[ucodegen]

Another approach if you are uncertain about a person’s qualities, is to hire them as a contract worker and convert to full time should they demonstrate the needed skill set and aptitude for the job.

[ucodegen]

Another approach if you are uncertain about a person’s qualities, is to hire them as a contract worker and convert to full time should they demonstrate the needed skill set and aptitude for the job.

[ucodegen]

Another approach if you are uncertain about a person’s qualities, is to hire them as a contract worker and convert to full time should they demonstrate the needed skill set and aptitude for the job.

[ucodegen]

The deal is, coincidently we both need folks who can do things (yesterday)…Not someone who is going to screw around for the next 4-5 months “figuring things out from scratch”….Perhaps we’re both being harsh, but we’re like dude, if you really want to do this, couldn’t you have possibly tried to learn this during the past 1-2 years when you already thought your existing skillset needed to be expanded. Why are you going to do this on our dime?

CONCHO and CricketOnTheHearth largely covered this.
Basically the world of apps on a cell phone is minuscule compared to the technical space occupied by all IT type work. It is not possible to ‘train’ specifically for all the types of work out there and for all proprietary systems. There will always be ramp up times on projects. Best approach would be to look for similarity in skills (cell platform would be similar to many forms of embedded, and Java engines can run on many embedded platforms, particularly those running a multitasking OS/RTOS). Outside of the programming languages, you are primarily dealing with APIs, which are really easy for a good person to pick up.

[ucodegen]

The deal is, coincidently we both need folks who can do things (yesterday)…Not someone who is going to screw around for the next 4-5 months “figuring things out from scratch”….Perhaps we’re both being harsh, but we’re like dude, if you really want to do this, couldn’t you have possibly tried to learn this during the past 1-2 years when you already thought your existing skillset needed to be expanded. Why are you going to do this on our dime?

CONCHO and CricketOnTheHearth largely covered this.
Basically the world of apps on a cell phone is minuscule compared to the technical space occupied by all IT type work. It is not possible to ‘train’ specifically for all the types of work out there and for all proprietary systems. There will always be ramp up times on projects. Best approach would be to look for similarity in skills (cell platform would be similar to many forms of embedded, and Java engines can run on many embedded platforms, particularly those running a multitasking OS/RTOS). Outside of the programming languages, you are primarily dealing with APIs, which are really easy for a good person to pick up.

[ucodegen]

The deal is, coincidently we both need folks who can do things (yesterday)…Not someone who is going to screw around for the next 4-5 months “figuring things out from scratch”….Perhaps we’re both being harsh, but we’re like dude, if you really want to do this, couldn’t you have possibly tried to learn this during the past 1-2 years when you already thought your existing skillset needed to be expanded. Why are you going to do this on our dime?

CONCHO and CricketOnTheHearth largely covered this.
Basically the world of apps on a cell phone is minuscule compared to the technical space occupied by all IT type work. It is not possible to ‘train’ specifically for all the types of work out there and for all proprietary systems. There will always be ramp up times on projects. Best approach would be to look for similarity in skills (cell platform would be similar to many forms of embedded, and Java engines can run on many embedded platforms, particularly those running a multitasking OS/RTOS). Outside of the programming languages, you are primarily dealing with APIs, which are really easy for a good person to pick up.

[ucodegen]

The deal is, coincidently we both need folks who can do things (yesterday)…Not someone who is going to screw around for the next 4-5 months “figuring things out from scratch”….Perhaps we’re both being harsh, but we’re like dude, if you really want to do this, couldn’t you have possibly tried to learn this during the past 1-2 years when you already thought your existing skillset needed to be expanded. Why are you going to do this on our dime?

CONCHO and CricketOnTheHearth largely covered this.
Basically the world of apps on a cell phone is minuscule compared to the technical space occupied by all IT type work. It is not possible to ‘train’ specifically for all the types of work out there and for all proprietary systems. There will always be ramp up times on projects. Best approach would be to look for similarity in skills (cell platform would be similar to many forms of embedded, and Java engines can run on many embedded platforms, particularly those running a multitasking OS/RTOS). Outside of the programming languages, you are primarily dealing with APIs, which are really easy for a good person to pick up.

[ucodegen]

The deal is, coincidently we both need folks who can do things (yesterday)…Not someone who is going to screw around for the next 4-5 months “figuring things out from scratch”….Perhaps we’re both being harsh, but we’re like dude, if you really want to do this, couldn’t you have possibly tried to learn this during the past 1-2 years when you already thought your existing skillset needed to be expanded. Why are you going to do this on our dime?

CONCHO and CricketOnTheHearth largely covered this.
Basically the world of apps on a cell phone is minuscule compared to the technical space occupied by all IT type work. It is not possible to ‘train’ specifically for all the types of work out there and for all proprietary systems. There will always be ramp up times on projects. Best approach would be to look for similarity in skills (cell platform would be similar to many forms of embedded, and Java engines can run on many embedded platforms, particularly those running a multitasking OS/RTOS). Outside of the programming languages, you are primarily dealing with APIs, which are really easy for a good person to pick up.

[ucodegen]

I also in 2007 or so bought a very nice handcart (“dolly”) from Home Despot that was made in Milwaukee. Sure it was more expensive than the Chinese ones next to it but the bombproof construction shone out even from the store rack. Much sturdier.

For the smaller consumer-type goods, clothing, towels, dishes etc good luck. Most of this seems to have been offshored.

