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"Millennials", perceptions and workforces

From wikipedia.com:

Generation Y in the workforce

The Millennials are sometimes called the "Trophy Generation", or "Trophy Kids,"^[25] a term that reflects the trend in competitive sports, as well as many other aspects of life, where "no one loses" and everyone gets a "Thanks for Participating" trophy and symbolizing a perceived sense of entitlement. It has been reported that this is an issue in corporate environments."^[25] Some employers are concerned that Millennials have too great expectations from the workplace and desire to shape their jobs to fit their lives rather than adapt their lives to the workplace.^[26] To better understand this mindset, many large firms are currently studying this conflict and are trying to devise new programs to help older employees understand Millennials, while at the same time making Millennials more comfortable. For example, Goldman Sachs conducts training programs that use actors to portray Millennials who assertively seek more feedback, responsibility, and involvement in decision making. After the performance, employees discuss and debate the generational differences they have seen played out "^[25]

There are three (suggested) core elements that drive the ambitions of Generation Y in the workplace^[27] :

Impact--Making a difference is a strong motivational force behind Gen Y's efforts. Though salary and benefits continue to dominate the no. 1 and 2 on the importance list, making an impact ranks no 3.

Communication--The instant communication framework Gen Y developed through extensive computer usage has led to a need for more professional feedback than that of past generations.^[28] Communication platforms such as SMS, e-mail, video chat, and blogging have engendered a mindset that necessitates constantcommunication with others. That mindset has carried over into the workplace.

Flexibility--The divide between work and life is continually growing narrower as more people shift from the bricks-and-mortar to a remote workplace. The rate of remote office workers has increased significantly in the past two years.^[29]

This explains a lot of the problems discussed widely (on the web, in books, via surveys, etc.) about younger generations not being as useful in a working environment as previous generations.

But, instead of focusing on personal responsibility, and what we-"The Millennials"-can do to work out this problem, a lot of my fellow "Millennials" are focusing on who is to blame for the problem existing in the first place. Which (ironically) also gives an example of what the problem is all about in the first place.

Holding seminars and lectures, for older generations to have them better understand "Millennial" mindsets seems a bit extreme.., but maybe it is the small step needed for future generation-acceptance? Personally I've experienced what is explained in the excerpt above, about elders not understanding "Millennial" thought-processes, and the conflicts that can arise from such misunderstandings, both in the workplace and elsewhere.

We ("Millennials") were brought up with the goals of cultural tolerance, open-mindedness and having a positive outlook on multiculturism. Not being highly regarded as positive traits by everyone in older generations, they falcely portray a lot of "Millennials" as what I would call "social deviants".

I do not have any solutions, but I try my best as an individual to evaluate, and adapt on what I'm "programmed" to do, think and say. Everything does not have to have an ultimate answer/solution. The best way to cope, is to do what man has always done.., re-evaluate knowledge and adapt!

Root webserver down

My domain webserver @ "www.pizslacker.org" is currently down for maintenance and localizational reasons.

I had to move the darn box because it produced a whole lot of PC-exhaust raising the room temperature quite excessively, put simply, using obsolete hardware has it's caveats.

I moved the linux-server into the room containing the access-gateway to the ISP, hooked up a SOHO switch to spread one of the three RJ45 connectors on the gateway, and am planning to hook up a second server-box running Windows.

The plan is to have one L.A.M.P.-setup ("Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP" capable linux-box) and a W.I.M.A.-setup ("Windows-IIS-MySQL-ASP" capable windows-box), and to port my web-applications between the two. This will both strengthen my knowledge of AJAX-programming in both *nix- and Win32-environments. But also, force me to troubleshoot any weird and abstract problems that may occur in the process, thus making me learn the frameworks from the ground up.

Sattan...

...blir jo isje LIDE sinte og hissige av å prøva å slutta med kreftpinnene ;P *OFF*

CocaCola and "Open Products"

I was just reading my daily newsfeeds @ work, when I stumbled across an article concerning the opening of the recipe for the Coca-Cola beverage. Wikipedia has for quite some time had a post about just this, so I read it.

Suffice to say Cola is not what it used to be today, mainly because of people wanting to know what they pour down their throats, and governments regulating what ingredients are allowed in softdrinks and food that is commercially available at every convenience store.

What made me laugh, was the products appearing on the market the later years after big food conglomerates were forced to give out their proprietary recipes as common knowledge.

Canadian company "OpenCola" made a cola-flavoured softdrink of the same name, offered with an open recipe, under the GNU General Public License.

Related wikipedia-articles also listed "Free Beer", which was originally called "Our Beer" ("Våres Øl", in Danish), before they re-named it "Free Beer" as a play on Richard M. Stallmans common explanation on "Free as in speech, not free as in beer".

www.slackware.com site down...

http://freenodeslack.blogspot.com/2009/07/slackwarecom-site-down-slackware-v130.html

Apparently, the official Slackware Linux website has been down since sunday july 5th.

I did not notice this until yesterday, and today I found out why...

The link above links to a slackware-dedicated blog, where the author describes the ordeal as a possible revamp of the site due to the release of Slackware v13. Interesting ;D

P.S. - Surfing the Slackware Linux Google Group seems to verify this as the reason for the takedown.