TECH SOFTWARE: EMAIL’s reply all

Monday, January 14, 2008

FROM A RECENT EMAIL

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We’ve had a “national outbreak” of the “reply all” virus.

It’s really not a virus. But it might as well be.

It’s when, to get off a distribution, some poor soul — usually in a fit of pique — does a “reply all” and says “take me off the list”. Others respond with a “reply all” to either chime in about getting off the distribution, or castigate the transgressor. If the distribution list is really large and / or there are lots of computing centers involved, it can create an overwhelming “fire storm” of messages that can overwhelm an infrastructure.

It usually takes some one in Leadership saying politely “shut up”, or the equivalent, to stop it. I’ve appended an attempt to damp it.

I just thought you’d want to pass along a warning about the use of “reply all”.

Lest it be followed with the “pink slip” virus. :-)

***End Quote***

I don’t blame people. I blame poorly designed software.

How hard would it have been to say “Confirm reply all to a distribution list”?

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LIBERTY: The Supreme Court today declined dying patients

Monday, January 14, 2008

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/14/AR2008011401709.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Experimental Drug Case
Petitioners Argue Terminally Ill Should Have Right to Drugs Not Yet Approved by FDA
By Robert Barnes
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 14, 2008; 4:36 PM

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The Supreme Court today declined to consider whether dying patients have a right to be treated with experimental drugs not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

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Silly citizen. You need the FDA’s protection. Even if you die waiting, you’ll be “safe”. Your betters know what is best for you!

How dumb are we?

How much protection does Big Pharma want?

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MONEY: the most dangerous tax

Monday, January 14, 2008

http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/inflation-tax

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Today, the federal government burdens us with one of the most dangerous taxes it can impose — the inflation tax. When the federal government finds that it cannot afford its out-of-control spending, and is unwilling to directly tax the public, it resorts simply to creating the money out of thin air.

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Here we have the ultimate tax.

A tax on money. A tax on savings. A tax on the poor. A tax on those on fixed income. An escalator that drives all costs up.

And, it creates a positive feedback loop for the cost of gooferment. The Fed inflates so the cost of what the gooferment pays goes up. The gooferment needs more money. The Fed inflates more. A positive feedback loop that any injineer will tell you will ultimately and rather quickly destroy itself. And, in the process, politicians, bureaucrats, and unions get ever increasing pay raises.

A tax on anything dollar denominated.

How silently insidious?

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JOBSEARCH: it’s always the same drill

Monday, January 14, 2008

From AN EMAIL

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Well, it’s always time to move forward.

Stay in XXXXXXXXX or do something else? Full-timer, consulting, road warrior?

Geographic comfort zone? Relo?

Have you figured out your elevator speech yet? (Mine is “I extract value it large-scale usually legacy or brown-field IT infrastructures.”)

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For newly minted Turkeys, it’s always the same drill: What do you want to do, where do you want to do it, and how do you want to be compensated?

Ain’t life a kick in the ass?

Someday, the first contact with a newly axed turkey will contain the answers to those questions. Until then, I’ll just respond to them asking for help, by asking them.

Then, I’ll buy a lottery ticket.

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