Javilk writes:
> Amongst some people. Others... Why should I have a pager? Call me
> before the crisis, and it won't happen.
"Because it looks cool". Not that this is a particular concern
of mine, but that's the reasoning he's referring to. Frankly, the
gadget on *my* wish-list is a milspec SparcBook from Tadpole
(www.tadpol.com....). Hm, looks like they merged with RDI and are no
longer offering the "ruggedized" military version. I may yet build
one myself; something in me is just fascinated with the idea of a
bulletproof laptop :-).
> > function (arg1, arg2) {
> > while (condition) {
> > do_stuff();
> > }
> > }
>
> The above is how I write. It takes fewer lines, which is important
> when you are trying to put everything in one function into a screen full.
There are different advantages to each style; if there were a
clearcut winner there'd be no holy wars over it :-). One language
designer, Guido Van Rossum, creator of Python, went so far as to make
indentation part of the language syntax. This freaks out some people,
but really every language uses whitespace as part of the syntax (if
only to separate tokens from each other), so the question isn't
whether or not to use white space, but how.
> > conformance to an arbitrary standard is a sign of common mindset,
> > which results in an effect called 'syntony'. that's a precursor to
> > friendship, and is also crucial in gelling a team. whatever other
> > differences there are among the players, there's a home base of
> > commonality.
>
> Yes, a demonstration of respect and willingness to partake in the
> common effort.
Also important but a separate issue. The message you send by your
choice in apparel and behavior is something you need to think about, but
the issue of common ground to unite a team is a separate one.
> "Get away"... But what is the opportunity cost of that "getting away"?
Depends on the circumstances. In some environments, wearing
T-shirt and jeans and tennis shoes will get you farther than wearing a
suit - it's something in the nature of a bluff, though it's not really
a bluff:
If you're good enough to back it up, it establishes a certain
amount of respect and freedom (both personal and organizational) for
you.
Demonstrating conformance can buy you a certain amount of
cooperation, but it also implicitly commits you to buying into the
existing organizational power structure.
Each has its advantages.
> For me, the suit and tie speaks for me, letting me keep my mouth shut when
It is gratifyingly amazing how your mode of dress influences
certain echelons - law enforcement and security personnel being two of
them. It sucks, but it's life; they're in a stressful and risk-ridden
environment and they tend to grasp at the most immediate clues to
determine the safest (for them) course of behavior.
> > i also get a certain amount of grace because i'm not a businessman,
> > i'm a programmer. my life tends to be easier if i fall into the
> > archetype of the 'hired gun' rather than trying to pass as another
> > 'wealthy land-owner'. land-owners want their paid assasins to *look*
> > like paid assasins, so a certain difference of appearance is expected,
> > and accepted.
>
> Um... I suppose where they want a hired gun type solution... which
> usually means the lower echelons, and as of late, they have to grovel
> before a lot more people to get approval to hire the gun. And some seem
> to have an innate fear that the gun might be misused against them
> afterwards...
See above about establishing your location either outside of or
inside of the power structure. A hired gun has the advantage that he
doesn't have to worry about the status quo as much. He's expected to
step on people's toes in the pursuit of getting the job done, and
he'll go away after he does so. Sometimes this works for you; other
times the political winds shift and the project gets reorganized and
you go out the door because you stepped on the wrong toes.
> > my own look happens to be based on the neo-tribal tech genre.. all
> > black clothing, ponytail, combat boots, habitually unshaved.. the only
>
> I think black comes from working on the old CRT's, where white shirts
> often resulted in some glare.
Black comes from youth underground culture, which comes from
areas like the gothic movement (which comes from the 17th or 18th, I
forget which, resurgence in interest in gothic literature and "all
things Scottish"), the techno/industrial movement, and in general from
the misguided romanticism that "black" as a color has. On the other hand,
many of my favorite garments are black because it's hard to go wrong
with basic black... I just have to watch out I don't accidentally end
up dressed all in black and get mistaken for a goth! :-)
> With a get up like that... if your reputation and work didn't
> precede you...
Yeah, but a get-up like that can create a reputation, or more to
the point an aura. It's all about psychology...
> Fear may be a form of power. But so is the sense of friendship, even
> kinship others feel towards those who are seen as members of the club,
> and willing to help others. A good image and a smile will transcend even
> the barriers of language.
But not barriers of culture. In some cultures, a smile can be a
grievous insult (for example, a smile that shows your teeth is an
insult in japan). Your point is valid however; I've seen more than
one expert get shot down in flames because they antagonized and
alienated the people they were working with. It's a tricky line to
walk.
Steven J. Owens
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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