPL->assign('searchContractorOut', 'Yes'); $_TPL->assign('searchContractorIn', 'Yes'); } $join = 'LEFT JOIN '.lu_GetTableName('Contractor').' ON '.lu_GetTableName('Contractor').'.ID = '.lu_GetTableName('ContractorStaff').'.'.lu_GetFieldName('Contractor', 'ContractorStaff'); $extrasearch = array ( lu_GetTableName('Contractor').'.'.lu_GetFieldName('Legal Name', 'Contractor') ); if($searchContractorResult = lu_GetTableRow('ContractorStaff', $_GET['searchContractor'], '#search#', lu_GetTableName('ContractorStaff').'.record_ID = "'.$org_id.'" '.$where, lu_GetFieldName('First Name', 'ContractorStaff').','.lu_GetFieldName('Surname', 'ContractorStaff'), $join, $extrasearch)) { /* foreach($searchContractorResult['rows'] as $key=>$contractor) { $lacp_rights = lu_OrganiseCustomDataFunctionMultiselect($contractor[lu_GetFieldName('Location Access Rights', 'ContractorStaff')]); if(!in_array($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['lacp'], $lacp_rights)) { unset($searchContractorResult['rows'][$key]); } } */ if(count($searchContractorResult['rows'])) { foreach($searchContractorResult['rows'] as $key => $cstaff) { /* if($cstaff[lu_GetFieldName('Onsite_Status', 'Contractor')] == 'Onsite')) { if($visitor['rows'][0][lu_GetFieldName('ConStaff ID', 'Visitor')]) { $_DBH->query('UPDATE '.lu_GetTableName('ContractorStaff').' SET '.lu_GetFieldName('Onsite Status', 'ContractorStaff').' = "" WHERE ID="'.$visitor['rows'][0][lu_GetFieldName('ConStaff ID', 'Visitor')].'"'); } } */ if($cstaff[lu_GetFieldName('SACN Expiry Date', 'ContractorStaff')] != '0000-00-00') { if(strtotime($cstaff[lu_GetFieldName('SACN Expiry Date', 'ContractorStaff')]) < time()) { $searchContractorResult['rows'][$key]['sacn_expiry'] = true; } else { $searchContractorResult['rows'][$key]['sacn_expiry'] = false; } } else { $searchContractorResult['rows'][$key]['sacn_expiry'] = false; } if($cstaff[lu_GetFieldName('Induction Valid Until', 'ContractorStaff')] != '0000-00-00') { if(strtotime($cstaff[lu_GetFieldName('Induction Valid Until', 'ContractorStaff')]) < time()) { $searchContractorResult['rows'][$key]['induction_expiry'] = true; } else { $searchContractorResult['rows'][$key]['induction_expiry'] = false; } } else { $searchContractorResult['rows'][$key]['induction_expiry'] = false; } $searchContractorResult['rows'][$key]['contractor'] = lu_GetTableRow('Contractor', $cstaff[lu_GetFieldName('Contractor', 'ContractorStaff')], 'ID'); } $_TPL->assign('searchContractorResult', $searchContractorResult); } else { $_TPL->assign('searchContractorNotFound', true); } } else { $_TPL->assign('searchContractorNotFound', true); } } $occupancy = array(); $occupancy['staffNumber'] = $_DBH->getOne('SELECT count(*) FROM '.lu_GetTableName('Staff').' WHERE record_ID = "'.$_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'].'" AND record_Inactive != "checked" AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Ignore Counts', 'Staff').' != "checked"'); $occupancy['staffNumberOnsite']= $_DBH->getOne( 'SELECT count(*) FROM '.lu_GetTableName('Staff').' WHERE ( (record_ID = "'.$_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'].'" AND ('.lu_GetFieldName('Staff Status', 'Staff').' = "" OR '.lu_GetFieldName('Staff Status', 'Staff').' = "On-Site")) OR '.lu_GetFieldName('Current Location', 'Staff').' = "'.$_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'].'") AND record_Inactive != "checked" AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Ignore Counts', 'Staff').' != "checked"'); $occupancy['visitorsOnsite'] = $_DBH->getOne('SELECT count(*) FROM '.lu_GetTableName('Visitor').' WHERE '.lu_GetFieldName('Location for Visit', 'Visitor').' = "'.$_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'].'" AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Checked In', 'Visitor').' = "checked" AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Checked Out', 'Visitor').' != "checked"'); $_TPL->assign('occupancy', $occupancy); if($enotes = lu_GetTableRow('Enote', $org_id, 'record_ID', lu_GetFieldName('Note Emailed', 'Enote').' = "0000-00-00" AND '.lu_GetFieldName('Note Passed On', 'Enote').' != "Yes"')) { $_TPL->assign('EnoteNotice', true); } if($medical = lu_GetTableRow('MedicalRoom', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'], 'record_ID', 'record_Inactive != "Yes"')) { $_TPL->assign('MedicalNotice', true); } if(lu_GetFieldValue('Printing', 'Location', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']) != "No" && lu_GetFieldValue('Printing', 'Location', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']) != "") { $_TPL->assign('UnmannedPrinting', true); } } else { if($_SESSION['dash']['VC']['printing'] == true) { $_TPL->assign('UnmannedPrinting', true); } } // enable if contractor check-in buttons should be enabled if(lu_GetFieldValue('Enable Contractor Check In', 'Location', $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID']) == "checked") { $_TPL->assign('ContractorCheckin', true); } } if($_SESSION['dash']['entity_id'] && $_GET['fixupCon'] == 'true') { $conStaffs = lu_GetTableRow('ContractorStaff', $_SESSION['dash']['ModifyConStaffs']['org_ID'], 'record_ID', '', lu_GetFieldName('First Name', 'ContractorStaff').','.lu_GetFieldName('Surname', 'ContractorStaff')); foreach($conStaffs['rows'] as $key => $cstaff) { if($cstaff[lu_GetFieldName('Site Access Card Number', 'ContractorStaff')] && $cstaff[lu_GetFieldName('Site Access Card Type', 'ContractorStaff')]) { echo $cstaff['ID'].' '; $_DBH->query('UPDATE '.lu_GetTableName('Visitor').' SET '.lu_GetFieldName('Site Access Card Number', 'Visitor').' = "'.$cstaff[lu_GetFieldName('Site Access Card Number', 'ContractorStaff')].'", '.lu_GetFieldName('Site Access Card Type', 'Visitor').' = "'.$cstaff[lu_GetFieldName('Site Access Card Type', 'ContractorStaff')].'" WHERE '.lu_GetFieldName('ConStaff ID', 'Visitor').'="'.$cstaff['ID'].'"'); } } } } else { if($_SESSION['dash']['staffs']) { foreach($_SESSION['dash']['staffs']['rows'] as $staff) { if($staff[lu_GetFieldName('Reception Manager', 'Staff')] == 'checked') { $loc_id = $staff['record_ID']; unset($_SESSION['dash']['VC']); if($loc_id = lu_GetFieldValue('ID', 'Location', $loc_id)) { $_SESSION['dash']['VC']['loc_ID'] = $loc_id; header('Location: /vc/'); die(); } } } } $_TPL->assign('mode', 'public'); } $content['page_content'] = $_TPL->fetch('modules/vc.htm'); return $content; } ?> die();die();die();die();die(); This question will probably be closed - i just need some support from my coding brothers and sisters. *SOB*

