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• How does a one-man developer do its games' sounds?

  - by Gustavo Maciel

  Before anything, that's not a "oh, where can I find resources?" question. Well, I've been curious about one thing in the indie games industry. For the development of the game, such tasks like game design, art, sketches, code programming and etc can be easily done by just one person. You can just take up a paper and pencil and you're a game designer. You can just take software like Photoshop or Paint and you're an artist, a scanner and you're a sketcher, a compiler and you're a programmer. For sound it's different. You may tell me: Well, follow the line, take a lot of instruments and record it. But all we know that things don't work this way. I can list up some changes for us: External noises are a big problem, sound effects can't be made with instruments, it can't sound like a recorded and clipped sound. Well I can imagine how they do this in large companies, with such big studios and etc. But to summarise, my question is: What's the best way for a one-man indie to do all its sound? Does he have to synthesize everything? Record and buy some crazy program for editing sounds?

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• Open source license with backlink requirement

  - by KajMagnus

  I'm developing a Javascript library, and I'm thinking about releasing it under an open source license (e.g. GPL, BSD, MIT) — but that requires that websites that use the software link back to my website. Do you know about any such licenses? And how have they formulated the attribution part of the license text? Do you think this BSD-license would do what you think that I want? (I suppose it doesn't :-)) [...] 3. Each website that redistributes this work must include a visible rel=follow link to my-website.example.com, reachable via rel=follow links from each page where the software is being redistributed. (For example, you could have a link back to your homepage, and from your homepage to an About-Us section, which could link to a Credits section) I realize that some companies wouldn't want to use the library because of legal issues with interpreting non-standard licenses (have a look at this answer: http://programmers.stackexchange.com/a/156859/54906). — After half a year, or perhaps some years, I'd change the license to plain GPL + MIT.

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• Non-Profit Technololgy for Non-Profits?

  - by TomJ

  I've been looking around for a way to give back to the community, but I haven't found my right fit yet, so an idea came to mind: A non-profit technology "company" that targets non-profits. Do these exist? I've been doing some google searches and can only find software that is targeted for non-profits that is created by for-profit companies or that charges what I believe to be an outrages amount, conferences directed towards non-profits and technology they may use -- or articles complaining about the digital divide and how non-profits view technology as key but dont have the funds or the knowledge to employ it. Pseudo "Business Model" An open source 501(3)(c) organization that targets directly targets non-profits to fill the "digital divide." Most services would be free and consulting fees would be charged for customization. Donations would be accepted and government grants would be sought after. This would enable non-profits to keep pace with the for-profits in the technology sector, but at little to no cost. Perhaps the first "industry" to be targeted would be those that fill key social needs like unemployment, or food banks.

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• Self Service Reporting With PowerPivot

  - by blakmk

  There are so many cool new features in Sql 2008 release 2 it was difficult for me to pick a topic for T-SQL Tuesday . But the one that I am now a secret fan of, I once resented for its creation. Let me explain, for years I have encountered reporting systems cobbled together in tools like Access and Excel built by "database hobbyists" who had no formal training in database design or best practices. They would take their monstrosities as far as they could go before ultimatley it stopped working or the person that wrote it left the company. At that point it would become the resident DBA's problem to support it as a Live application. So when I first heard of Power Pivot, a sense of Deja Vu overtook me and I felt like the guy in the Ausin Powers movie , knowing the inevitable is coming but somehow unsure how to get out of the way. But when I eventually saw it in action, I quickly realised that it is a very powerful tool. It has a much smaller "time to market" than traditional BI architectures. Combined with the new features of Excel, some pretty impressive dashboards can be produced.Of course PowerPivot is not a magic bullet and along with potential scalability issues there are the usual issues such as master data management and data quality that cannot be overcome easily with power pivot. As a tool though, it has potential. Traditional BI is expensive, both in terms of time and the amount of resources it takes to deliver the system. The time lag between an analyst or a commercial accountant requesting reports and the report being delivered can make a huge commercial difference. I have observed companies where empowered end users become extremely productive when allowed to plough in to various disperate datasets. It may not be the correct way or the most sustainable but its cheap and quick. In these times when budgets are being slashed and we are forced to deliver more with less, why not empower the end user in a tool that is designed for exactly this task.... @blakmk  

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• Creating country specific twitter/facebook accounts

