Working from Two Computers

November 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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Where is a place where you might find a person working with TWO computers on their desk? Some people find it challenging to be able to manage one computer, let alone two and the one they have may take up a significant portion of desk real estate. How and why would anyone need two computers?

Many graphic designers and computer programmers often work with two computers on their desk for several reasons. They need to be able to run software, check their work and to work with several different programs at once without risking crashing (or slowing down) one of the computers while they’re working.

Dual desk computer monitors usually have an 18″ screen or larger, but will not usually go over 21″ because of space issues. These size monitors allow the person working with them to be able to “see” their work crisp and clear and because those sizes usually have a more hardier memory core. This means that they can hold more work in less space within the computer.

Dual computers allow the worker to manage several tasks at once, all at their fingertips. Designers can make changes on one computer, and see their changes on the other computer without having to click away and open another window, and also to reduce their production time. Vacillating between tabbed windows or screens on a computer can significantly reduce the person’s production time and slow them down.

Engineers, programmers and web developers are also other career positions that benefit from the use of dual computers since they require work-check as they work along. The computers side-by-side allow them to keep an eye on the changes as they work. Just about any job where each step involved creates a reaction is a good reason to need dual desk computers and help avoid any work issues.

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Figuring out What They Really Want

October 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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A lot of professional programmers have come to the conclusion that the actual act of creating code that solves some of humanity’s problems (or at least makes them into something more easy to manage) is not too hard. Rather, it is a fun challenge, to be embraced and savored in the same way a body builder savors the sweet pain of sculpting his back into something scary to his competition. Unfortunately, an saddening portion of a programmer’s work is not even spent at the computer terminal, but in seemingly endless meetings with other people. As many programmers are not exactly of the people person persuasion, this can have unfortunate results. Social faux pas notwithstanding, there is one challenge which is anything but fun and enjoyable; dealing with people who have absolutely no clue what they actually want. Your mission, because you have already accepted it, is to figure out what this is in spite of what they actually tell you.

People will often get into a mode of wanting everything under the Sun to be stuffed into one program. Why they think that this is a good idea is anybody’s guess. Maybe they believe that having one program to do everything will somehow make their lives simpler, because of some bizarre business logic that is beyond the ken of programmers. Maybe they think that it will save them money to have you only design one piece of software for them, and they are just trying to cut costs wherever they can. If all else fails, offering them a discount may not be a terrible idea in the long run.

The worst problem is when you are dealing with one person who has lots of bosses. Bosses have a distinct tendency to completely disconnect with how things are done, while they simply focus on what they want accomplished. They are rather like children in this way. In some cases, it may be beneficial to you to write out how some functions deny other ones by their very nature. Seeing it written out adds credibility to it, and doesn’t come off insulting.

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Has Computer Programming Language Gone Mainstream?

October 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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Computer programming language is no longer geek speak to the rest of us. With the advent of the Internet, simple programming languages such as HTML and XML are now accessible to the every day user who’d like to build their own website. More and more people are shunning the trained computer programmer with his pricey cost tag and turning to the bookshelves and online do-it-yourself training programs to learn Frontpage and DreamWeaver.

But has computer programming language really gone mainstream? Newer computers, faster applications and the speed of technology makes it difficult for your average Joe to keep up. Although the job outlook for computer programmers is lower than usual, we have to remind ourselves that we are no longer in the ’90′s boom. Job growth is still steady in this sector and beginning salaries are still high which means that the computer programmer is still in demand.

And while the computer programmer may not be in demand for simple script operations for web applications such as HTML and XML, good programmers for other computer programming language such as C++, Java, SQL and Ruby are still in high demand. Programmers who are fluent in multiple computer programming language are especially dear to employers and programmers who are smart enough to learn several languages rather than specializing in just one will quickly find a job.

One factor limiting the job growth in this sector is the outsourcing of programming to computer programmers in other countries such as India. Many computer programmers find that they can count on steady freelance work rather than a job within a company. This requires the programmer to have other business skills such as marketing, accounting and networking in order to run his or her own computer programming language company or consultation firm.

Still, computer programming language has become a skill that is being taught in many charter schools and within many pre-high school camps. Soon, there will be a generation of students who are familiar with current computer programming language and will be using it as part of their mainstream lives.

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