Since you asked for the three most important things that non-programmers should know about, and I’ve spent most of my career working with more non-programmers than programmers, I have a few interesting things that would help.

Number One - It Is Impossible To Accurately Estimate Software Projects

No matter what is tried. No matter what tool, agile approach, or magic fairy dust people try to apply to creating software… accurately predicting software project timelines is basically impossible.

There are many good reasons for this. Usually, requirements and feature ideas change on a daily/weekly basis. Often it is impossible to know what needs to be done without actually digging into the code itself. Debugging and QA can take an extraordinary amount of time.

And worst of all…

Project Managers are always pushing for shorter timelines. They largely have no respect for reality. So, at some point they are given estimates just to make them feel better about planning.

No matter how much planning and estimation you do, it will be wrong. At best it will be directionally correct +/- 300% of what you estimated. So, a one year project could actually take anywhere between 0 and 5 years, maybe even 10 years.

If you think I’m joking, look at how many major ERP projects that go over time and over budget by many years and many hundreds of millions of dollars. Look at the F-35 fighter jet software issues.

Or in the small, you can find many cases where a “simple bug fix” can take days when you thought it was hours.

All estimates are lies made up to make everyone feel better. I’ve never met a developer or manager who could accurately estimate software projects even as well as the local weatherman(or woman) predicts the weather.

Number Two - Productivity Is Unevenly Distributed

What if I told you that in the average eight hour work day the majority of the work will get done in a 30 minute timeframe? Sound crazy?

Well, for most programmers there is a 30–90 minute window where you are extraordinarily productive. We call this the flow state.

Being in the flow state is wonderful and amazing. It often is where the “magic” of building software happens.

Getting into flow can be difficult. It’s akin to meditation in that you have to have a period of uninterrupted focus of say 30 minutes to “get in” the flow, but a tiny interruption can pull you right out.

Now consider the modern workplace environment. Programmers work in open office environments where they are invited to distract each other constantly.

Most people need a 1–2 hour uninterrupted block to get 30–90 minutes of flow.

Take the 8 hour day and break it in half with a lunch break, and then pile in a few meetings and all of a sudden you are lucky to get one decent flow state session in place.

That is why I say that most of the work that gets done happens in a 30 minute timeframe. The other 7–8 hours are spent being distracted, answering email, going to meetings, hanging around the water cooler, going to the bathroom, and trying to remember what you were working on before all these distractions.

Ironically, writers, musicians, and other creative professionals have their own version of this problem and largely work alone and away from other people when they are creating new things.

Someday the programming world might catch on, but I doubt it.

Even if this became obvious, it doesn’t sit well with most companies to think that programmers would be paid for an 8 hour day and only be cranking out code for a few hours on a good day. Some corporate middle manager would probably get the bright idea to have mandatory flow state training where a guru came in and then there would be a corporate policy from a pointy haired boss mandating that programmers are now required to spend 8 hours a day in flow state and they must fill out forms to track their time and notify their superiors of their flow state activities, otherwise there would be more meetings about the current flow state reports not being filed correctly and that programmers were spending too much time “zoning out” instead of being in flow.

Thus, programmers would spent 7–8 hours a day pretending to be in flow state, reporting on their progress, and getting all their work done in 30 minutes of accidental flow state somewhere in the middle of all that flow state reporting.

If you think I’m joking about this, I’m not. I promise you this is what would happen to any company of more than 2 employees. (Even the ones run by programmers.)

Number Three - It Will Cost 10x What You Think

Being a programmer, I get a lot of non-programmers telling me about their brilliant app ideas. Usually they want me to build something for free and are so generous as to pay me up to 5% of the profits for doing 100% of the work.

Their ideas are just that good.

Now, I gently tell them that I’m not interested in building anything for free.

At that point they get angry, but a few ask how much it will cost. I give them a reasonable (and very incorrect) estimate of what it would cost to create the incredibly simple version of their app idea.

Let’s say it’s some number like $25,000.

They look at me like I’m a lunatic, and so I explain how much it costs to hire a contract programmer and how long it will actually take. For example’s sake let’s say it is $100/hr for 250 hours.

To be clear, these are made up numbers and bad estimates (See Number One for details…)

In actuality, to build the actual thing they want might cost $250,000, or even $2,500,000 when it’s all said and done.

