What class of programmer are you?

Posted by Scott on 27. October 2008 14:29

"People can be divided into two classes: those who go ahead and do something, and those who sit still and inquire." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

What kind of programmer are you? In today's world of programming, the average programmer does not sit on the bleeding edge nor do they sit on the back burner waiting for the coils to get hot enough to jump ship.  You have to change and evolve.  You have to keep moving forward.

Programmers generally move forward to a new product every few years, but also sit complacent when they don't feel threatened.  Like one of the Militaries favorite quotes, "If it ain't broken, don't fix it." The military is a reactionary force along with the average programmer.  The programmer that moves ahead in the world is not the average programmer.  They are a programmer who moves forward, who thrives for the best.  Who sees a problem and fixes it.  They do not wait for the problem to come about and then go about fixing it.  They are ahead of the crowd, the first kind of programmers are your Bill Gates, Steve Wozniaks, Scott Guthries, Paul Allens, Steve Capps, Justin Frankels and Jarkko Oikarinens. The first type of programmer wants to innovate, move around and make things that help humanity.  These are the programmers I look up to.  As of recently these types of programmers have gone into hiding at Microsoft, but not Google or Apple.  Why is it that most of Microsoft's programmers (Microsoft employees) fit into the second class of people.  These days, Google is the innovator.  Google's employees fit into the first class of people.  They are now the company to beat in the programming world.  They are the ones that everyone else is trying to play catch up with. Microsoft has lost a lot of its innovative programmers and they have moved to Google or decided to venture into their own startups.

If Microsoft wants to compete in Google's world, it has to accomplish a few great things. The first thing to do would see how Google works.  See what they do to make great software.  If Microsoft fails at this, they will not be a company in the next twenty years. Microsoft has to go back to the basics.

"Competition always creates an environment for innovation."

Microsoft tried to compete with Google over two years ago today.  They started a service that could have created such a competitive environment, but they fell complacent. Therefore they fit in the second class of programmer. 

What was this service? Live Labs. Google has launched over 30 innovative products from their labs, so why has Microsoft launched only six in the passed two years?  Microsoft has become complacent. This post is not to slam Microsoft on their shortcomings.  It gives you a difference between what the first class of programmer looks like compared to the second class.  Microsoft is neck deep in the second class of programmers with only a few truly innovating, while Google is up to its knees in the second class of programmers.

I would like to hope since your reading this, that you are not falling complacent.  That you have an innovative environment around you.  That you are pushing the thresh hold of your very fabric. I hope that you are not like Live Labs, but actually like Google Labs. Always creating, always innovating. The average programmer sticks with Live Labs, but the first class programmer is Google Labs. Be Google Labs. Become better than you are.

Microsoft launches its Google Labs - Here is an article from January 06 that had hopes of Live Labs competing with Google Labs.  Microsoft wonders why people are flocking towards Google.

"The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something." - Franklin D. Roosevelt - 1932

Don't just stand there.  Go ahead and do something! The world is waiting for you to experiment. Be the first class of programmer!

Does Pay Per Click still generate revenue?

Posted by Scott on 22. October 2008 15:43

There are alternatives to the monopoly that is Google.  Adsense these days has close to a strangle hold on advertising on the net.  Not only is it in the blogsphere, but it is also coming to mainstream on Yahoo and Amazon.  When I first started blogging, the default was to go with adsense.  I am not trying to make a living off the blogs I have, but I am asking to be reimbursed a little for the time spent.  I enjoy spreading information around the net and enjoy the feedback I get for it, but compensation is also very nice.

Google currently has more than 60% market share on advertising and it will only increase if the Yahoo/Google deal goes through.  Google has also stated that they make over 98% of their revenue from advertising.  When I first used Google adsense, I wouldn't make any money.  Pennies would trickle in slowly and it seemed to go no where using the "Pay per click" model I was using.  The revenue isn't there even though Google makes so much revenue from it.  So where do they get it you say?  Selling ads.  That is it.  They make their money selling ads to companies and people willing to buy them.  To this model the companies do make out fairly well only getting real cost for performance.  The problem with this model is the click fraud.  There is a lot of it and it will never stop.

Below is the best representation of what you would expect to make using each system:

I want to propose that we stop adopting the adsense model.  Not because Google isn't a great company because it very much is, but because this system doesn't truly pay out for the small timers like me and every other blogger that can't sell direct advertising on their blog or domain.

I have a new system that I say should be looked at.  I found it just a couple of days ago and hoped that it would do me good. I don't get many hits on the site, but using this application means I get paid for EVERY SECOND that I have ads on my site.  I am not talking monthly, but every second there are ads on my site, I get paid.

