I’d rather go to the dentist, tbh – what devs hate most
What do you enjoy doing the most on a daily basis? How about spending a whole afternoon paying your bills?
Well, not entirely surprisingly. Over a quarter of developers (26%) would prefer doing exactly that; instead of devoting the same amount of time to identifying and fixing code bugs. And that’s not all. Over a fifth of coders (21%) would rather pay a visit to the dentist than debug a section of code. All according to a new survey by software firm Rollbar.
Existing error monitoring methods are far from perfect and often fail to detect vital errors. That results in a third of all software developers having to spend up to 10 hours a week manually fixing bugs; instead of producing new code. And that’s only so that some Internet crusader can kindly let you know you’ve missed a critical flaw just after releasing the product.
As with many things tech, automation has a vital role in helping developers address this issue. Next-generation, AI-powered debugging tools are bound to become the programmer’s best friend.
A new badge of reports by various tech industry actors has prompted Visual Studio Magazine to comb through the data to reveal the top-paying .NET and Microsoft-centric skills of the moment.
Visual Basic occupies the fifth position in the list of top 10 programming languages of 2021, with C# being number 8.
Microsoft’s take on the SQL standard, Transact-SQL, is the top Microsoft-focused programming skill, with TypeScript, the company’s open-source take on JavaScript following next.
When it comes to certifications, the Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) badge is the second-most popular certification, right behind CompTIA’s A+.
In today’s rapidly moving software development space, implementing a solid DevOps strategy has become a must for any team aspiring to be at the industry’s forefront.
Automating and streamlining processes throughout the software life cycle permits greater agility in developing the product and ensures higher levels of quality. But that’s not the only area in which Agile and CI/CD philosophies can help.
With 70% of companies using more than one database in their stack thanks to cloud hybridisation, automating database changes and deployments is attracting growing attention.
51% of businesses are already using some level of automation in their database deployments. These are lower adoption numbers compared to DevOps in software development, but a majority of companies plan on stepping up their continuous delivery efforts in the coming months.
Continuing IT education is everything, and you should keep that in mind throughout your entire professional career to make the most of it
IT experts know this well; no matter how unattainable a technology or problem can seem at first glance; things look much prettier once you are out of the woods and the project is over. And that is because one thing has changed: you. Now you have the experience, the knowledge. You have learnt something. Continuing IT education is everything, and it should keep on being exactly that for your entire life.
Especially in the world of technology, where the difference between the good and the great often comes down to the ability to adapt to the ever-changing nature of information systems. But do not forget you can learn many other non-IT-related topics that will also help you a great deal throughout your career.
Continuing IT education: Skills obsolescence
Renew or die is a motto that can be applied to many things in this world. IT careers are no exception. One unfortunate side effect of digital transformation is the rapid rate at which the value of one’s current skills declines.
One day, your resume has everything top employers seem to be looking for on it, the next, you are scrolling through Internet forums trying to figure out what language or framework you should master in order to get that promotion you feel you deserve. Whether it is Python, Docker or cloud security skills, keeping an eye on the top tech skills of the moment is a bullet-proof plan against skills obsolescence.
But an on-going approach to education has other benefits too. Countering the tedious effects of devoting too much of one’s time to a single activity or line of focus is one of them. We have all experienced that imaginary brick wall that rises in between us and our goals when we have been doing the same thing for too long.
Forcing yourself to step out of your comfort zone and learn something new will solve that problem. It will give you an energy boost and a renewed sense of purpose. Do not ever underestimate what a properly motivated mind can achieve.
Becoming a better professional
Thirdly, educating yourself can have a very positive effect on your current performance and capabilities. Whether it is something directly related to your line of work or something as detached as Middle Eastern history, there is always room to connect what you learn to your present endeavours.
Serendipity, or finding value in things you were not originally looking for, is a marvellous phenomenon. Capitalise on it to connect the dots and bring new perspectives into your everyday activity. Become a better professional by becoming a more knowledgeable person.
Continuing IT education: Mentoring
Finally, a life-long educational spirit will also make you, incidentally, a better teacher. The more you understand what someone learning something new needs of in terms of direction and resources, the better mentor and manager you will become. The best teachers tend to be great students.
That’s not to say you will naturally develop excellent teaching abilities without no effort on your part. Mastery requires experience. But you will, however, develop a certain sensibility and empathy that will make you a much more effective communicator and educator.
A look at the role of the Linux Systems Engineer and how to become one. Top skills, education and an overview of this increasingly popular function.
Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive Linux Systems Engineer job description to attract top talent.