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  • Moral fits the story or suggest me a nice moral?

    - by Gobi
    A 25 year old son was sitting beside his old father in a train one day. When the train was about to leave, all the passengers started settling down in their seats. The son was filled with joy and anxiety. He was seated by the window. He put his hand out and felt the breeze and screamed, “ Papa look at all the trees, they are moving behind”. The old father smiled and admired his son’s feelings. Beside the old man, a couple was also travelling and observed this strange behavior. They found something awkward and childish in the behavior of this 25 year old man. All of a sudden, the son shouted again “Papa see! The clouds are moving about; there is a pond down and many cows are drinking it’s water”. It soon started drizzling. Once again, the young man felt exited and said “papa, I can see and feel the rain drops touching my hand”. The couple seeing this and feeling concerned, asked the old man “why don’t you consult a good doctor and treat your son; don’t you find something abnormally different in him ?” The old man replied, “Yes, I have provided the best treatment for my only boy. We are just returning from the hospital. I am happy for today is the day he has received his sense of sight. It’s for the first time my son is seeing and relishing these little wonders which we have been watching and ignoring in our routine life!” The couple had no words to reply and felt sorry for their remarks. Moral of the story: “ “don’t judge a book by its cover”. is this the moral fits the story or provide me some moral for this story :)

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  • La Fondation Mozilla contrainte de payer des impôts alors que l'optimisation fiscale des acteurs commerciaux fait de plus en plus débat

    La Fondation Mozilla contrainte de payer des impôts Alors que l'optimisation fiscale de ses concurrents commerciaux fait de plus en plus débat La morale de l'histoire est assez douteuse. Mais le Business n'est pas histoire de morale, c'est bien connu. D'un côté, la Fondation Mozilla. Organisme à but non lucratif de type associatif, elle a pour but de promouvoir l'ouverture et l'universalité des technologies Web (et mobiles) ainsi que le respect de la vie privée et du choix des utilisateurs. Mozilla vient de se faire « redresser » par le FISC américain et devra payer des taxes sur ses revenus, alors qu'elle les jugeait pour sa part non-imposables, car non commerciaux....

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  • Developer Training – Importance and Significance – Part 1

    - by pinaldave
    Developer Training - Importance and Significance - Part 1 Developer Training – Employee Morals and Ethics – Part 2 Developer Training – Difficult Questions and Alternative Perspective - Part 3 Developer Training – Various Options for Developer Training – Part 4 Developer Training – A Conclusive Summary- Part 5 Can anyone remember their final day of schooling?  This is probably a silly question because – of course you can!  Many people mark this as the most exciting, happiest day of their life.  It marks the end of testing, the end of following rules set by teachers, and the beginning of finally being able to earn money and work in your chosen field. Beginning in Real World However, many former-students will be disappointed to find out that once they become employees, learning is not over.  Many companies are discovering the importance and benefits to training their employees.  You can breathe a sigh of relief, though, because much for this kind of training there are not usually tests! We often think that we go to school for our younger years so that we do all our learning all at once, and then for the rest of our lives we use that knowledge.  But in so many cases, but especially for developers, the opposite is true.  It takes many years of schools to learn the basics of a field, and then our careers are spent learning to become experts. For this, and so many other reasons, training is very important.  Example one: developer training leads to better employees.  A company is only as good as the people it employs, and one way to ensure that you have employed the right candidate is through training.  Training can take a regular “stone” and polish it into a “diamond.”  Employees who have been well-trained will be better at their jobs and produce a better product. Most Expensive Resource Did you know that one of the most expensive operating costs for any company is not buying goods, or advertising, but its employees – especially having to hire new employees.  Bringing in new people, getting them up to speed, and providing them with perks to attract them to a company is a huge cost for companies.  So employee retention – keep the employees you already have, and keeping them happy – is incredibly important from a business aspect.  And research shows that a well-trained employee is a happy employee.  They feel more confident in their job, happier with their position, and more cared-about – and therefore less likely to leave in search of a better job.  Employee training leads to better retention. Good Moral On the subject of keeping employees happy in order to keep them at a company, the complement to that research shows that happier employees are more efficient and overall better at their jobs.  You don’t have to be a scientist to figure out why this is true.  An employee who feel that his company cares about him and his educational future will work harder for the company.  He or she will put in that extra hour during the busy season that makes all the difference in the end.  Good morale is good for the company. If good morale is better for the company, you know that it goes hand-in-hand with something even better – better efficiency.  An employee who is well trained obviously knows more about their job and all the technical aspects.  That means when a problem crops up – and they inevitably do – this employee will be well-equipped to deal with that problem with fewer problems, and no need to go searching for help from higher up.  When employees are well trained, companies run more smoothly. A Better Product Of course, all of these “pros” for employee training are leading up to the one thing that companies truly care about – a better product.  We have shown that employees who have been trained to be competitive in the market are happier at the company, they are more efficient, and their morale is better.  The overall result is that the company’s product – whether it is a database, piece of equipment, or even a physical good – is better.  And a better product will always be more competitive on the market. Reference: Pinal Dave (http://blog.sqlauthority.com) Filed under: Developer Training, PostADay, SQL, SQL Authority, SQL Query, SQL Server, SQL Tips and Tricks, T SQL, Technology

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  • "Microsoft ne défend pas assez les Droits de l'Homme", Google n'apprécie pas que son concurrent rest

    "Microsoft ne défend pas assez les Droits de l'Homme", Google n'apprécie pas que son concurrent reste en Chine La morale businesso-américaine commence à s'intéresser au cas de la Chine. Suite à l'altercation musclée entre Google et le régime en place à Pékin, d'autres entreprises se mettent à considérer l'idée de quitter le pays du riz. La politique chinoise est montrée du doigt dans les discussions mondaines entre les dirigeants des plus grands groupes américains. Fort de son nouveau statut de justicier, Sergey Brin (l'un des co-fondateurs de Google), s'en est pris à Microsoft, accusant la firme de ne pas assez défendre les droits de l'Homme et la liberté d'expression. « J'es...

