Re: [ProgSoc] spam: [EXEC] Programming Assignment (fwd)

[jselliot@nospam.localhost]

> If you ask me, it reads more like as if he's doing a research survey on
> the habits of Programmers in the Workforce Today (or something rather
> along those lines) as part of something which he can put into his
> Computer
> Studies report, rather than a request for us to do his homework for
> him. There's a big difference there, you know...

I agree. I think that this is the type of request that ProgSoc should 
positively and usefully respond to. It would be worth encouraging the kid to 
write something worthy of posting on our web site. 

It's easy to make cynical jokes about him bludging off us, but seriously we 
have the oppourtunity, as a 'society' of programmers, to offer some 
encouragement and leadership to a young, soon to be programmer.

Perhaps we should demonstrate some maturity and helpfullness rather than give 
off sign's of elitism and arrogance by calling the headmaster and dobbing him 
in. Think about how ridiculous the person who made the call would sound to 
start with:

ProgSocer: "Hello Headmaster, I'm calling regarding one of your students who 
has done some preliminary research for an assignment of his and contacted our 
programming society politely requesting information about programmers habits..."

'nuf said.

> I would also point out that logically we would be the first bunch of 
> people he would ask, because our site happens to be the firstmost link
> on google after doing a search on "programmer society".

You have to give it to someone who goes to Google first.

If he wants to know about my habits you can tell him:
1. Nicotine
2. Caffeine
3. Bad Spelling
4. Getting fired for sending HTTP requests

For 'a day in the life of a programmer':

In a nutshell, today I got dragged out of bed and sent to the train station by 
my family and ex-girlfriend. Paid $12.80 for return ticket (no concession 
card). Got to uni late, not that it mattered because of a fire alarm. Listened 
to someone tell me things I already knew about ER-Diagrams, Cardinality, etc. 
Picked up a concession sticker. Went to the library and read halfway through a 
book I picked up at the book sale on George St called 'Visual Basic 6 - Error 
Coding & Layering'. Checked out the new labs in building 10. Tried something 
out in VB in the Win2k lab, proved myself correct, book incorrect (at very 
least ambiguos). Went to Bondi beach for lunch and ate Beef Korma and Cheese 
Naan, looked at birds (I do mean seagulls). Asked my friend for a $50 loan. Had 
my mobile run flat on me. Went to Broadway shopping centre for coffee (my 
shout). Went to Market City Tavern, continued to read while waiting for friends 
(also progsocers). Spent loan. Discussed compiler optimisations evident when 
decompiling code for SPARC boxes, the references to video tapes in American 
Psycho, the rules based nature of human observations of matter and the 
implications for 'fate', Nihilism leading to Humanism, how good Billy Joel 
and 'Les Miz' are and why gleNN's Delphi code isn't working amoung many other 
things. Bet a beer that the songs released on cassette for the Les Miz musical 
were not in chronological order. Caught the train from central home to Blue 
Mountains (one hour). Ran into a girl who crashed into my car when I was in 
highschool (who drove away and was chased down and dragged back crying by a 
mate of mine..) and proceeded to remind her she still owed me a case of beer 
from three years ago for the repairs I had to do. Got her phone number. :P Sat 
in my garage drinking black coffee (have no milk), smoking, listening to Nova 
and reading through my ProgSoc mail responding to more than I probably should 
have given my lack of sobriety. Went to dictionary.com at least 10 times to 
check my spelling and look up "anamorphic" (very good Christian). Am currently 
considering writing a new XHTML 1.0 compliant set of pages for the CD Burial 
site (I think this is fantastic), and pointing out to list that setting the 
height and width attributes on an img tag does not actually change the images.. 
*g*. Considering that it's past 4am, I guess I will not be attending my SS+N 
lab tomorrow (today).

Hope this helps the kid - may need interpretation, send him my e-mail if you 
like, I don't know his. I think from memory he went to St Mary's High, I 
beleive this is where Warren Wilson went; Ref: SMH - 'The battler made good', 
few weeks ago..

Regards,
John Elliot.

p.s. is there a limit to the number of mails I can send to this list in one 
night before I get added to a spam list? :P

-
You are subscribed to the progsoc mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a
message containing "unsubscribe" to progsoc-request@nospam.progsoc.uts.edu.au.
If you are having trouble, ask owner-progsoc@nospam.progsoc.uts.edu.au for help.