Unlike Windows or macOS, Linux is an open-source operating system that is free and accessible to all. That is, any user can run, modify, and share Linux code. Its open-source nature is a big advantage over traditional operating systems which are locked down, proprietary, and unmodifiable. Linux also has the advantage of being more secure and having fewer security holes than traditional systems.
More and more, large companies are using computers running Linux. Accordingly, the Linux System Engineer function is on the rise. The Linux System Engineer is an essential link within companies that ensures the proper functioning of a Linux network. The engineer helps coordinate the IT team, optimises network operations and ensures communication between the various information systems.
The Linux Systems Engineer is primarily in charge of what are called project or “build” activities. That is to say everything related to technical advice, expertise and innovation. The role is to advise CIOs on the use and configuration of technical solutions in Linux.
This professional is also responsible for supporting the implementation of new solutions under this operating system. They also contribute to the technical validation phase and must implement means to guarantee the high quality and availability of the service. This professional must also keep an eye on all new developments regarding Linux to optimise system resources and continuously improve the operating system.
“Run” production activities
The Linux System Engineer is also responsible for intervening in production activities, which is called the “run”. That is to say the maintenance of the operating system, administrating it and maintaining it operational. The engineer must ensure that the entire system is functional and usable. They must also take care of the day-to-day administration as well as measure and optimise system performance. But they also provide preventive, corrective and evolutionary maintenance of the Linux systems of the company. To finish, they are responsible for managing incidents by ensuring the diagnosis and repair of any malfunctions. The Linux Systems Engineer is also responsible for testing the system, ensuring its security and reliability, and managing the user support side of things.
Linux Systems E can specialise in either project activities or in production activities. But, generally, these professionals work in both types of activities. A good Linux Systems engineer will be able to work on both project and production activities.
The Linux Systems Engineer should have very good knowledge of the Linux operating system and expertise in technical infrastructure software. They must have an in-depth knowledge of Linux system layers as well as a good knowledge of Linux installation processes. They must also often master programming languages, including Python, and also know Scripting (Patch or PowerShell). The Linux Systems Engineer should also have good knowledge of databases and security standards.
Solid professional skills
The Linux Systems Engineer must be rigorous, organised and methodical, as their missions require compliance with quality processes and rules. They must have great capacity for anticipation, initiative, technical curiosity and adaptability to ensure effective technical monitoring and adapt quickly to new technological developments. It is also important that this professional has good analytical skills, resistance to stress and reactivity. So they can deal with breakdowns or technical incidents. They also need to be versatile and have good interpersonal skills to maintain good relationships with other stakeholders.
Salary of the Linux Systems Engineer
The average daily rate a Linux Systems Engineer ranges between €200 and €600. Their median salary sits between 30K and 60K per year.
Training of the Linux Systems Engineer
To become a Linux Systems Engineer a university-level degree is required. That is to say, you generally need to have an engineering degree or a master’s degree specializing in computer science.
Several universities offer specialisations in operating systems. Engineering schools often offer specialties at the end of the course or have specialized courses. You can also take a Masters in computer science specialising in networks and systems ; or an engineering degree specialising in computer science.
Preparing for the next time around with an algorithm
So, was it a pangolin or not?
At this point, the scientific community can more or less confidently say that the coronavirus that is wrecking havoc across the globe came originally from bats. But they are not so sure about which animal acted as the intermediary host.
Identifying animal species that might become the source of the next pandemic is one of the main pillars of our strategy to future-proof our public health. It is, however, not an easy task, as the potential lines of investigation are just too many and new virus strains can be quite unpredictable. Well, it turns out AI can help with that too.
A group of British researchers have built a computer algorithm that allows them to predict which animals are most susceptible to new coronavirus infections. The results of the algorithm were somewhat alarming, as many more mammals were identified as potential hosts when compared to previous studies based on screenings.
But hey — information is power. Better to know where to look for the next time around.
Software development has been accelarated by the pandemic, and that’s great news for technologists. But IT leaders have to juggle the rise in demand with other, more uncomfortable consequences of Covid-19.
Not considered essential employees for the most part, software developers are largely working from home these days. As it is happening with other locked-down professional; coders and integrators are dealing with challenging situations, having to coordinate family duties with work assignments and falling victim to the isolation and the lack of direct contact.
This of course, impacts overall team performance. Which is why development team leaders are coming up with new ways to work and support their teams. While there is no single best approach to the problem; a few common patterns emerge when interviewing some of these managers.
These include greater, more frequent communication between team members. But also visibility over the current status of projects via collaboration tools like Slack and a profound revision of existing workflows. Fostering socialising among peers is also key.