  - by user359650

  I see many companies that have an international presence trying to localize their social media presence by creating country or language specific accounts. However some seemed to have done so without following a consistent pattern, one example being the World Wildlife Fund when you look at their Twitter accounts: World_Wildlife : verified account with 200K followers WWF : main account with 800K followers www_uk : lower case with underscore between WWF and country indicator WWFCanada : upper case with country indicator attached to WWF ... I am planning to build a website which hopefully will grow global and would like to avoid this sort of inconsistencies. Also, I was comparing what Twitter and Facebook allow in their username and found out that they don't allow the same characters to be used (e.g. for instance that the former doesn't allow . whereas the latter does) making difficult to ensure consistency across social networks. Hence my questions: Are there known naming schemes for creating localized Twitter and Facebook accounts while maintaining a certain consistency between them (best effort)? Are there any researches out there that have proven whether some schemes were better than others in terms of readability and/or SEO?

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• Can you say "Architect?"

  - by Bob Rhubart

  Photo by Jennifer Ortiz In his article, It's Time To Occupy IT, AIIM CEO and president John Mancini examines the evolution of "Systems of Engagement," the social technologies that are transforming how customers and employees relate to and interact with companies. Surviving the disruption that transformation entails is a matter of when, rather than if, a given organization embraces the change. But as Mancini points out, that transformation will require a "new breed" of IT professional: "While addressing this kind of challenge requires technical skills, it also requires process and customer acumen more often found in the business than in our IT departments. It requires a new type of information professional, whose expertise includes technical and domain knowledge, but who also has an idea of how the pieces of a process that spans the worlds of Systems of Record and Systems of Engagement should fit together. Gartner estimates that the demand for this new breed of information professional will grow by 50 percent by 2015." Though Mancini makes no reference to the title, the skills he desribes are those of the IT architect. While the specific definition of the role remains fodder for seemingly endless discussion and debate on various social networks and forums, the fact remains that the skills required for success in the evolving world of IT will increasingly involve a deep understanding of how all the pieces fit together.

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• Energy Firms Targetted for Sensitive Documents

  - by martin.abrahams

  Numerous multinational energy companies have been targeted by hackers who have been focusing on financial documents related to oil and gas field exploration, bidding contracts, and drilling rights, as well as proprietary industrial process documents, according to a new McAfee report. "It ... speaks to quite a sad state of our critical infrastructure security. These were not sophisticated attacks ... yet they were very successful in achieving their goals," said Dmitri Alperovitch, McAfee's vice president for threat research. Apparently, the attacks can be traced back over several years, creating a sustained security compromise that has provided access to highly sensitive information that is of huge financial value to competitors. The value of IRM as an additional layer of protection is clear. Whether your infrastructure security is in a sad state or is state of the art, breaches are always a possibility - and in any case, a lot of sensitive information is shared with third parties whose infrastructure security might not be as good as yours. IRM protects the individual information assets directly so that, even if infrastructure security is compromised, your critical information is enrypted and trackable and only accessible to authenticated, authorised, audited users. The full McAfee report is available here.

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• How do I pick which agency to go through?

  - by RoboShop

  I work in a town where the majority of work comes from the government. As a contractor, I generally have to apply for work through agencies which are on the government's preferred vendor's list. Most jobs are publicly listed and to apply for them, you generally need an agency to represent you by submitting your application with a rate which is usually your rate plus their commission. I've been trying to figure out what the agencies do, and it seems a large part of what they do is 1) get on that preferred vendor's list and 2) forward resumes. So right now, my policy is that since their commission affects how expensive I am, one - I don't work with companies that do not disclose their margin. And two, I go for the agency that takes the least amount of commission for the job I want to apply for. IS that the best approach? I would think applying for a job with the most competitive rate is the best approach but I also wonder whether which agency you're applying through actually matter? I know some agencies actually build personal relationships with senior managers but how do I know which one? How do I know that actually affect my job prospects? What criteria should I use to decide which agent I go through for the job?

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• How best to keep bumbling, non-technical managers at bay and still deliver good work?

