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Thanatosian posted:Pissing me off right now: Microsoft has made it difficult as gently caress to set up a default start menu and task bar using group policy. I've followed their instructions to a T on three different versions of Windows 10 Enterprise, and no loving dice. This should be simple. It IS simple, but it's one of those simple things that blows the gently caress up at the slightest hint of any improper formatting in the XML layout file. Like, an extra space or newline will make it register as invalid format. Here's a screenshot (so you see the formatting) of one of mine, which works properly.  Do note that I use this as part of imaging, with a Powershell script doing "Import-Layout blahblah", so it's possible the GPO part of things has further difficulties. But at least for me all the issues I've run into are when the XML doesn't have proper formatting, or is missing one of the schema links for the taskbar layout, etc. Edit: loving seriously, the screenshot was big enough to need a new page? (yes I know that's not how it works) VVV interesting, that was not my experience. This sure is a reliable and easily configured way to set this up Microsoft, thanks for all you do to make our lives easier 
SyNack Sassimov fucked around with this message at 02:08 on Feb 15, 2017 |
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Feb 15, 2017 01:54
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I'm not so sure about that, extra spaces and newlines don't have any affect in my experience. We're actually using a script to add a space to the end of the template file so that Windows thinks it's been updated and picks up the 'new' file (even though the actual content hasn't changed)
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Feb 15, 2017 02:02
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I was infuriated the minute I discovered it all hinged on, pardon me for not having it on deck as I no longer have to deal with it, but it all was build off the way the 'database' was built on login for the Start Menu. We had folder redirection + applications installed for All Users, which apparently was just fundamentally incompatible with how they apparently want the Start Menu to be managed. I never thought that pinning Chrome, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Word and two other programs to the Start Menu would be such an exercise in futility. Especially when everyone just said "It's easy, Export-StartMenuLayout and then you can push that XML via GPO!" Nope... 
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Feb 15, 2017 02:09
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It's a proper shitter to set up and I've had to do it for Windows 10 Pro, mine however is very small and simple as people only really need office programs etc;code:
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Feb 15, 2017 15:05
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I took a job as a "cloud architect" in December. And it's been anything but; I'm surrounded by incompetent people with zero motivation (and an almost active will not to learn). My job in practice has turned into a SCVMM janitor who sometimes helps another sysadmin figure out git and how Azure RM templates work. I've got multiple offers on the table right now to bail, and the only reason I've been holding off is this job is 100% remote. However, one that just came in is 80-100% remote (occasional client side visit) and with a cool rear end company who I really liked the team. So I'm debating how I'm going to leave; my aim was to give my two weeks and leave nicely as I always aim to. But the sheer tenacity of the people I'm working around to be assholes and/or willfully ignorant is pushing me towards "bail immediately and enjoy the two weeks stress free with my kids". Walk me off the ledge, goons. edit: literal conversation from last night with one of the guys Me (3pm): Would you be available to setup remote access so I can take a look at issue X tonight? Probably after 7pm when my kids are down. No big deal if not! yeah; using webex for access to certain systems; gently caress Him (6:30pm): It's up right now, just request access. Me: Shoot; I'm not home yet and still have to feed the baby; can I send you a message when I'm wrapped up? Him: I'm not going to sit and stare at the computer for you... Me: Ok!  No problem, I figured you had HipChat on your phone too - no need to wait around for me!Him: All you need to do is go and request access! Me: I understand! But I have a baby with a bottle in my arms right now; I cant be in front of a computer for another 15-20minutes. No big deal; I am not trying to inconvenience you! Him: Then why did you even ask me for help? 
Walked fucked around with this message at 15:45 on Feb 15, 2017 |
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Feb 15, 2017 15:40
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Always remember that were it in the company's best interests they wouldn't bat an eye at shitcanning you with zero notice, so if it makes more sense for you to not stick around then don't.