According to a new forecast by Gartner, the need for more agile and decentralised software development brought about by the pandemic will continue to boost low-code adoption in the coming months.
Low-code platforms let non-IT experts develop solutions without requiring hardcore coding and technical skills. Something which, of course, is very advantageous in a time of rapid digital transformation and overclocked IT departments.
Gartner estimates that 41% of all employees outside IT; the so-called business technologists; are customising or building digital solutions to accelerate their projects and integrate workflows.
The firm predicts that half of all the demand for low-code applications will come from business users by the end of 2025.
From industry insiders to technology evangelists, all of them are worth your attention. Top 10 Belgian Cloud Pros that you should follow on Twitter.
Are you Belgian and into cloud? Looking to relocate to Belgium to pursue a career in cloud computing? These are the experts you should be following on Twitter. From industry insiders to technology evangelists, all of them are worth your attention. Top 10 Belgian Cloud Pros to Follow on Twitter.
Now happily retired, Christian is a cloud expert and advocate with over 35 years of experience working at tech behemoths like HPE, where he served as the chief technologist of the firm’s cloud advisory services. He is an avid tweeter and blogger and regularly shares news and analysis about the global cloud industry.
Jan is a senior program manager at Microsoft, where he helps the company’s customers and partners design and develop their cloud ecosystems, with a focus on IoT, machine learning and cognitive services. He has been a Microsoft MVP for many years, conducting training and speaking at industry events across the world.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Codit, an Azure-focused integrated solutions company, Sam is a Microsoft Azure MVP and frequently speaks on the topics of AI, IoT, Integration and API management. Highly experienced in IoT and cloud-based solutions, Sam posts regularly about these industries.
Frederik is a business development and cloud expert who, back in 2001, founded Skyscrapers, a company looking to accelerate SaaS development with a combination of AWS, Cloud Native, DevOps, and Kubernetes. He shares his insight and expertise in these areas through his company’s blog.
Wim is a cloud architect with over a decade worth of experience working with Microsoft’s infrastructure technologies. He works for cloud services provider Synergics, where he focuses on designing Azure hybrid solutions. A true Microsoft cloud advocate, Wim is a Microsoft MVP and founding board member of the MC2MC Microsoft cloud community and writes regularly about hybrid cloud on his blog.
Peter is part of the company’s Azure Technical Trainer team. A Microsoft MVP and certified trainer, he is devoted to teaching partners and customers the ways of Azure – from guidance on how to deploy and manage workloads to helping other experts get Azure certified. He is also a coveted public speaker and shares his knowledge via his blog.
This cloud solutions architect at managed cloud services provider DexMach is a devoted Azure expert and advocate. Whether it is on Twitter, on his blog, or at an industry event, Karel is passionate about helping the Azure community grow, constantly sharing news and educational resources about the platform.
Glenn is CTO and founder of Zure Belgium, where he helps clients design, deploy and maintain scalable Azure PaaS solutions. A Microsoft MVP and certified trainer, he is an active member of the Belgian Azure user group AZUG, as well as a frequent speaker at industry events.
Geert is a cloud architect and Microsoft incubator at De Cronos Groep. There he helps kick-start new initiatives based on the Microsoft tech stack and designs cloud-native solutions on the Azure platform. A frequent speaker at industry events, Geert regularly shares his Azure expertise through his blog and YouTube channel.
A Microsoft insider, Wesley is a cloud solutions architect focused on ensuring that the company’s customers are successful with their data and advanced analytics projects. In particular, Wesley is an expert in working with the various components of the Azure AI platform. He is a frequent speaker at numerous community event and regularly shares Azure news and tips.
Focusing on open source software solutions
could save the European Union billions of euros a year. That’s according to a
new report conducted by OpenForum Europe (OFE) under the European Commission’s
direction, which concluded that a mere increase of 10% in open source
production could increase the EU’s GDP by nearly €100bn.
The study
estimated that in 2018 alone there were over 260,000 open source contributors
in the EU. The volume of code they produced amounted to the full-time work of
16,000 developers, generating between 65 and 95 billion euros in value.
The
reveal comes as another study by IBM and O´Reilly suggests 94% of developers
and technology managers prioritise open source skills over proprietary
technology. Expertise in open-source tech like Linux and Kubernetes is almost
twice (64.6%) as popular as skills tied to specific platforms like AWS or
Azure.
All thanks to the rise of the hybrid cloud, which requires a unified, flexible IT infrastructure and is expected to grow by 47% in the next three years.
Artificial intelligence could change all our
lives for the better, freeing us from repetitive tasks and allowing us to enjoy
more free time and devote our energy to higher-level activities. That is, of
course, if governments and business leaders around the world are able to
promote the re-skilling of the workforce and bridge the already problematic
talent gap.
