14,000 hours? Assuming 14 hour days, 6 days a week (even workaholics need a break occasionally) with no weeks off, that’s about 3 1/4 years worth of work. If he sells that code to Alex for less than about $101,500, he’s worked for less than Federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour). Would have done better working counter at Burger King.
Well, it’s better than losing everything—isn’t it? BTW, where will Alex get the $$$ to pay the unfortunates? From JJ’s grant? Doubtful—unless Alex’ reworking of those is successful, raking in the big bucks. Then, you can be sure that "Uncle Stupidhead will show up at the front door with his “paw” out!!
Everyone said I was daft to build a castle in a swamp, but I built it all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp.
“If you had gotten more sleep, you might have written code that worked.”
I spent a month on programming part of an industrial control system onsite at a Texas chemical plant. I worked a minimum of 8 hours each day and no days off.
At 11:30 p.m., one night, the foreman asked if they should bring in the midnight shift. I was exhausted and the problem was not solved, so my boss told him “no”.
I solved the problem in my head as my boss was driving us back to the hotel. No, I did not tell him to turn around.
A good deal of time programming for a living taught me that software is evanescent. Horace wrote, “Exegi monumentum aere perennius”, “I have built a monument more lasting than bronze” — and he was referring to his poetry! — but the software on which you spent years of your life will be archived, then deleted, on the occasion of some major system change. Your code may be very useful for a while, but those bits will soon blow away with the wind. But then, consider the wheat crop over which the farmer sweats — how does it wind up?
parforden 10 days ago
Brutal.
Alabama Al 10 days ago
14,000 hours? Assuming 14 hour days, 6 days a week (even workaholics need a break occasionally) with no weeks off, that’s about 3 1/4 years worth of work. If he sells that code to Alex for less than about $101,500, he’s worked for less than Federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour). Would have done better working counter at Burger King.
PoodleGroomer 10 days ago
There is nothing new or exciting in your code or your library of redesigned Times Roman font. We hope to salvage the graphics for emojis and clip art.
ndre23 10 days ago
I had totally forgotten the Alex-The-Capitalist-Vulture phase
snsurone76 9 days ago
Well, it’s better than losing everything—isn’t it? BTW, where will Alex get the $$$ to pay the unfortunates? From JJ’s grant? Doubtful—unless Alex’ reworking of those is successful, raking in the big bucks. Then, you can be sure that "Uncle Stupidhead will show up at the front door with his “paw” out!!
David Huie Green ForceIsAUsefulFiction 9 days ago
“After all that, you still couldn’t get it to work? Maybe I’m offering too much.”
Steverino Premium Member 9 days ago
Maybe it took that long because there was no decent design, and 1/2 the time was spend debugging what you just wrote. Just try making THAT CODE WORK.
SameAsOldFfred 9 days ago
My code worked, but nobody wanted it. The flip side of the coin.
kauri44 9 days ago
Alex is developing a set of ethics not all that dissimilar to that of Duke’s son (or perhaps her uncle Jeff).
[Unnamed Reader - bddb15] 9 days ago
That kid is the best. I live for seeing Alex when I open Doonesbury! ( I know , I know … ‘Get a life.’)
rjarchuleta 9 days ago
Everyone said I was daft to build a castle in a swamp, but I built it all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp.
Eric S 9 days ago
what comes around goes around…
lnrokr55 9 days ago
Sweet, go get em Alex!
mistercatworks 9 days ago
“If you had gotten more sleep, you might have written code that worked.”
I spent a month on programming part of an industrial control system onsite at a Texas chemical plant. I worked a minimum of 8 hours each day and no days off.
At 11:30 p.m., one night, the foreman asked if they should bring in the midnight shift. I was exhausted and the problem was not solved, so my boss told him “no”.
I solved the problem in my head as my boss was driving us back to the hotel. No, I did not tell him to turn around.
moosemin 9 days ago
Alexis: a budding young republican in the making.
willie_mctell 9 days ago
The early days of patent trolling and IP extortion,
Fuzzy Kombu 9 days ago
A good deal of time programming for a living taught me that software is evanescent. Horace wrote, “Exegi monumentum aere perennius”, “I have built a monument more lasting than bronze” — and he was referring to his poetry! — but the software on which you spent years of your life will be archived, then deleted, on the occasion of some major system change. Your code may be very useful for a while, but those bits will soon blow away with the wind. But then, consider the wheat crop over which the farmer sweats — how does it wind up?
fourteenpeeves 8 days ago
Kim’s back to her regular wardrobe