Building software can be incredibly complex and expensive. What most people can’t wrap their head around is the fact that a company like Google, Apple, or Microsoft has spent BILLIONS of dollars to create something that looks so simple to the end user.

Somehow, the assumption is that something that looks simple is cheap and fast to build.

Building something simple and easy for the end user is time consuming and expensive. Most people just can’t do it.

So, the average person with a brilliant app idea thinks it will cost a few hundred or maybe a few thousand dollars to make and it will be done in a weekend is so off the mark it’s not worth considering their ideas.

And programmers are too eager to play along with these bad ideas (by making bad estimates and under charging for their time) that this notion is perpetuated to the average non-programmer.

So, a good rule of thumb is that software will cost 10 times as much as you think and take 10 times as long to finish.

And that leads to a bonus point…

BONUS - Software Is Never Done

Programmers never complete a software project, they only stop working on it. Software is never done.

I’ve worked at many software companies and I’ve never seen a software project “completed”.

Sure, software gets released and used. But, it is always changing, being updated, bugs get fixed, and there are always new customer requests for features.

Look at your favorite software and you’ll quickly realize how true this is. Facebook, Instagram, Google Search, Google Maps, GMail, iOS, Android, Windows, and now even most video games are never done.

There are small armies of developers just trying to keep all the software you use every day stable and bug free. Add on the fact that there are always feature requests, small changes, and new platforms to deal with, it’s a treadmill.

So, the only way out of the game is to stop working on software. At that point, the software begins to decay until it is no longer secure or supported.

Think about old Windows 3.1 software or maybe old Nintendo Cartridge video games. The current computers and video game consoles don’t even attempt to run that software anymore.

You can’t put an old video game in your new Nintendo Switch and have it “just work”. That is what happens when you think software is done.

When programmers stop working on software the software starts to die. The code itself is probably fine, but all the other software keeps moving forward until your software is no longer compatible with the current technology.

So, those are the four most important things that non-programmers should know about programming. I know you asked for only three, so I hope the bonus was valuable to you as well.

iPhone-Maps

[Oct, 27, 2012] |
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One of the most recent updates to the iPhone, and more specifically the operating system that is packaged with the iPhone, iOS, brought one of the most fantastic and phenomenal updates ever: an update to Maps. Maps has been used as an application that provides an easy way to find routes, and (obviously) maps about certain areas, businesses in the local vicinity, and also leaving pins on favorited locations, or pins where you have explored, and for many other reasons. However, although Maps has always been a great way to travel with, it has always been redundant to travel with, also. When you used Maps a while ago, you had to route your map, and then manually click each next button as you reached each turn or freeway exit, and the like. So, if you had to turn left on a certain street, you had to tell your phone you had done so, so it would give you the next directions. As a result, it could become very dangerous to always have your phone out, looking at it, while you are on a high-speed freeway. But, the newest update solved that, and brought a great amount of new features.

Using Maps GPS

Using Maps is as easy as it gets. Most of the time, when you are using Maps, you are using it to search for a location, and finding a way to get there. To start off, let’s search for the nearest mall, and routes to get there. Simply search a nearby mall you know about, or search the general word “mall” by tapping on the top text box, and typing in mall, and searching. Pins will drop down on the screen, and locating the mall by zooming into certain streets and locations will help you find the mall you want. Once you find the mall you desire to go to, click on the blue arrow, and scroll down, and tap on the button that says “Directions To Here.”

As a result of tapping on that particular button, a new window should show up asking where your starting location is. On default, this location is your current location; if it is anything else, simply type in the starting location into the top address bar, such as your house. Once you are ready to go, tap on route, and you should be ready to go. Well, not exactly. One of the best features that has been implemented in the new system is suggested routes, and alternative routes. If you don’t like to drive on certain streets, or roads, the system provides you with different methods to get to your destination, which may avoid a road you don’t feel like driving on that certain day, or time, or you simply don’t want to take the freeway. It’s all okay, as Maps provides you with many different routes to take. Once you find the route you want (by tapping on the certain route’s outline), click start, and you should be ready to go. Make sure you turn up your volume so you can hear the directions!

