I don't think people are all that concerned about the dirty deeds of some nefarious black hat in this case. I think people are concerned about secret courts, a government that interprets its own laws, and a substantial portion of the public that hasn't graduated from issues commonly found in high school.
I don't know, the bureaucratic apathy coupled with decades old technology of your local DMV might make a decently effective example of security through obfuscation.
For me, it was the digitizing phase. Tearing apart a yearbook, page by page, and feeding it through a scanner? Taking a picture of something you got as a gift and donating the actual thing?
Sometimes an item exists just to be itself. A yearbook doesn't have any value if it isn't yours, or if you don't invest it with some. If you decide you don't want something, fine – but it seems very strange to keep around a formless simulacra of it.
I lost my HS yearbooks before I could digitize them. Its freaking impossible to find another of those things.
A fujitsu sheet feeding scanner has been the single most liberating device I've ever owned.
When you cut apart something like a yearbook to scan it, its almost a religious experience. In faith, you sacrifice the book's corporeal form so that its essence can ascend into the cloud and live forever.
My HS yearbooks were destroyed in a flood. I felt bad and nostalgic for a couple of days. Now it's just a cocktail party story about how I lost my yearbooks.
I digitized a bunch of stuff as well, and was very pleased with it. Objects were keys to memories for me, so throwing away the object felt like throwing away the memory. Looking through the photos makes me really happy, and I don't miss not having the physical objects.
Digitizing was probably my favorite part of this process. I actually look at my photos a lot more now than I ever did before when they were stuck in photo albums because they're in folders in my computer now. And the same goes for my old papers, cards, etc. It's not that I look at these items very often now, but I never looked at them before.
Serra, an EandM Company - San Francisco, CA and Healdsburg, CA - full-time, Automation PLC / HMI Engineers
Little different than the rest of the stuff here, but it's worth a shot:
Serra is looking for Industrial Automation Engineers to work in our busy San Francisco and North Bay engineering offices, serving clients in Northern California.
We know it's not the sexist programming technology, but if you want the opportunity to make physical systems move around and do cool stuff, this is the place for you.
Serra team members create and implement industrial automation systems. In addition to working as part of a team, you will be given the responsibility to complete many tasks independently. A thorough understanding of automation systems, computer systems, and software is required, along with a eagerness to learn and to implement solutions. The ability to complete projects on time and on budget are critical to achieving success at Serra.
The ideal candidate will meet one of the following two qualifications:
1. A Bachelor's degree in electrical or mechanical engineering
2. Or, 5-10 years of practical experience in a related field, including some or all of the following:
• PLC Programming: Siemens, Allen-Bradley, etc. . .
• Industrial HMI development and maintenance: Wonderware, WinCC, iFix, etc. . .
• Database development and maintenance (SQL)
• Industrial communication network architecture and maintenance, TCP/IP, Modbus (and variants), ControlNet, DeviceNet, PROFIBUS, PROFINET, RS-232, RS-485
In addition, the qualified candidate must have:
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A fundamental understanding of computer hardware and system architecture
• A fundamental understanding of computer communications and network implementation
• Solid programming skills in a variety of languages and environments
What Can You Expect at Serra?
Serra serves clients in a wide range of industries; our clients include wineries, semiconductor manufacturers, and everything in between. Serra Engineers spend their time working on project assignments, service calls, project reviews, and post-implementation support.
Assignments are diverse and include many aspects of industrial automation, including manufacturing and distribution systems (with an emphasis on discrete control and process control) and real-time data transactions.
If you're interested, shoot us a line at jobs@eandm.com with your resume and cover letter!