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  • How to convince management to deal with technical debt?

    - by Desolate Planet
    This is a question that I often ask myself when working with developers. I've worked at four companies so far, and I've noticed a lack of attention to keeping code clean and dealing with technical debt that hinders future progress in a software app. For example, the first company I worked for had written a database from scratch rather than take something like MySQL and that created hell for the team when refacoring or extending the app. I've always tried to be honest and clear with my manager when he discusses projections, but management doesn't seem interested in fixing what's already there and it's horrible to see the impact it has on team morale and in their attitude towards others. What are your thoughts on the best way to tackle this problem? What I've seen is people packing up and leaving and the company becomes a revolving door with developers coming and and out and making the code worse. How do you communicate this to management to get them interested in sorting out technical debt?

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  • How can I convince management to deal with technical debt?

    - by Desolate Planet
    This is a question that I often ask myself when working with developers. I've worked at four companies so far and I've become aware of a lack of attention to keeping code clean and dealing with technical debt that hinders future progress in a software app. For example, the first company I worked for had written a database from scratch rather than use something like MySQL and that created hell for the team when refactoring or extending the application. I've always tried to be honest and clear with my manager when he discusses projections, but management doesn't seem interested in fixing what's already there and it's horrible to see the impact it has on team morale. What are your thoughts on the best way to tackle this problem? What I've seen is people packing up and leaving. The company then becomes a revolving door with developers coming in and out and making the code worse. How do you communicate this to management to get them interested in sorting out technical debt?

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  • Design patterns for effects between actors and technology

    - by changelog
    I'm working on my first game, and taking the opportunity to brush up my C++ (I want to make as much of it as portable as I can.) Whilst working on the technology tree and how it affects actors (spaceships, planets, crew, buildings, etc) I can't find a pattern that decouples these entities enough to feel like a clean approach. Just as an idea, here's the type of effects these actors can have on one another (and techs too) An engineer inside a spaceship boosts its shield A hero in a spaceship in a fleet increases morale A technology improves spaceships' travel distance A building in a planet improves its production The best I can come up with is the Observer pattern, and basically manage it more or less manually (when a crew member enters a spaceship, fire the event; when a new building is built in a planet, fire the event, etc etc.) but it seems to be too tightly coupled to me. I would love to get some ideas about how to approach this better.

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  • Dealing with technical debt

    - by Desolate Planet
    This is a question that I often ask myself when working with developers. I've worked at four companies so far, and I've noticed a lack of attention to keeping code clean and dealing with technical debt that hinders future progress in a software app. For example, the first company I worked for had written a database from scratch rather than take something like MySQL and that created hell for the team when refacoring or extending the app. I've always tried to be honest and clear with my manager when he discusses projections, but management doesn't seem interested in fixing what's already there and it's horrible to see the impact it has on team morale and in their attitude towards others. What are your thoughts on the best way to tackle this problem? What I've seen is people packing up and leaving and the company becomes a revolving door with developers coming and and out and making the code worse. How do you communicate this to management to get them interested in sorting out technical debt?

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  • Les éditeurs allemands s'opposent à la dictature éditoriale d'Apple, qui censure les App de certains

    Mise à jour du 15.03.2010 par Katleen Les éditeurs allemands s'opposent à la dictature éditoriale d'Apple, qui censure les App de certains magazines Après Opera et Mozilla (voir news précédente), ce sont désormais deux gros éditeurs allemands qui montent au créneau contre la ?police morale? d'Apple, comme ils l'appellent. En effet, les applications de deux magazines comptant parmi les plus importants d'Allemagne ont été censurées. Stern et Bild sont deux journaux d'information, un peu orientés people, qui sortent chaque semaine à très fort tirage (plus d'un million d'exemplaire chacun). Du jour au lendemain, et sans aucun avertissement préalable, la firme à la pomme a su...

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  • My boss decided to add a "person to blame" field to every bug report. How can I convince him that it's a bad idea?