  - by Curious

  This question may be considered subjective (I got a warning) and be closed, but I will risk it, as I need some good advice/experience on this. I read the following at the 'About' page of Fog Creek Software, the company that Joel Spolsky founded and is CEO of: Back in the year 2000, the founders of Fog Creek, Joel Spolsky and Michael Pryor, were having trouble finding a place to work where programmers had decent working conditions and got an opportunity to do great work, without bumbling, non-technical managers getting in the way. Every high tech company claimed they wanted great programmers, but they wouldn’t put their money where their mouth was. It started with the physical environment (with dozens of cubicles jammed into a noisy, dark room, where the salespeople shouting on the phone make it impossible for developers to concentrate). But it went much deeper than that. Managers, terrified of change, treated any new idea as a bizarre virus to be quarantined. Napoleon-complex junior managers insisted that things be done exactly their way or you’re fired. Corporate Furniture Police writhed in agony when anyone taped up a movie poster in their cubicle. Disorganization was so rampant that even if the ideas were good, it would have been impossible to make a product out of them. Inexperienced managers practiced hit-and-run management, issuing stern orders on exactly how to do things without sticking around to see the farcical results of their fiats. And worst of all, the MBA-types in charge thought that coding was a support function, basically a fancy form of typing. A blunt truth about most of today's big software companies! Unfortunately not every developer is as gutsy (or lucky, may I say?) as Joel Spolsky! So my question is: How best to work with such managers, keep them at bay and still deliver great work?

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• Need help to make a decision in career switch over? [closed]

  - by Fero

  I am a Software Engineer having 4 Years of experinece in web development using PHP, Drupal, MySql, Ajax and client site technologies like javascript, jquery,html and more. I have decided two platforms to switch over my career. SAP-ABAP (Because ABAP is related to coding) SALES FORCE One and only reason is that I am not getting good pack for the technologies what I am working with. Even top level companies are not ready to pay for this technologies. (And I am not expecting more.) To be honest I am good at technical and HR interviews too. So, I started to make an analysis of highly payable platforms and I got these two. SAP and Salesforce (Probabilty of On-site opportunity is also very high on both) Here my questions are: I am totally new to the above mentioned technologies. Which will be best suit for me ? Having basic ideas of the platforms what I have decided - But I am confused to choose I am having Good Coding experiencein PHP, Drupal as well as good experience in MySql. Having very good experience in creating sites related to E-Commerce, LMS, Q&A sites, Travel Sites, Blogs, Social networking site and more. Which I can learn easily or for which I can get good documentations online Kindly understand that I am not creating a debate over here. I hope Professionals over here can Show me the correct path.... I am waiting to travel on that...

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• Is there any research out there on geographic differences in work environments (e.g., respect) for programmers?

  - by Ethel Evans

  One thing I've learned from this website is that software developers are not treated the same as what I've seen in the companies I've worked at, and some of the differences seem to be related to the culture or other factors of the geographical location where the programmer works. In some areas, it seems like programmers can expect many perks and a great deal of professional respect, but in others it sounds like programmers are seen as laborers who are told what to do and then should go do it without question. Even in just the USA, there seem to be major differences in "the norm" between the various regions of this country. I'm wondering how much of this is just my perception, and how much is real differences about how programmers are perceived in their different locations. Is there any research out there discussing major differences in programmer work environments or attitudes about how to treat or respect programmers by geography? I'd be interested in multiple articles tackling different ways of looking at this. Edit: Research, specifically, doesn't seem to be available, so I'm making the question broader. Any good, thoughtful writing on the topic of any kind available?

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• Ill be Speaking at ILTAs SharePoint for Legal Symposium on June 16th 2010

  Ill be speaking at the International Legal Technology Associations SharePoint for Legal Symposium on June 16th 2010 at Microsofts offices in Downers Grove, IL.  My talk will be about Building Public-Facing Websites with SharePoint 2010.  SharePoint has quickly become a popular platform for companies to build their public-facing websites on.  Ill go over the new features in SharePoint 2010 specific to web content management, and also discuss some best practices and lessons learned from our experience building internet sites with SharePoint. The SharePoint for Legal Symposium is a two-day event with talks covering a variety of other topics such as: Enterprise Search Using SharePoint 2010 and FAST SharePoint as a Document Management System Content Classification in SharePoint 2010: Taxonomies, Folksonomies and More Im very interested in hearing from firms who have been testing SharePoint 2010 prior to RTM, particularly how they are taking advantage of the new features in SharePoint 2010, e.g. Managed Metadata. Ive made my presentation available in advance, check it out on SlideShare: ILTA Presentation - Building Public-Facing Websites with SharePoint 2010 View more presentations from gdurzi. Did you know that DotNetSlackers also publishes .net articles written by top known .net Authors? We already have over 80 articles in several categories including Silverlight. Take a look: here.