The application is called Project Wonderful and they have an idea on how to do things.  PW works on a bidding system, kind of like a FREE MARKET SYSTEM. The market decides how much you make on each ad.  With over 8,000 publishers on the system, I am always getting ads on my site for it.  I am always making money and proud of it.  I don't bring in as much as the other well established bloggers, but I now make profit on my site as a whole.  They pay out at every $10.00, so you no longer have to wait to reach a hundred dollars like Google.  PW also won't shut you down for click fraud of any sort.  I heard stories where bloggers were accused of click fraud and lost ALL of their money with Google.  Well above the $100.00 mark. I now am trying this PW application and will see how it works.

So far it has treated me well and I am currently happy with the result.  I ask that if you are using Google Adsense or Text link ads or any other system that doesn't pay you direct.  Go ahead and try PW.  I can't promise it is the best system out there, but for a small timer like me It Works!

I do ask though, if you like it.  Spread the idea around!  Get more bloggers and more advertisers using PW. I think it definitely needs to infiltrate the NERD and TECHIE market of bloggers to be successful!

The next 8 years with Technology.

Posted by scott on 12. October 2008 10:39

Today I watched a Google Talk today about Technology.  The president nominee spoke about ideas on free Internet, Public opinion, technology within bills that get passed in the house and senate, Public knowledge of bills, and more.

I for one am a Republican with many views against democrats and especially left wing democrats, but I do think that Technology can SAVE THE WORLD.  I have not seen my parties stance on technology, but today I saw the democrats stance on technology.  I ask you to also look at this stance.  Republicans have not shown me what they plan on doing with technology, but democrats have.

So for me and the stance on technology, I lean towards the democratic view even though I am a republican.

I hope all of you also review this video and sit down for an hour and take the time out of your day to do so.  This has greatly increased my chances for voting democrat. 

Please understand, that I am not being political, but to show you what I think should be done in the technology market.

A 24 Core and above Machine where Microsoft and Google Collide

Posted by scott on 19. May 2008 01:01

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to attend DevConnections 2008 in Orlando, FL.  I spoke to a Microsoft Pro by the name of Steven Toub.  He works for Microsoft in the parallel computing labs.  He currently is designing PLINQ which is a parallel operations for LINQ.  He said in the next 9 years, he expects 100 Core machines to be out on the market and Microsoft has vowed NOT to make any software for 32 bit machines anymore from today on. 

It is interesting to see Microsoft take this route and not develop for single cores anymore and I am questing what can that do for their market. I only think make it better.  There are rumors out there that Microsoft doesn't innovate anymore.  I think some of the rumors are true to some markets of software, but in other markets Microsoft leads the pack.  Microsoft does have a problem with its Internet technology and they just released Microsoft Mesh which allows for a computer desktop to be visualized on the Internet Browser.  Pretty impressive stuff which shows that they can innovate in some areas, but very little in others.  I think the main reason Microsoft doesn't innovate as much in Americans eyes nor in the Europeans eyes because they are in disgust of the the giant gorilla in the room and there for less and less Americans go to work for them.  Its all about Yahoo and Google and working for those folks.  Americas top innovators have moved from Microsoft to Google in a big jump that took about 5 years.  They saw that Google actually had money to spend and it is also a great place to work.  I don't know about Microsoft's working conditions, but Google is supposedly the cream of the crop for developers.

The entire discussion is wether Microsoft can still innovate in the next couple of years.  I for one enjoy Microsoft's products and the PLINQ will be a gem for them that Google doesn't currently have yet.

Can Microsoft keep up with the Innovations?

Google listened to me and put something on their front page!

Posted by scott on 13. May 2008 22:42

A few days ago, I saw a blog post from the official Google blog that spoke about donating to victims of Myanmar victims.  They opened up a Google Checkout to take donations from people to help the victims of the Cyclone that hit Myanmar (Over 40,000 missing and 22,000 dead).  I then decided to write them a little love note and tell them that this is awesome to post on their blog.  Except for the fact it only reaches 499k Readers (current subscription) who RSS it.  I wrote them a little note that said good job, but how about taking one step further?  I asked them to post a link on their front page to actually get the mass amount of people who actually visit Google on a daily basis.  I was completely surprised and IMPRESSED that when I checked back a few days later, they had the link up on the front page and THEY OFFERED TO MATCH IT up to $1,000,000.00.  Boy was I impressed when I saw that.  I then ask my self sometimes as a self prescribed Fanboy of Microsoft and Google, why doesn't Microsoft do something like this?  Are they just in it to make money?  I do know one thing, I will continue to LOVE Google for their charities they give to. Thank you guys for making me a devoted follower!

Respectfully, Scott Pio.

Thanks again Google for making a difference in the world. Now only if you would cycle through those bottom links to include other charities for the good and ALSO started to put it on IGOOGLE for those people that never see it.