Maps for Alternative Transportation

A Look at Growing Technology Careers and Those That Are Being Phased Out

[Dec, 02, 2019] |
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Technology is changing all the time, and the jobs that are associated with technology are changing as well. People that are looking at careers in technology will see some jobs that are being phased out as others increase in popularity. This means that people that are interested in tech jobs should be vigilant in researching those opportunities that are growing in demand.

A Dying Breed of Legacy Systems

The mainframe programmers i.e., COBOL, have been getting phased out for years, and are reaching retirement age. The demand for these skills are at an end of an era as more technology surfaces with needs for app development and cloud migration. These jobs will be phased out and are being replaced with developers that are knowledgeable in more object-oriented programming positions such as Java, C#, and etc.

Programmers / Analysts

Professionals that work in software development, can find work in a number of different tech careers. People that know how to program, particularly in object oriented programming, can expect to be employed and in demand for some time to come. The salaries for programmers range from $50k – millions, depending on the skillsets one has mastered. Like any other profession, one can opt to learn just enough to get by or hone in on a discipline currently in demand and master it, such as data analysts, machine learning analyst and cloud migration specialists.

Tech Support for Portable Devices

The healthcare industry is seeing a rise in jobs in Information Technology because more hospitals are going paperless. There is a great demand for people that have the ability to work with portable devices because this is what many doctors and nurses will be using as they move away from the long paper trail that has been created from patients. People that have the ability to configure and troubleshoot portable devices like tablets and phones are able to support the applications for these devices will be in high demand. In this case, learning programming languages such a C++ is the perfect route to go in.

Technology Trainers

There will always be a need for someone that can learn, utilize and teach proprietary programs to others. Internal proprietary technology will need to be updated which means that technology trainers are expected to be current in the knowledge base for companies that are utilizing this software. People that are in the training field, will need to stay updated with new technology, grasp new concepts quickly and be able to teach it efficiently. As more companies take hold of proprietary programs, it becomes important for software application trainers to be put in place to teach this technology.

Printer Support Jobs Dwindle

People that are working in the technology field of printer support will need to consider looking at other opportunities because some of these printer support jobs will be phased out. There is a reason for this. More jobs are becoming phased out in the world of printer technology because fewer people are using printers. It has become easier to read the documents and transfer these documents to other workers inside an organization. This means that less money is being spent on printers. Even less money is being spent on printer support. People that have acquired jobs where their primary role is to work in printer repair will see a decline in the number of people that are needed for these types of positions. It becomes a lot less feasible to have printer repair people in place when there is no printer in the office.

Graphic Design

Technology also holds a special place for those that have the experience in graphic design. Websites and social media really engage people in visual art and people that know how to display it on web pages have a plethora of jobs. This leaves this field wide open for those that know about design structures and editing images that can result in eye catching imagery.

Wan/ Lan Management

One big area that offers an array of different jobs is the area of wide and local network router and switch management. People that are proficient in programming switches and building networks can get themselves a number of jobs dealing with the network topology. Tech careers are booming when it comes to this type of field because many people do not have this experience. They may know how to set up computers, but they may not have any idea about what to do if the network connection is no longer working properly.

People that know how to configure switches for networks and troubleshoot these issues with network connectivity will have a wide range of geographical locations that they connect together to build one network for a business.

.NET Core 3 Release, Major Benefits

[Mar, 26, 2019] |
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On March 6 of this year, Microsoft's .NET Foundation released its third preview release of .NET Core 3 — which is its free and open-source framework for developing apps on Windows, MacOS and Linux — with an official release scheduled for later this year. This release brings a wealth of new features and enhancements. This includes the following:

1. Windows Desktop Support

One of the biggest additions to version 3.0 of the framework is the ability to develop Windows desktop applications. The new Windows Desktop component lets you build applications using either the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) graphical subsystem or the Windows Forms graphical class library. You can also use Windows UI XAML Library (WinUI) controls in your applications.

The Windows Desktop component is only supported and included on Windows installs.

2. Support for C# 8

The new framework has support for C# 8, which includes not only the ability to create asynchronous steams but features such as:

Index and Range data types

Using declarations

Switch expressions

The Index and Range data types make array manipulation easier, while Using declarations ensure that your objects get disposed once they are out of scope. Finally, Switch expressions extend Switch statements by allowing you to return a value.