    - by MK_Dev
    In one of the latest "WTF" moves, my boss decided that adding a "Person To Blame" field to our bug tracking template will increase accountability (although we already have a way of tying bugs to features/stories). My arguments that this will decrease morale, increase finger-pointing and would not account for missing/misunderstood features reported as bug have gone unheard. What are some other strong arguments against this practice that I can use? Is there any writing on this topic that I can share with the team and the boss? I find this sort of culture unacceptable to work in but want to try and change it before jumping ship. Any input is appreciated.

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  • Have programmers at your work not taken up or been averse to an offer of a second monitor?

    - by Chris Knight
    I'm putting together a business case for the developers in my company to get a second monitor. After my own experiences and research, this seems a no-brainer to me in terms of increasing productivity and morale/happiness. One question which has niggled me is if I should be pushing to get all developers onto a second monitor or let folk opt-in (i.e. they get one if they want one). Thoughts on this are welcome, but my specific question relates to a snippet on this site: But when the IT manager at Thibeault's company asked other employees if they wanted dual monitors last year, few jumped at the offer. Blinded by my own pre-judgement, this surprised me. Has anyone else experienced this? I fully appreciate that some people prefer a single larger monitor, but my general experience of researching the web suggests that most programmers prefer a dual (or more) setup. I'm guessing this should be tempered with the thought that those developers who contribute to such discussions might not be considered your average developer who might not care one way or the other. Anyway, if you have experienced the above have you tried to sell the concept of dual monitors to the masses? If everyone just got 2 monitors regardless if they wanted it or not, were there adverse reactions or negative effects? UPDATE: The developers are on a mixture of 17", 22", or 24" single monitors. The desks should be able to accommodate dual 22" monitors as I am proposing, though this will take some getting used to I imagine.

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  • Jagran Prakashan Increases Staff Productivity by 40%