I am finding that it is best to ‘inspect’ the goods these days. I have seen crap from US manufactures as well as good quality. Likewise, I have seen crap from Chinese as well as surprising good quality. I think it is tied to who is running the company and if they are an MBA type… going for the cheapest costs.

[ucodegen]

I also in 2007 or so bought a very nice handcart (“dolly”) from Home Despot that was made in Milwaukee. Sure it was more expensive than the Chinese ones next to it but the bombproof construction shone out even from the store rack. Much sturdier.

For the smaller consumer-type goods, clothing, towels, dishes etc good luck. Most of this seems to have been offshored.

I am finding that it is best to ‘inspect’ the goods these days. I have seen crap from US manufactures as well as good quality. Likewise, I have seen crap from Chinese as well as surprising good quality. I think it is tied to who is running the company and if they are an MBA type… going for the cheapest costs.

[ucodegen]

I also in 2007 or so bought a very nice handcart (“dolly”) from Home Despot that was made in Milwaukee. Sure it was more expensive than the Chinese ones next to it but the bombproof construction shone out even from the store rack. Much sturdier.

For the smaller consumer-type goods, clothing, towels, dishes etc good luck. Most of this seems to have been offshored.

I am finding that it is best to ‘inspect’ the goods these days. I have seen crap from US manufactures as well as good quality. Likewise, I have seen crap from Chinese as well as surprising good quality. I think it is tied to who is running the company and if they are an MBA type… going for the cheapest costs.

[ucodegen]

I also in 2007 or so bought a very nice handcart (“dolly”) from Home Despot that was made in Milwaukee. Sure it was more expensive than the Chinese ones next to it but the bombproof construction shone out even from the store rack. Much sturdier.

For the smaller consumer-type goods, clothing, towels, dishes etc good luck. Most of this seems to have been offshored.

I am finding that it is best to ‘inspect’ the goods these days. I have seen crap from US manufactures as well as good quality. Likewise, I have seen crap from Chinese as well as surprising good quality. I think it is tied to who is running the company and if they are an MBA type… going for the cheapest costs.

[ucodegen]

I also in 2007 or so bought a very nice handcart (“dolly”) from Home Despot that was made in Milwaukee. Sure it was more expensive than the Chinese ones next to it but the bombproof construction shone out even from the store rack. Much sturdier.

For the smaller consumer-type goods, clothing, towels, dishes etc good luck. Most of this seems to have been offshored.

I am finding that it is best to ‘inspect’ the goods these days. I have seen crap from US manufactures as well as good quality. Likewise, I have seen crap from Chinese as well as surprising good quality. I think it is tied to who is running the company and if they are an MBA type… going for the cheapest costs.

[ucodegen]

Even when I added in the cost of servicing aging machines, it was still far cheaper and by an order of magnitude. The warranty programs were obviously a form of insurance, but, up until that point, I had never sat down and considered the true “cost” of maintaining that insurance. I would wager that health insurance, philosophically speaking, is exactly the same.

It is. The financing for a ‘warranty’ program is done by the company taking out an insurance policy. It is much like those lifetime warranty auto parts (lifetime guarantee). These days, it doesn’t mean the part is better.. just that there is an insurance policy against it. When you get an auto part, next time get them to pull the part with the lifetime warranty as well as the mid priced part without the warranty.. and set them side by side on the stores counter and inspect them. They tend to be identical. The biggest cost to me, if I do any auto repairs, is the time and effort to do the repair (dismantling a good portion of the engine to get at the part and remove it). These days, I look for the parts that have the best ‘structure’ and am willing to pay a bit more. ‘structure’ is hard to define. My background is in engineering, so I look for one that is engineered well, with good materials, good quality machining etc.

Now that I went OT on auto parts, it is also the same for health insurance. With insurance, you put a business between you and your doctor. The business wants a profit. The bill to the doctor has to be paid either way…

All that insurance is really set up to do, is reduce risk. This would be the risk that one BIG health issue would wipe you out. This is because insurance works by distributing the risk over many people.

[ucodegen]

Even when I added in the cost of servicing aging machines, it was still far cheaper and by an order of magnitude. The warranty programs were obviously a form of insurance, but, up until that point, I had never sat down and considered the true “cost” of maintaining that insurance. I would wager that health insurance, philosophically speaking, is exactly the same.

It is. The financing for a ‘warranty’ program is done by the company taking out an insurance policy. It is much like those lifetime warranty auto parts (lifetime guarantee). These days, it doesn’t mean the part is better.. just that there is an insurance policy against it. When you get an auto part, next time get them to pull the part with the lifetime warranty as well as the mid priced part without the warranty.. and set them side by side on the stores counter and inspect them. They tend to be identical. The biggest cost to me, if I do any auto repairs, is the time and effort to do the repair (dismantling a good portion of the engine to get at the part and remove it). These days, I look for the parts that have the best ‘structure’ and am willing to pay a bit more. ‘structure’ is hard to define. My background is in engineering, so I look for one that is engineered well, with good materials, good quality machining etc.

Now that I went OT on auto parts, it is also the same for health insurance. With insurance, you put a business between you and your doctor. The business wants a profit. The bill to the doctor has to be paid either way…

All that insurance is really set up to do, is reduce risk. This would be the risk that one BIG health issue would wipe you out. This is because insurance works by distributing the risk over many people.

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