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Feb 15, 2017 15:47
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Stop showing up (logging into the VPN) until they fire you for not coming in and collect bonus pay checks! don't actually do this
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Feb 15, 2017 15:47
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Sheep posted:Always remember that were it in the company's best interests they wouldn't bat an eye at shitcanning you with zero notice, so if it makes more sense for you to not stick around then don't. The company certainly doesn't care about you, but your direct co-workers and manager might. If one has a good relationship with them then that should be the sole consideration for whether to part on good terms or not. If you hate everyone? gently caress 'em and move on.
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Feb 15, 2017 15:52
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xzzy posted:The company certainly doesn't care about you, but your direct co-workers and manager might. If one has a good relationship with them then that should be the sole consideration for whether to part on good terms or not. If you hate everyone? gently caress 'em and move on. I agree with this; most of the team I'm somewhere between "indifferent" and "sincerely dislike as a human being" but there's a couple guys I like well enough. That said, I do value relationships and more importantly, not burning bridges. IT - especially in the DC area - is a small world. pixaal posted:Stop showing up (logging into the VPN) until they fire you for not coming in and collect bonus pay checks! You have no idea how tempting this is, even though I'd never do it.
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Feb 15, 2017 15:58
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Super Soaker Party! posted:It IS simple, but it's one of those simple things that blows the gently caress up at the slightest hint of any improper formatting in the XML layout file. Like, an extra space or newline will make it register as invalid format. Same file works just fine when I import it in Powershell instead of using Group Policy. Should have loving known; as usual, the solution is "just do it in loving Powershell."
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Feb 15, 2017 17:57
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Thanatosian posted:Same file works just fine when I import it in Powershell instead of using Group Policy. Yeah, start menu layout is loving awful, I spent wayyyyyy too loving long setting it up for tablets (that we never ended up deploying...) and it's frustrating.
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Feb 15, 2017 18:02
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MF_James posted:Yeah, start menu layout is loving awful, I spent wayyyyyy too loving long setting it up for tablets (that we never ended up deploying...) and it's frustrating. If it makes you feel any better, we ended up deploying tablets (before I started here; Venue Pro 11s), and replacing them is a lot more work than not deploying them on the first place would have been.
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Feb 15, 2017 20:43
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Why the gently caress does Outlook let you accept appointments that are in the past?  A customer's off-shore contractor just cleared out his inbox by saying he'll be tentatively attending THREE YEARS worth of calls he was CCed on.
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Feb 15, 2017 21:16
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Thanatosian posted:Same file works just fine when I import it in Powershell instead of using Group Policy. My co-worker's go-to for pulling information out of our SQL database is with a bunch of saved queries in a folder that you carefully edit your required specific information into. I just made a bunch of Powershell functions, with a basic menu to keep them all in one script, to pull exactly what I want or a general match just by typing it in. (Pull all the necessary columns from multiple tables into a dataset, run -match against it all for relevant entries).
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Feb 16, 2017 04:12
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Walked posted:So I'm debating how I'm going to leave; my aim was to give my two weeks and leave nicely as I always aim to. But the sheer tenacity of the people I'm working around to be assholes and/or willfully ignorant is pushing me towards "bail immediately and enjoy the two weeks stress free with my kids". * I have a project to finish and I can start in a month * I can start in 2 weeks, but I also have a vacation booked already in 2 months can I keep it Unless your new role has some great starter vacation allowances, you need to get it before you're consumed by the new role and trying to get ahead of things.
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Feb 16, 2017 09:04
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I had already spent all my PTO last year so my last day at job A was on friday and 1st day at job B was on monday. I regretted that. I think it would be much better to have some time in between jobs to relax.
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Feb 16, 2017 09:08
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Sefal posted:I had already spent all my PTO last year so my last day at job A was on friday and 1st day at job B was on monday. I regretted that. I think it would be much better to have some time in between jobs to relax. If you can afford/want to, always put some time between your last day at the previous job, and your first day at the next job. Any company that won't hire your over a week or two difference in start date is a company not worth working for. At it's absolute extreme, the two week difference helps you realize the certain power of employment. (I have been between jobs for almost a month now and am maybe possibly slightly going insane....)