    - by Michael Snow
    Jagran Prakashan Increases Staff Productivity by 40%, Launches New IT Projects up to 4x Faster, Enables Mobile Service, and Improves Business Agility Oracle Customer: JPL Location:  Uttar Pradesh, India Industry: Media and Entertainment Employees:  10,000 Annual Revenue:  $100 to $500 Million Jagran Prakashan Ltd. (JPL) is one of India's premier media and communications groups with interests spanning print, advertising, event management, and mobile services for weather, cricket scores, and educational activities. It is a major media enterprise, with 300 locations across 15 states. Its impressive stable of print publications includes Dainik Jagran, the world’s most widely read daily newspaper––with a readership of over 55 million––the country’s leading afternoon dailies, and a range of popular local, bilingual, and English language newspapers. JPL was using multiple systems to manage its business processes. Users were resistant to using multiple passwords for various applications, preferring to continue their less efficient, legacy work practices. In addition, there was no single repository for sharing documents across the organization, such as company announcements or project documents. The company relied on e-mail to disseminate up-to-date company information, often missing employees. It was also time-consuming and difficult for managers to track the status of ongoing assignments or projects because collaboration and document sharing was inefficient and ineffective.With diverse businesses and many geographic locations, JPL needed to implement a centralized and user-friendly enterprise portal to improve document sharing and collaboration and increase business agility. The company implemented Oracle WebCenter Portal to create a dynamic, secure, and intuitive self-service enterprise portal to improve the user experience and increase operating efficiency. It improved staff productivity by 40%, accelerated new IT projects by up to 4x, boosted staff morale, and increased business agility.   Increases Staff Productivity by 40%, Launches New Products up to 2x Faster A word from JPL "With Oracle WebCenter Portal, we gained a dynamic, secure, and intuitive self-service enterprise portal that provided an exceptional user experience and enabled us to engage employees in a collaborative environment. It increased IT staff productivity by 40%, delivered new projects up to 4x faster, and enabled mobile service to improve our business agility.” Sarbani Bhatia, Vice President IT, Jagran Prakashahn Ltd Before implementing Oracle WebCenter Portal, JPL stored project-critical information, such as page planning of daily newspaper editions and the launch of new editions or supplements on individual laptops or in the e-mail system. Collaboration between colleagues was limited to physical meetings, telephone discussions, and e-mail. It was difficult to trace and recover important project documents when a staff member resigned, which represented a significant risk to business continuity. Employees were also averse to multiple passwords and resisted using the systems, affecting staff productivity. With Oracle WebCenter Portal, JPL created a dynamic, secure, and intuitive self-service enterprise portal with business activity streams. The portal allowed users to navigate, discover, and access information, such as advertising rates, requisition approvals, ad-hoc queries, and employee surveys from a single entry point with a single password. Managers can also upload important documents, such as new pricing for advertisers or newspaper distributors, and share them through the information and instruction section in the portal. In addition, managers can now easily track and review timelines for projects online rather than gathering information from meetings and e-mails. The company gained the ability to centrally manage information, ensured business continuity, and improved staff productivity by 40%.“In the media industry, news has a very short shelf life, so speed is crucial. Information delayed is like information lost,” said Sarbani Bhatia, vice president IT, Jagran Prakashahn Ltd. “Thanks to Oracle WebCenter Portal’s contextual collaboration tools, we can provide and share feedback for new project launches, such as career or education supplements, up to 2x faster through discussion forums or knowledge groups. Tasks that previously required four months, we now complete in one month.”In addition, the company can broadcast announcements, flash employee birthdays, and promote important events through the message section on the webpage, instead of using the e-mail system. The company can also conduct opinion polls to gauge employee response to organizational issues and improve management decision-making.“With over 10,000 employees across 300 locations, it is critical for management to hear the voice of employees and develop a cohesive organizational culture. Oracle WebCenter Portal enables employees to engage with business processes and systems in a collaborative environment, providing users with an exceptional experience,” Bhatia said. Enables Mobility Access and Increases Business Agility Newspaper advertisements generate the majority of JPL’s revenue. With most sales staff on the move, the company needed to ensure timely approval of print advertisement discounts for specific clients and meet tight publication deadlines.  By integrating Oracle WebCenter Portal seamlessly with its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and other applications, such as the organizational mass mailing system, business intelligence, and management information system, JPL embedded its approval workflow processes into the enterprise portal and provided users with an integrated and intuitive interface. About 30% of JPL’s sales staff members now have tablets and receive advertising discount approval from managers while in the field and no longer need to return to the office, which has significantly improved efficiency and increased business agility.