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• Top Ten Reasons to Attend the 2015 Oracle Value Chain Summit

  - by Terri Hiskey

  Need justification to attend the 2015 Oracle Value Chain Summit? Check out these Top Ten Reasons you should register now for this event: 1. Get Results: 60% higher profits. 65% better earnings per share. 2-3x greater return on assets. Find out how leading organizations achieved these results when they transformed their supply chains. 2. Hear from the Experts: Listen to case studies from leading companies, and speak with top partners who have championed change. 3. Design Your Own Conference: Choose from more than 150 sessions offering deep dives on every aspect of supply chain management: Cross Value Chain, Maintenance, Manufacturing, Procurement, Product Value Chain, Value Chain Execution, and Value Chain Planning. 4. Get Inspired from Those Who Dare: Among the luminaries delivering keynote sessions are former SF 49ers quarterback Steve Young and Andrew Winston, co-author of one of the top-selling green business books, Green to Gold. 5. Expand Your Network: With 1500+ attendees, this summit is a networking bonanza. No other event gathers as many of the best and brightest professionals across industries, including tech experts and customers from the Oracle community. 6. Improve Your Skills: Enhance your expertise by joining NEW hands-on training sessions. 7. Perform a Road-Test: Try the latest IT solutions that generate operational excellence, manage risk, streamline production, improve the customer experience, and impact the bottom line. 8. Join Similar Birds-of-a-Feather: Engage industry peers with similar interests, or shared supply chain communities, in expanded roundtable discussions. 9. Gain Unique Insight: Speak directly with the product experts responsible for Oracle’s Value Chain Solutions. 10. Save $400: Take advantage of the Super Saver rate by registering before September 26, 2014.

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• How to pick a great working team?

  - by Javierfdr

  I've just finished my master and I'm starting to dig into the laboral world, i.e. learning how programming teams and technology companies work in the real world. I'm starting to design the idea of my own service or product based on free software, and I will require a well coupled, enthusiast and fluid team to build and the idea. My problem is that I'm not sure which would be the best skills to ask for a programming team of 4-5 members. I have many friends and acquaintances, with whom I've worked during my studies. Must of those ones I have in mind are very capable and smart people, with a good logic and programming base, although some of them have some characteristics that I believe that could influtiate negatively in the group: lack of communication, fear to debate ideas, hard to give when debating, lack of structured programming (testing, good commenting, previous design and analysis). Some of them have this negative characteristics, but must of them have a lot of enthusiasm, nice working skills (from an individual point of view), and ability to see the whole picture. The question is: how to pick the best team for a large scale project, with a lot of programming? Which of these negative skills do you think are just too influential? Which can be softened with good leadership? Wich good skills are to be expected? And any other opinion about social and programming skills of a programming team.

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• Missing Package: header, Problem with MergeList, The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened

  - by Inbar Rose

  THIS IS NOT A DUPLICATE OF SIMILAR QUESTIONS (like this) I just had to write that first, there are tons of questions similar to this, all of them have the same redirect to an answer that does not solve my problem, because I don't have the same problem, just the same symptom. I write tests for my companies application. One of these tests tries to upgrade the application from a previous version to a new version to make sure nothing breaks. When I am installing an old version of the application, some weird stuff starts to happen. Sometimes everything goes Okay, and nothing is wrong, other times when trying to install I get this message (company app name censored): E: Encountered a section with no Package: header E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/XXX-amd64_Packages E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened. Using the solutions provided in the questions similar to this one (like this). Do not help, and the problem keeps repeating itself once it happens the first time. This has led me to believe something is wrong on the apt server where the package is being created, but searching these errors yields no information on anything beyond the "fix" suggested in the question I linked, the only other source of information I could find also did not help (here): So I am asking for information; What is the actual problem? What causes the problem? What can fix the problem? I hope this question is in good format, if there is a problem, or missing information I can move to chat.

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• Preventing possible burnout in a junior dev, or perhaps I'm not doing enough?