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Feb 16, 2017 09:16
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Greatbacon posted:If you can afford/want to, always put some time between your last day at the previous job, and your first day at the next job. Yeah I learned my lesson. The company was flexible. I did not want to miss a paycheck. Remember when my boss told me that the AD is clean and up to date because he maintains it and knows everything out of the top of his head? Gave him a report on old computers. that haven't logged on in 180 days. He spent 5 hours cross checking them and going Boss: What is this. This PC has this IP, which is pinging me back me: Do a nslookup Boss: it's giving me a different name me: the computer name was probably changed and the mac address was bound to that IP. Boss: So we can't delete it? me: delete the pc object. It's not relevant anymore Then later this exchange happened. Boss: WTF. I can't add this server to the domain. Are you serious Me: Can you ping the server from the domain and ping the domain from the server? Try both name and IP Boss: I can ping them on IP but not on name Me: let me check the DNS. It has no reverse lookup zone. Added it. Can you check now? Boss: Yes it's working. See I told you it was the DNS! What did I tell you, Now it's working. haha! There was no one around. it was just us two. There was literally no reason to do that. I would understand if he didn't want to lose face or whatever if someone was near. it felt like this  Edit: Also found that DNS is a mess. and he said. Yeah we don't touch the DNS anymore because something went wrong last time and it broke down alot of things I know I still have a lot to learn. I Know very little. But I can't take him serious Edit2: Oh another fun thing. Group policy's weren't working for 2 years until I fixed it in my 1st week. Another one of my favorite things is that if an issue on a pc comes up that he doesn't know how to deal with. His response is to re image it. Sefal fucked around with this message at 13:06 on Feb 16, 2017 |
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Feb 16, 2017 12:56
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Sefal posted:Another one of my favorite things is that if an issue on a pc comes up that he doesn't know how to deal with. His response is to re image it. Personally not a huge fan, but if you are big enough and have the necessary infrastructure to make reimageing really painless, it often is far more time/cost effective than actually debugging some esotheric problem caused by the order you installed 5 programs in or whatever. If it's a situation where the user needs 1 program manually installed and all their data migrated it's a completely different story. But one of the main reasons I was hired here was to automate deployments and stuff, and as soon as Microsoft fixes WDS for us, we can simply flatten any PC via PXE, have all the requisite software installed by PDQ (According to OU) and tell the user to gently caress off because their data is supposed to be on their network shares. At that point you have a choice between A) someone hitting F12 or B) spending hours ripping your hair out trying to get something to work again.
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Feb 16, 2017 13:16
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Guess who's in the middle of fighting about whether the 'barge-in' feature should be turned on, on certain phones Sales: "It's completely rude to have someone just start talking on your phone while you're in a call, or have a client in your office" CEO: "If it was important, I would want to know right away" Reception: "I need it turned on!" Phone guy: "Everyone asks for it to be turned off. They have email, voicemail, cell phones, walk 20 feet over to the person..."
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Feb 16, 2017 14:12
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Bob Morales posted:Guess who's in the middle of fighting about whether the 'barge-in' feature should be turned on, on certain phones My opinion on this is to have it disabled for people and only enable it for things like a really awesome announcement system that either tells you to leave the building right now because it is literally burning down or if you are in IT to tell you that your server room is tipping over.
