PythonicAlpha

Thatcher was highly regarded as role model how profitable it is to go for more privatization. But the result is, that today the UK is in worse state as it was before Thatcher.

It was profitable of course! But not for the 99% of the people.

I do not know, who ever came up with the idea, that voluntary CSR could replace social taxes and regulations, but in my opinion, that is nothing else as neo-capitalistic bullshit, again!

Those that believe in it should go to the worst areas of England and into the slums of the US and see what the results are. England once was one of the wealthiest and best to live in countries of the world. Now, after Thatcher, it is just a hollow carcass, cankered by neo-capitalism. What is left is the reign of the bankers, leaving some tips on the desk for the underdogs.

I also strongly disagree with the (white-washing) statement, that the working conditions at Hermes are purely a result of the logistic market!

There are other logistic companies that still have far better working conditions. So it is possible.

The whole construction of Hermes is made this way, that the conditions of the workers are bad and Hermes itself can wash their hands of it. Even the small companies in between this "chain of irresponsibility" are complaining of bad conditions and many go bankrupt for Otto's billions.

Could be. I have no comparison possibility here. But I don't understand, why Otto himself is defending the very bad conditions at Hermes.

I do not agree with Otto's benevolence. I think it is just show. When you see what he is doing with his Hermes business, he is not benevolent at all but throws many people even deeper into despair.

There was also a documentary about his life-ruining business but the big "benefactor" just found covering slogans to disguise what it is really about: To rip people off. When his other businesses work the same, than it is a big benevolence show. Of course the German government bought the show (why not, our politicians are of the same kind!).

I agree. I think, today's Otto Group is not morally superior to Amazon's business at all, at least judged by their Hermes business. At least, I can not see any viable differences.

What totally pisses me off is, the aura of "charity" that Otto is surrounding around himself. He also got a high German medal (the so called "Große Verdienstkreuz mit Stern") for his charities. With examples like these, German high medals become the same value as the "Nobel Peace Prize" that is given to some of the worst persons that have lived.

I now understand, why some people strictly refuse to be dishonored by such prizes.

No, I am from Europe, and in Europe we are told, that the US is the holy grail of free market ... in the US, everything is better as in our countries, and that is the reason, we have to shape them by this role model of freedom and Democracy! That is also the reason, we constructed the EU with all its strictly democratic possibilities for corporations to screw up the European commission and don't have to deal with stupid local politicians that always have some doubts (European commission has never doubts, that corporations have the right thing to say ... as long as they are big enough and can afford it ...) -- btw. we also have the European parliament, but the constructors of the system had the foresight to give them no ability at all to come in between the right things and the commission -- the European parliament is somewhat for the EU what the Queen of England is for the British. Costly, but has nothing to say, that the Commission did not dictate.

But thank you for the little insight into the political system. Though I don't understand to much what this Congress, Senate and whatsoever are all about ...

The cost of a car? You just think to small. I doubt, that you understand what I meant by "afford".

I thought, that the US are the land of free market?

Sometimes, it just seems to me the land of free market for those that can afford it?

It seems to me, that many companies think, that computer science is just plainly simple. You can just put any task to a new bachelor or even student that claims he can program.

I learned the hard way, that even the creation of internal APIs of software is hard, since you can make many errors. I made many errors, after I came from university. After I made them, I knew it better, because I had to manage an other developer that had to use it and I saw what a mess it was.

External APIs are even more difficult to create, because such things as security and others have to be covered ... but still it seems many companies thing any stuff scribbled by a student in the first semester would suffice.

One thought, why you should quit (at least in the long run): A company, that treats valuable people this way will go downhill in short or longer time.

Honestly: I would search for a different job.

You can try inside your company to find a different boss or go for another company.

Incompetent bosses are widely spread in the computer business. That kind of treatment is a clear sign of it. As one wrote, it could be a political thing, but I am not sure about that and also you need not to care, because on every side, the result for me would be, that I try to find a different job. Such bosses are the hell and nobody that is competent in is work deserves such bosses.

Edit: This "hard enough" thing, is something, that is inside the heads of bad bosses and is spread by business-magazines like viruses. The thing is: A good developer should be honored to work hard enough, when he works 40hrs period.

If the boss thinks, that he needs people working 50-60hrs, than in reality he needs morons that he can turn his whip on. The hours don't tell anything on the productivity of people. Some programmers make twice the work in half the time of others. And spending long hours means that you are exhausted and exhausted people are both, less productive and much less creative.