“Application mobility was critical for sales representatives in the field to meet stringent auditing requirements for online accountability, particularly for our newspaper advertising business. Staff member satisfaction has improved significantly now that the sales team can use tablets to access the portal––a capability we will extend to smart phones in the second stage of the implementation,” Bhatia said. Accelerates Application Development by up to 4x and Cuts Costs by up to 60% With Oracle WebCenter Portal, users can easily create, modify, and upload information to their personalized webpages without IT assistance. By seamlessly integrating Oracle WebCenter Portal with the payroll database, managers can decide which members of their team can access the page and with whom they will share information, a decision based on role or geographical location. A sales representative selling advertising space for a local language daily newspaper, for example, can upload an updated advertising rate relevant only to that particular publication. Users can also easily adapt to the new platform, thanks to its intuitive design and look, reducing the need for training and lowering resistance to using the system.Using Oracle WebCenter Portal’s out-of-the-box reusable components, such as portal pages and templates, provided JPL’s developers with a comprehensive and flexible user experience platform and increased the speed of application development. In less than five months, JPL developed more than 55 workflows. The IT team accelerated deployment of new applications by up to 4x, as they do not need to install them on individual machines now that they have a web-based environment.   “Previously, we would have spent a whole day deploying a new application for each department or location. With a browser-based environment, we have cut costs by up to 60% by reducing deployment time to zero, because our IT team can roll out a new application from a single point, thanks to Oracle WebCenter Portal,” Bhatia said. Challenges Provide a dynamic, secure, and intuitive self-service enterprise portal to improve staff productivity and ensure business continuity Enable seamless integration with multiple enterprise applications to improve workflow efficiency—including approval of print advertisement discounts—and increase business agility Improve engagement with employees and enable collaboration to enhance management decision-making Accelerate time-to-market for new services, such as new advertising programs Solutions Oracle Product and ServicesOracle WebCenter Portal 11g Increased staff productivity by 40% and enhanced user satisfaction by enabling employees to easily navigate, discover, and access information from a single, self-service enterprise portal without IT assistance Launched new products, such as career or education supplements, up to 2x faster by enabling peer collaboration and incorporating feedback generated through discussion forums, thanks to Oracle WebCenter Portal’s out-of-the-box collaboration tools Accelerated application development up to 4x by enabling developers to optimize reusable components for managing and deploying new applications in a browser-based environment rather than spending one day to install applications for each department, cutting costs by up to 60% Ensured business continuity by enabling managers to easily track and review project timelines online rather than storing important documents on individual laptops or relying on the e-mail system Increased business agility and operational efficiency by seamlessly integrating with the in-house, ERP system and embedding business processes into a single portal Boosted company revenue by enabling sales team members to submit print-advertising discount requests through mobile devices instead of waiting to return to office, ensuring timely approval from managers to meet tight publication deadlines Improved management decision-making by enabling employees to easily share and access feedback through opinion polls or forums, boosting staff morale Introduced the single sign-on capability and enhanced security by enabling managers to decide access level for staff members based on role or geographical location Reduced the need for staff training and minimized user resistance to systems by providing a dynamic and intuitive user experience Why Oracle JPL did not consider other products because the company was already using Oracle Database, Enterprise Edition with Real Application Clusters and had a positive experience with Oracle. JPL chose Oracle WebCenter Portal to ensure no compatibility issues for integration with its existing Oracle products and to take advantage of the experience and support of a reputable vendor to ensure business continuity. “We chose Oracle because we knew we could rely on its support and experience. In addition, Oracle WebCenter Portal’s speed, agility, and mobile access features were a perfect fit for our business requirements,” Bhatia said. Implementation Process JPL launched the enterprise portal to 500 users in the first phase of the project, and plans to extend this to 2,000 users when the portal is fully launched. Oracle partner PricewaterhouseCoopers used Oracle Application Development Framework for the intial set-up, user training and to develop and design sample workflows. JPL’s internal IT staff then took charge of the implementation, bringing it to completion on budget. Partner Oracle PartnerPricewaterhouseCoopers (India)