  - by m.edmondson

  I'm a software developer with 5 years experience over 3 companies. Within the last year a junior (brand new to the industry) has started at my current employer. I believe he is an excellent developer, who always delivers and is skilled as solving complex problems. However I'm slightly concerned that he is possibly applying himself too much for the following reasons: He begins work approximately 2 hours before most (and is expected) In his free time he has developed an application that was clearly months worth of work that is specific to our employer I and the team are completely greatful for all he is doing, and is clearly an asset to our team. However I'm worried that this is not sustainable. I can almost see that he has the same enthusiasm that I had when I began coding for work, however over the years I've realised that extra curricular work not only doesn't progress your career, but eats into your all important free time. The question I'm asking is: Should I advise him to take things a bit more slowly? Or perhaps I need to learn from him and do more for my employer out of hours?

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• What is the best way to track / record the current programming project you work on? [duplicate]

  - by user2424160

  This question already has an answer here: Methodology for Documenting Existing Code Base 6 answers When do you start documenting the code? 13 answers Where should a programmer explain the extended logic behind the code? 5 answers I have been in this problem for long time and I want to know how it's done in real / big companies project? Suppose I have the project to build a website. Now I divide the project into sub tasks and do it. But you know that suppose I have task1 in hand like export the page to pdf. Now I spend 3 days to do that , came across various problems, many Stack Overflow questions and in the end I solve it. Now 4 months after someone told me that there is some error in the code. Now by that I completely forgot about (60%) of how I did it and why I do this way. I document the code but I can't write the whole story of that in the code. Then I have to spend much time on code to find what was the problem so that I added this line etc. I want to know that is there any way that i can log steps in completing the project. So that I can see how I end up with code, what errors I got, what questions I asked on SO and etc. How people do it in real time? Which software to use? I know in our project management software called JIRA we have tasks but that does not cover what steps I took to solve that tasks. What is the best way so that when I look back at my 2 year old project, I know how I solve particular task?

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• Run database checks but omit large tables or filegroups - New option in Ola Hallengren's Scripts

  - by Greg Low

  One of the things I've always wanted in DBCC CHECKDB is the option to omit particular tables from the check. The situation that I often see is that companies with large databases often have only one or two very large tables. They want to run a DBCC CHECKDB on the database to check everything except those couple of tables due to time constraints. I posted a request on the Connect site about time some time ago: https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/611164/dbcc-checkdb-omit-tables-option The workaround from the product team was that you could script out the checks that you did want to carry out, rather than omitting the ones that you didn't. I didn't overly like this as a workaround as clients often had a very large number of objects that they did want to check and only one or two that they didn't. I've always been impressed with the work that our buddy Ola Hallengren has done on his maintenance scripts. He pinged me recently about my old Connect item and said he was going to implement something similar. The good news is that it's available now. Here are some examples he provided of the newly-supported syntax: EXECUTE dbo.DatabaseIntegrityCheck @Databases = 'AdventureWorks', @CheckCommands = 'CHECKDB' EXECUTE dbo.DatabaseIntegrityCheck @Databases = 'AdventureWorks', @CheckCommands = 'CHECKALLOC,CHECKTABLE,CHECKCATALOG', @Objects = 'AdventureWorks.Person.Address' EXECUTE dbo.DatabaseIntegrityCheck @Databases = 'AdventureWorks', @CheckCommands = 'CHECKALLOC,CHECKTABLE,CHECKCATALOG', @Objects = 'ALL_OBJECTS,-AdventureWorks.Person.Address' EXECUTE dbo.DatabaseIntegrityCheck @Databases = 'AdventureWorks', @CheckCommands = 'CHECKFILEGROUP,CHECKCATALOG', @FileGroups = 'AdventureWorks.PRIMARY' EXECUTE dbo.DatabaseIntegrityCheck @Databases = 'AdventureWorks', @CheckCommands = 'CHECKFILEGROUP,CHECKCATALOG', @FileGroups = 'ALL_FILEGROUPS,-AdventureWorks.PRIMARY' Note the syntax to omit an object from the list of objects and the option to omit one filegroup. Nice! Thanks Ola! You'll find details here: http://ola.hallengren.com/  

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• GPL - what is distribution?

  - by Martin Beckett

  An interesting point came up on another thread about alleged misappropriation of a GPL project. In this case the enterprise software was used by some large companies who essentially took the code, changed the name, removed the GPL notices and used the result. The point was - if the company did this and only used the software internally then there isn't any distribution and that's perfectly legal under GPL. Modifications by their own employees for internal use would also be allowed. So At what point does it become a distribution? Presumably if they brought in outside contractors under 'work for hire' their modifications would also be internal and so not a distribution. If they hired an external software outfit to do modifications and those changes were only used internally by the company - would those changes be distributed? Does the GPL apply to the client or to the external developers? If the company then give the result to another department, another business unit, another company? What if the other company is a wholly owned subsidiary? ps. yes I know the answer is ask a lawyer. But all the discussion I have seen over GPL2/GPL3 distribution has been about webservices - not about internal use.