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Feb 16, 2017 14:18
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VP of IT says, "So hey Parent Company acquired this Other Company. They're primarily going to be working with Subsidiary, and since Subsidiary's IT dudes don't have any experience with this kind of merger, we're going to let them handle the onboarding and integration and we're just going to be here to advise Subsidiary people. I don't want you making decisions. Oh BTW, Other Company's office lease is up at the end of march so we need to have them fully moved and online in 6 weeks. Oh, also, they can't bring any equipment with them because they still have a bunch of data from other clients that they need to destroy, so they need all new equipment." This has quickly turned into us at Parent IT being involved in every single conversation with no one knowing who is doing what, who is responsible for anything, what decisions have been made, trying to get between Sub IT and vendors to guide quotes for overbuilt systems because there's no time to do proper sizing, Sub IT half-scared to commit to anything, wondering if any of it matters because there's no new office space lease yet, plus any other thing that you can think of that could get overlooked in a scenario like this.
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Feb 16, 2017 15:34
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Today I was very close to just walk out the door and quit my job due to the incompetence of the people I work with. A piece of software we use needed updating and the vendor helpfully offers iso-images for download. The software runs on a VM in Vmware, the VM can only be accessed via the console since it is in a physically different network than our desktops. Normally the update is part of what I do, but since I've been involved in many other projects and my boss told me to delegate more of the "easier" tasks, I asked a colleague to do the update. This person presents himself on every opportunity as the "Lead" Systems Administrator, taking credit for others work and doesn't allow any criticism because "I to this for 20 years, you think I don't know what I'm doing?". Anyway, I asked him this morning to do the update. Then he comes and tells me that an update wasn't possible since "the machine has no Internet and I can't reach my desktop from it. I need to burn the image and put the CD in the server and I don't have time to go the server room now." Me: "Uhm, just connect the iso and do the install?" Him: "The machine has no connection to my desktop, it doesn't work!!!" Me: "I'm not sure I follow..." Turns out that the procedure he used when he needed to access an iso inside a vm was: Download the iso Burns it to disc Put it in desktop's CD-Drive Create a share for the drive Connect via \\desktop\cd-drive-share and execute setup. So I showed him the attach iso function of the vsphere client. "Oh, so there has been an update to vmware? Nice, when were you going to tell me about it? Please keep in mind, that I need to be informed of ALL updates to our infrastructure." I need to get out of here. Even the most basic of tasks is a monumental undertaking for the idiots I work with...
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Feb 16, 2017 16:25
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hazzlebarth posted:Today I was very close to just walk out the door and quit my job due to the incompetence of the people I work with. A piece of software we use needed updating and the vendor helpfully offers iso-images for download. The software runs on a VM in Vmware, the VM can only be accessed via the console since it is in a physically different network than our desktops. I assume you worked there when they released VMWare 1.0?
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Feb 16, 2017 16:28
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"Please set your resolution to 1024x768 and use Internet Explorer for best results."
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Feb 16, 2017 19:40
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The standard display resolution around here is 1024x768 on 4:3 screens.
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Feb 16, 2017 20:45
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Orcs and Ostriches posted:The standard display resolution around here is 1024x768 on 4:3 screens. I didn't know you can post through a time wormhole.
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Feb 16, 2017 20:45
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It's mostly because all of our classrooms have smartboards in them, which fit a 4:3 image best. That, plus cheap projectors, means 1024x768 just works with the least hassle. Office and admin machines are 1280x1024 because I don't know why.
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Feb 16, 2017 21:04
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This is Walmart loving Retaillink.
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Feb 16, 2017 21:18
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hazzlebarth posted:Download the iso
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Feb 16, 2017 21:26
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Hooray, sales and someone who is sales but thinks they are engineering pressed forward with a project where the initial meeting would have uncovered a poo poo-ton of reasons why it was never going to work - stuff like latency requirements that cannot be met when going from Europe to SE Asia, and server version requirements that the client's infrastructure didn't meet. Four months in and I get dragged in to rubber-stamp the design, pull up the documentation for the product that is being deployed, and poo poo all over it. I don't like the reputation I have for crushing people's dreams but this is one that no amount of hard work or lying would have been able to resolve, so I am not upset by it.