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  • How or why would this mechanic (not) work to bring game balance to a singleplayer RPG? [closed]

    - by 0xFFF1
    Mechanic details The player, the monsters, and the merchants act as three separate parties. The player needs to beat up monsters for exp points and resources to sell and to buy potions from merchants to continue to fight. The monsters need healing and reviving to survive (also bought from merchants) and the merchants need potion ingredients from the player and the monsters to make potions to sell. These potions are only able to be processed in such bulk by merchants thus their potions would be cheaper than making them yourself. Only the monsters can farm ingredients in bulk. Only the player is or has to be overly aggressive (in bulk). Monsters can farm and produce "Level up candies" that do the work of exp. they are eaten right away after they are made and are never stockpiled or held for fear of the player and merchants who want to sell to the player. The monsters will defend themselves. Reviving is very expensive. The merchants can be found either with a concerned expression or a grinning expression based on how much profit they are making compared to their morale standing. The economies of each monster town and merchant city are distinct but interconnected. Magic Swords are worth a lot. So what I need to know is what concerns would there be to design a game around this mechanic and/or design this mechanic around a developing game. which would fare better? Is game balance an issue here? (how strong the monsters get or how quickly they die off based on the player's input into the system), Or is game balance solely in the hands of the player? (he decides if he overkills monsters or get underleveled.) What do I need to think about to make sure it isn't too easy or too hard to swing the amount/strength of monsters compared to the player and the amount of profit the merchants get vs the player. Would indicating how out of whack things are getting in game help with this?

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  • One-week release cycle: how do I make this feasible?

    - by Arkaaito
    At my company (3-yr-old web industry startup), we have frequent problems with the product team saying "aaaah this is a crisis patch it now!" (doesn't everybody?) This has an impact on the productivity (and morale) of engineering staff, self included. Management has spent some time thinking about how to reduce the frequency of these same-day requests and has come up with the solution that we are going to have a release every week. (Previously we'd been doing one every two weeks, which usually slipped by a couple of days or so.) There are 13 developers and 6 local / 9 offshore testers; the theory is that only 4 developers (and all testers) will work on even-numbered releases, unless a piece of work comes up that really requires some specific expertise from one of the other devs. Each cycle will contain two days of dev work and two days of QA work (plus 1 day of scoping / triage / ...). My questions are: (a) Does anyone have experience with this length of release cycle? (b) Has anyone heard of this length of release cycle even being attempted? (c) If (a) or (b), how on Earth do you make it work? (Any pitfalls to avoid, etc., are also appreciated.) (d) How can we minimize the damage if this effort fails?

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  • Failed Project: When to call it?