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• Web hosting providers for businesses (with offsite backups, disaster recovery options, etc.) [closed]

  - by Harry Muscle

  Possible Duplicate: How to find web hosting that meets my requirements? I'm wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of a couple of web hosting providers that are geared towards businesses. By this I mean providers that make it easy to create daily off site backups, are aware that websites require disaster recovery options and have these in place or are able to assist with them, etc. We currently have about a dozen sites with various providers, however, I've been asked to consolidate all of these into one provider and create a full disaster recovery plan. Unfortunately it seems like most providers are geared towards average users that don't require all these extra bells and whistles that businesses need. For example, HostGator, which is a very popular and well reviewed provider, doesn't even allow you to schedule full backups, they have to be manually requested via cPanel and then downloaded once available. If anyone can point out a couple companies that might be able to help with these sorts of things that would be much appreciated. Thanks, Harry P.S. I should also add that we are hoping to stay away from having to manage our own server, we're hoping for a fully managed solution like what HostGator would offer for example.

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• Working Abroad Advice Needed

  - by RBA

  Hi, First of all, Happy New Year everybody! I wish you for 2011 all the best! For several years I was thinking about to work abroad, and I want to make this step(to work in a/several foreign countries, for several years). I am a Software Developer with a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science, with a +4 years of experience in Delphi(and small working experience in other programming languages). Until now I've applied at aprox. 100 positions over the world, and I've been contacted by 4-5 hiring managers. Our technical discussions went good, but then we reached at working visa 'problem'. I don't have legal/health problems, but I don't poses a working permit in other countries except Romania. I've been reading several forums concerning the working visas (here I take out working visa for US or other 'hard to get visa' countries), and there are several steps which companies must do (so I can take out the bureaucracy problem) to make the papers. Concerning the cost of a visa, this goes up to one medium salary from that country(in most of the cases). I've been working for the last years with different clients, from a wide variety of countries, and I don't believe I will have problems with integration in a foreign country So, the problem is that the market don't need Delphi Developers (there is a small amount of open positions on the recruiting sites), and I should start learning other programming language(all the time is better to know other programming languages - but to master it, requires some time) with a higher market 'rank' (Java/C#/etc), OR the problem is only concerning the working visa, and maybe the reticence of the employer to foreign possible candidates? I'm asking this especially for those users who made this step in their life or they want to make it in the future. Best regards,

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• Profit : August, 2012

  - by user462779

  August 2012 issue of Profit is now available online. Way back in 2003, I wrote my first feature for Profit. It was titled “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Application Servers (But Were Afraid To Ask),” and it discussed “cutting-edge” technologies like portals and XML and the brand-new Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE; we’re now on Java EE 7). But despite the dated terms I used in my Profit debut, I noticed something in rereading that old story that has stayed constant: mid-tier technology is where innovative enterprise IT projects happen. It may have been XML in 2003, but it’s SOA in 2012. While preparing the August issue of Profit was more than just a stroll down memory lane for me, it has provided a nice bit of perspective about what changes and what doesn’t in this dynamic IT industry. Technologies continuously evolve—some become standard practice, some are revived or reinvented, and some are left by the wayside. But the drive to innovate and the desire to succeed are business principles that never go out of fashion. Also, be sure to check out the Profit JD Edwards Special Issue 2012 (PDF), featuring partner profiles, customer successes, and Oracle executive interviews. The Middleware Advantage Three ways a flexible, integrate software layer can deliver a competitive edge Playing to Win Electronic Arts’ superefficient hub processes millions of online gaming transactions every day. Adjustable Loans With Oracle Exadata, Reliance Commercial Finance keeps pace with India’s commercial loan market. Future Proof To keep pace with mobile, social, and location-based services, smart technologists are using middleware to innovate. Spring Training Knowledge and communication help Jackson Hewitt’s Tim Bechtold get seasonal workers in top shape. Keeping Online Customers Happy Customers worldwide are comfortable with online service—but are companies meeting customers’ needs?

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• Improved Customer Experience, but at what Cost?