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Feb 16, 2017 21:27
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I'm often amazed what people can make things do, when clearly said thing was not designed for it. In this case Excel... There is a piece of software we use that is nothing but a very large .XLS file with a fuckload of macros in it. This "software" is for figuring out materials on various types of building structures, so its really niche software. Basically you put in your specifications, materials, etc... and it spits out a component list and some nice 3D views. Did you know Excel can generate 2D/3D graphics? I didn't! But they have somehow managed to make it happen. It is horrendously slow at doing it. Generating a quote can bring a modern quad core i7 to its knees for several minutes depending on the complexity of the structure. Aside from its own bugs; being an extremely complex Excel macro it is subject to Excel's many, many bugs. Also, you cannot be remotely connected with any type of screen sharing tool while it is generating a quote, otherwise it will crash due to a bug that has been present in Excel since 2003. This makes any sort of trouble shooting a major PITA.
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Feb 16, 2017 21:34
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"Excel as a Platform"
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Feb 16, 2017 21:51
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Thanks Ants posted:Hooray, sales and someone who is sales but thinks they are engineering pressed forward with a project where the initial meeting would have uncovered a poo poo-ton of reasons why it was never going to work - stuff like latency requirements that cannot be met when going from Europe to SE Asia, and server version requirements that the client's infrastructure didn't meet. Four months in and I get dragged in to rubber-stamp the design, pull up the documentation for the product that is being deployed, and poo poo all over it. I don't like the reputation I have for crushing people's dreams but this is one that no amount of hard work or lying would have been able to resolve, so I am not upset by it. I've had to drop the speed of light argument many times. "No, it is literally impossible to get a signal from Berlin to San Fransisco in 5ms. I don't say so, physics says so. We can't argue with the speed of light."
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Feb 16, 2017 22:26
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Bob Morales posted:"Excel as a Platform" Welcome to Finance. Back in my hedge fund days we had a quantitative trader that was a rainman level genius running a WIndows XP 64bit desktop computer with dual 8core Xeon Processors and as much ran as we could fathom (maybe 64GB back then), running hundreds of excel sheets on his four monitors crunching Bloomberg trade data. When we had to reboot his computer for updates it took him an hour to close all his excel sheets. It was hugely disruptive and even though we moved to Win7 he refused to give up his XP machine because he was terrified of starting his excel madness on a new machine. His crazy excel sheets (which were saved on a share drive that was on a server backed up by a file replicate and difference service, maybe called TimeData) would write thousands of bytes to disk every minute and would routinely blow up our replication topology. Everything about them was madness.
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Feb 16, 2017 22:54
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ConfusedUs posted:I've had to drop the speed of light argument many times. Those are the best arguments to have. "No, I don't care what you think you remember someone telling you, ten thousand experiments have been done, and they all state that you cannot physically communicate that distance in that timeframe. Anyone who told you otherwise either didn't understand the question or was lying. No. No. No listen to me ma'am, the only person who can fix this issue is whatever being created the universe, so that would be where you should address your complaints, not my boss."
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Feb 17, 2017 01:15
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Not pissing me off: I love my workplace. The guy who does pretty much all of our backend work is leaving, and they are essentially replacing him with three people yet-to-be hired (given our rate of expansion, almost certainly necessary, and part of a department reorg independent of him leaving). I've been working my current desktop support position for about six months, and was thinking "well, probably a bit soon to be applying for something like that, and I don't know that I have the chops for it quite yet." My supervisor took me aside after the meeting, and explicitly told me that I should apply for one of the positions.
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Feb 17, 2017 01:22
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Yes but what if you had a fiber that went perfectly straight through the earth from Berlin to SF? You could get 4ms then, right??
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Feb 17, 2017 02:11
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xzzy posted:Yes but what if you had a fiber that went perfectly straight through the earth from Berlin to SF? You could get 4ms then, right?? Your drat math bait is not going to work this time, sir.
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Feb 17, 2017 03:43
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Look we just need to get some kind of worm hole working. I don't care how it doesn't need to be big just enough to stick a cable in.
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Feb 17, 2017 03:49
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