    - by Dan Ray
    A few months ago my company found itself with its hands around a white-hot emergency of a project, and my entire team of six pulled basically a five week "crunch week". In the 48 hours before go-live, I worked 41 of them, two back to back all-nighters. Deep in the middle of that, I posted what has been my most successful question to date. During all that time there was never any talk of "failure". It was always "get it done, regardless of the pain." Now that the thing is over and we as an organization have had some time to sit back and take stock of what we learned, one question has occurred to me. I can't say I've ever taken part in a project that I'd say had "failed". Plenty that were late or over budget, some disastrously so, but I've always ended up delivering SOMETHING. Yet I hear about "failed IT projects" all the time. I'm wondering about people's experience with that. What were the parameters that defined "failure"? What was the context? In our case, we are a software shop with external clients. Does a project that's internal to a large corporation have more space to "fail"? When do you make that call? What happens when you do? I'm not at all convinced that doing what we did is a smart business move. It wasn't my call (I'm just a code monkey) but I'm wondering if it might have been better to cut our losses, say we're not delivering, and move on. I don't just say that due to the sting of the long hours--the company royally lost its shirt on the project, plus the intangible costs to the company in terms of employee morale and loyalty were large. Factor that against the PR hit of failing to deliver a high profile project like this one was... and I don't know what the right answer is.

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  • Is it wise for a programmer to move into management?

    - by Desolate Planet
    Many times, a developer has suggested that I become a team leader because I'm motivated, but during my career in the IT industry, I've seen so many people who are great at programming, move into management and they are miserable. I've also seen many managers return to programming stating "I'm a technical person, I like technical problems". If this is such a common thing, why do developers feel compelled to leave the technical domain and move into management? Sure you'll have more money and more control, but if you don't enjoy your work and take your problems out on your tream. Secondly, I've been asked in developer interviews, "Would you consider leading a team?" and I'm always tempted to cite the Peter Principle based on what I've seen. I am interested in furthering myself, but not in the way the company may want i.e "Vice President of department blah". To be honest, I've seen this more often in the corporate world than in small development houses and it's always put me off ever going back to a corporate environment. I just feel that this is becoming more and more the norm and it's impacting team morale and degrading the quality of the work. Question: Based on what I've said, Is it a smart move for a technical person to move into management?

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  • How do I dissuade users from using the same password with similar systems?

    - by Resorath
    I'm building a web application that connects to other web services (using strictly anonymous binding, so no user passwords are being used). However the web application maintains its own users itself, and is required to ask certain details such as e-mail addresses and public linking information to these other web services (for example, a username but not a password). I want to deter or prevent users from reusing passwords in my application that they have also used in the applications I'm linking to. For example, if I ask for their e-mail and provide me with their gmail address, I don't want them using their gmail password for my system. Another example would be reusing a password to a linked system in which they also gave me their username. One idea I had was to simply try using the information they gave me, along with the password they are trying to store and log in to these external web applications to test the password - then immediately unbind if I was successful and ask the user to use a different password. However I suspect there is a host of morale and legal issues there. The reason this is a big deal to me is accountability. My application is simply not funded enough to invest properly in security around user passwords. A salted, hashed password in a public SQL-like database is as secure as it gets. So if passwords and linked usernames or e-mails get out, I don't want my userbase compromised.

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  • Leadership Tip&ndash;Vent Up!

    - by D'Arcy Lussier
    Leadership is difficult, for many reasons. One of those reasons is that we not only need to keep ourselves motivated when difficult or challenging times come, but we also need to motivate our teams and keep them focussed on the tasks at hand regardless of the mortars being rained down around them. Inexperienced (and experienced) leaders can fall into the “me-too” mentality – that is, the leader sees themselves as part of the team member instead of the leader of the team. Once a leader changes the teams view that he/she is a peer and not the leader, dynamics can change on the team. One of the biggest dangers is that the leader starts sharing frustrations, fears, concerns, etc. with the team that they’re supposed to be leading on to victory. This can destroy a team’s morale and productivity. One simple thing you can do to counter this is remember this rule when it comes to venting: Vent Up! Don’t vent sideways or down, vent up. Vent to the people above you – they’re the ones that tend to have the power to actually change things anyway. You as a leader stay healthy by getting your frustrations and concerns off your chest, your team is still insulated from it, and your superiors are aware of issues that need to be addressed or can coach you through the obstacles. D

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