  - by Tony Berk

  We can all probably agree that improving your customers' experience is a good thing. But a key question many people are asking is will it help your organization and, in particular, what are the financial benefits?That's a good question, especially when companies ARE experiencing phenomenal return on investment (ROI). Of course, there are many factors that impact ROI or other measures of success, but we'd like to share some success stories as examples of customer experience in action and delivering positive results. If you would like to learn more about the economics of customer experience, see Brian Curran's presentation at the Oracle Customer Experience Summit last month. In this series of blog posts, we'll share actual customer stories. Today's example is Dell, which uses Oracle Real-Time Decisions (RTD) and Siebel CRM as part of their customer experience portfolio to better understand their customers' needs and wants and provide consistent interactions. Regular readers of this blog are probably familiar with Siebel, but RTD may be new to many of you. RTD is a complete decision management solution that delivers real-time decisions and recommendations and automatically renders decisions within a business process to create tailored messaging for every customer interaction.What does that mean? In the video below, Dell describes how customer experience is important not just for one interaction channel, but across all "vehicles." RTD is helping Dell understand customer behavior and communicate with the customer in a more relevant manner, across all communication  or interaction channels including sales and service call centers, email marketing and online. Dell continues to expand use of RTD because the benefits are showing up in sales, service and marketing results including 19% increase in close rates, faster issue resolution and 40% improvement in revenue per click in email marketing. Click here, to learn more about Oracle Customer Experience and stay tuned for more customer spotlights.

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• Data Management Business Continuity Planning

  Business Continuity Governance In order to ensure data continuity for an organization, they need to ensure they know how to handle a data or network emergency because all systems have the potential to fail. Data Continuity Checklist: Disaster Recovery Plan/Policy Backups Redundancy Trained Staff Business Continuity Policies In order to protect data in case of any emergency a company needs to put in place a Disaster recovery plan and policies that can be executed by IT staff to ensure the continuity of the existing data and/or limit the amount of data that is not contiguous.  A disaster recovery plan is a comprehensive statement of consistent actions to be taken before, during and after a disaster, according to Geoffrey H. Wold. He also states that the primary objective of disaster recovery planning is to protect the organization in the event that all or parts of its operations and/or computer services are rendered unusable. Furthermore, companies can mandate through policies that IT must maintain redundant hardware in case of any hardware failures and redundant network connectivity incase the primary internet service provider goes down.  Additionally, they can require that all staff be trained in regards to the Disaster recovery policy to ensure that all parties evolved are knowledgeable to execute the recovery plan. Business Continuity Procedures Business continuity procedure vary from organization to origination, however there are standard procedures that most originations should follow. Standard Business Continuity Procedures Backup and Test Backups to ensure that they work Hire knowledgeable and trainable staff  Offer training on new and existing systems Regularly monitor, test, maintain, and upgrade existing system hardware and applications Maintain redundancy regarding all data, and critical business functionality

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• Graduate expectations versus reality

  - by Bobby Tables

  When choosing what we want to study, and do with our careers and lives, we all have some expectations of what it is going to be like. Now that I've been in the industry for almost a decade, I've been reflecting a bit on what I thought (back when I was studying Computer Science) programming working life was going to be like, and how it's actually turning out to be. My two biggest shocks (or should I say, broken expectations) by far are the sheer amount of maintenance work involved in software, and the overall lack of professionalism: Maintenance: At uni, we were all told that the majority of software work is maintenance of existing systems. So I knew to expect this in the abstract. But I never imagined exactly how overwhelming this would turn out to be. Perhaps it's something I mentally glazed over, and hoped I'd be building cool new stuff from scratch a lot more. But it really is the case that most jobs are overwhelmingly maintenance, bug fixing, and support oriented. Lack of professionalism: At uni, I always had the impression that commercial software work is very process-oriented and stringently engineered. I had images of ISO processes, reams of technical documentation, every feature and bug being strictly documented, and a generally professional environment. It came as a huge shock to realise that most software companies operate no differently to a team of students working on a large semester-long project. And I've worked in both the small agile hack shop, and the medium sized corporate enterprise. While I wouldn't say that it's always been outright "unprofessional", it definitely feels like the software industry (on the whole) is far from the strong engineering discipline that I expected it to be. Has anyone else had similar experiences to this? What are the ways in which your expectations of what our profession would be like were different to the reality?

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