3. IEEE Floating-Point Improvements

The new framework includes floating point APIs that comply with IEEE 754-2008. This includes fixes to both formatting and parsing as well as new Math APIs such as:

BitIncrement/BitDecrement

MaxMagnitude/MinMagnitude

ILogB

ScaleB

Log2

FusedMultiplyAdd

CopySign

4. Support for Performance-Oriented CPU Instructions

The new framework includes support for both SIMD and Bit Manipulation instruction sets, which can create significant performance boosts in certain situations, such as when you are processing data in parallel.

5. Default Executables

With the new framework, you can now produce framework-dependent executables by default without having to use self-contained deployments.

6. Local dotnet Tools

In the previous version of the framework, there was support for global dotnet tools. But the current version adds support for local tools as well. These tools are associated with a specific disk location, and this allows you to enable per-repository and per-project tooling.

7. Support for MSIX Deployments

The new framework supports MSIX, which is a Windows app package format that you can use when deploying Windows desktop applications.

8. Built-In and Fast JSON Support

In prior versions of the framework, you had to use Json.NET if you wanted JSON support in your application. The framework, though, now has built-in support that is not only fast but also has low allocation requirements. It also adds 3 new JSON types, which include:

Utf8JsonReader

Utf8JsonWriter

JsonDocument

9. Cryptography Support

The new framework supports AES-GCM and AES-CCM ciphers. It also supports the importing and exporting of asymmetric public and private keys from a variety of formats without the need of an X.509 certificate.

Platform Support

.NET Core 3 supports the following operating systems:

Alpine: 3.8+

Debian: 9+

Fedora: 26+

macOS: 10.12+

openSUSE: 42.3+

RHEL: 6+

SLES: 12+

Ubuntu: 16.04+

Windows Clients: 7, 8.1, 10 (1607+)

Windows Servers: 2012 R2 SP1+

The framework further supports the following chips:

x64 (Windows, macOS and Linux)

x86 (Windows)

ARM32 (Windows and Linux)

ARM64 (Linux)

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Tech Life in Mississippi

Fun facts about Mississippi: - Historic Jefferson College, circa 1802, was the first preparatory school established in the Mississippi Territory. Located in Washington the educational institution is also the site where tradition holds Aaron Burr was arraigned for treason in 1807, beneath what became known as Burr Oaks. - Burnita Shelton Mathews of Hazelhurst was the first woman federal judge in the United States and served in Washington, the District of Columbia. - The world's largest cottonwood tree plantation is in Issaquena County.

Operating systems are like underwear ? nobody really wants to look at them. Bill Joy

other Learning Options

Software developers near Jackson have ample opportunities to meet like minded techie individuals, collaborate and expend their career choices by participating in Meet-Up Groups. The following is a list of Technology Groups in the area.

The North Mississippi Software Developer's Group ·

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the hartmann software group advantage

why take Microsoft Windows Server Training with the hartmann software group?

A successful career as a software developer or other IT professional requires a solid understanding of software development processes, design patterns, enterprise application architectures, web services, security, networking and much more. The progression from novice to expert can be a daunting endeavor; this is especially true when traversing the learning curve without expert guidance. A common experience is that too much time and money is wasted on a career plan or application due to misinformation.

The Hartmann Software Group understands these issues and addresses them and others during any training engagement. Although no IT educational institution can guarantee career or application development success, HSG can get you closer to your goals at a far faster rate than self paced learning and, arguably, than the competition. Here are the reasons why we are so successful at teaching:

Learn from the experts.
1. We have provided software development and other IT related training to many major corporations in Mississippi since 2002.
2. Our educators have years of consulting and training experience; moreover, we require each trainer to have cross-discipline expertise i.e. be Java and .NET experts so that you get a broad understanding of how industry wide experts work and think.
Discover tips and tricks about Microsoft Windows Server programming
Get your questions answered by easy to follow, organized Microsoft Windows Server experts
Get up to speed with vital Microsoft Windows Server programming tools
Save on travel expenses by learning right from your desk or home office. Enroll in an online instructor led class. Nearly all of our classes are offered in this way.
Prepare to hit the ground running for a new job or a new position
See the big picture and have the instructor fill in the gaps
We teach with sophisticated learning tools and provide excellent supporting course material
Books and course material are provided in advance
Get a book of your choice from the HSG Store as a gift from us when you register for a class
Gain a lot of practical skills in a short amount of time
We teach what we know…software
We care…

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