As much I understand, even HTTPS and its infrastructure has plenty of holes.

How was this, that some people broke into a signature authority and stole master-keys -- so a huge number of keys where compromised. I don't know, if that thing was repaired yet. Also there exist many authorities that give keys to people without the simplest identity check. Such keys are a security risk of its own.

I also don't know, how good (or bad) the key withdrawal mechanism is working currently. I remember darkly (I am not current in these things) that there existed some problems with existing browsers, infrastructure and so on ...

And even, when those things would work fine ... as much I know, there exist holes in the implementation, depending which algo combination is used.

So there are so many attack vectors, that even in the best case (https works fine and you have a domain that belongs to the correct author ... and you have checksums ... and you check, if your browser tells you, that the certificate is perfect (who in the internet age cares, when the browser says that the certificate has some problem??) ...) there seems to be no security in the internet age ....

(And I am not even speaking or thinking about governments spying on us all)

Yes, but it seems to me, that the risk of further melt downs in Chernobyl is much lower and the core is more divided -- so the situation is stable without cooling. In Fukushima, the cores still have to be cooled, what makes the thing troublesome. You can't just bury a core that has to be cooled ....

As much I remember, in Chernobyl the core stopped before it reached the ground water, because they digged below the core and made it stop -- risking and probably sacrificing further lives.

We can all only hope that now goes everything according to plans.

I fear, a second Tsunami in the region would be a second (maybe bigger) disaster and free even more radioactive material.

They still have enough problems. There is for example the trouble with huge quantities of radioactive water -- that is anything else than solved.

Companies will find a different name ... and go on with the same business model.

Just a naming game ... no real progress, yet.

Clever companies will always find ways, to fool not so clever people. I also think, that most people know, that F2P is not really free.

But what view will the historians get from us?

I fear, they will write, that the beginning 21st century was full of perverts!

What do they have from other centuries:

Goethe, Franklin, Hugo, ....

And from ours:

People that strip before the webcam??

I don't currently know. The socialized medicine is not the problem. We once had a system, that the full records where hidden from the health funds. But I think, recently this principle was weakened -- but not because of "socialized medicine" but just because of the infamous "electronic health card" -- governments like to play with new technical gadgets (that bring more costs and bureaucracy and no gain).

This clearly shows (should show) to anybody, that what is done here breaks not only the law, but destroys the foundations of our (western) democracies.

That's something, that makes me shiver, too!

OK, now I better understand. As I am not an US citizen, I am not affected by it, but you are right, that this seems to be a scandal of its own. But you also can see it complementary to all the surveillance stuff. It just seems, that the Obama gov. does not care to much about the privacy of US people.

I think, this road taken, by the country, that once was the big model for many countries like the one I live in, is a really bad omen for freedom in the whole world.

"We can keep a Republic, or we will eventually end up with an Oligarchy - a tyranny of the elite." — Benjamin Franklin

Your best quote, because it shows, where we are today.

I am fully aware, that when we talk democracy in such forums as here, we all have our own artificial picture of democracy in mind, that is not the same as democracy in its genuine sense.

I am not so current in US politics. What do you mean?

Still you cling on black and white thinking and to the notion, that things will never change.

They do!

Also: Who on earth says, that there is even one good functioning democracy at all?

"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried." Churchill

I don't understand your arguments fully, but I think you just follow a black and white path. And that does not help in the real world.

Interesting idea. But not practical, I think. The mighty will always find ways to hide their doings and as you can see at the current state, those with the bigger resources will always win in such a battle.

That is a valid question.

Good speech about it: Lawrence Lessig: We the People, and the Republic we must reclaim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw2z9lV3W1g

You follow two fallacies: The fallacy, that democracies will stay forever and that people in a democracy act democratic. Democracy is no virtue of its own.

Your other logical errors, I will not comment.

I think, we think similar.

The problem is, that from time to time, people have to stand up for their rights -- either by voting or by other means -- to change the behavior of governments.

What did Benjamin Franklin write: "Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety"

That is not only an inheritance for governments but also for all societies that want to be free. Freedom is not something to be inherited or some "virtue" you have by be born in the right country, but something that must be fought for in daily practice ... by everybody. Else, we will loose it. And we in the western countries are at the verge.

I am not interested in, what philosophers say or what the government says, or even what the law books say.

It is just obvious to me, that living together (and that is basically what laws, governments etc. are all about) is only possible and can last, when some fundamentals are respected. One of them is privacy (this becomes more and more obvious in the digital age).