That was the conclusion of a panel of European institutional experts at The Economist´s recent Innovation@Work summit, which acknowledged AI must be regulated to ensure it is an assistance to people’s lives rather than a hindrance. Ensuring data quality is key, while nations need to set up technology training efforts that produce the talent companies need.
AI is one of the areas of IT where the talent gap is more apparent, especially as the technology keeps evolving at breakneck speed. Companies are a bit clueless regarding AI skills themselves. According to Gartner, 53% of business leaders believe the inability to identify skilled expertise is the number one impediment to workforce transformation.
One of the biggest critiques that can be made
about big tech companies, besides their near economic monopoly is the carbon
footprint they produce. Server farms and data centres, mining of the precious
resources need to build hardware, emissions tied to the distribution of
products. You name it.
It is no
surprise then that companies like Amazon, Google and Microsoft have made in
recent years a pledge to reduce their impact on the environment and established
ambitious goals for the near future. A move that has become all the more
necessary considering mounting regulatory scrutiny by the US and EU
governments.
The
solution? Investing in clean energy.
According to an analysis by Bloomberg and the Financial Times, technology groups are the world’s biggest corporate buyers of green energy. From solar to wind farms, their clean-energy projects expand all across the globe, providing a growing portion of all their energy needs.
And is often a key part of the career plan of an IT freelancer. So what length of mission to choose between Short or Long Assignments for IT Freelancer?
One of the big advantages of working as a freelancer is flexibility. Flexibility in the choice of your schedule and yourplace of work. But also in the choice of your projects and the duration of your missions. Before to learn how to ensure a constant stream of work and how to advance your career, it’s necessary to know which assignments is the best for you. Short or long, the duration of an assignment is a determining factor in the choice of an assignment. And is often a key part of the career plan of an IT freelancer. So what length of mission to choose between Short or Long Assignments for IT Freelancer? What is a short or a long mission? What are the advantages and disadvantages of long and short assignments when you are an SAP consultant, a freelance web developer, or even a cybersecurity consultant?
Short or Long Assignments for IT Freelancer? Choosing a short assignment when you’re an IT freelancer
What is a short mission?
In the world of freelancing, we commonly call “short assignment” all assignments ranging from one day to 3 months of activity. However, in the field of technology and IT; where missions are on average longer than in other types of trades. We tend to consider as short missions all missions which duration is less than 6 months.
Particularly suited to professionals who have decided to go freelance; short assignments represent the ideal opportunity for a “beginner” freelancer to put their technical skills into practice. But also to expand their references and develop a significant capacity for adaptation.
What are the advantages of doing a short assignment for IT freelancer?
Short assignments are the opportunity for IT freelancers to string together different assignments for several clients in various industries. This heterogeneity of experiences is often favourable to the development of soft or interpersonal skills. And generally offers a rich educational environment.
For teleworking enthusiasts? Be aware that customers are more likely to offer you the opportunity to work remotely for short assignments.
In tech and IT, the duration of the assignment often depends on the area of ​​expertise. And always falls within the time frame of the company’s needs. A consultant who participates in a two-year SAP migration project will a priori be more likely to be offered a long assignment. While a cybersecurity expert may intervene in the context of short assignments if it is to resolve temporary problems – although a holistic approach is often necessary and will result in longer assignments.
On the remuneration side, short assignments can be advantageous. Why? Quite simply because they often imply an urgent character. This will give you a better chance of getting a high ADR (Average Daily Rate). But who says short mission says more missions. You must be able to easily find projects or clients to avoid too long or too frequent intermission periods.
What are the downsides of short missions?
The main drawback of short assignments is the constant challenge of constantly having to look for a new assignment, thus requiring the regular renewal of your client portfolio.
This also translates into a very variable turnover. You must therefore expect to have to manage particularly irregular income.
Also note that short assignments do not favour integration into a team. If you have a strong need to belong to a group, chaining down short assignments can create loneliness and dissatisfaction in your day-to-day as an IT freelancer.
Short or Long Assignments for IT Freelancer? Choosing a long assignment
What is a long mission?
More and more companies are hiring freelancers for long IT projects. These long assignments last more than 6 months and can reach 24 months of activity with contract renewals.
Long assignments are generally entrusted to freelance consultants who have broad enough shoulders for hefty work.
Why favour long missions?
First of all, carrying out a long assignment ensures the IT freelancer has regular remuneration and medium-term visibility into their finances. Enough to take a weight off your shoulders.
In addition to this financial stability, this type of mission offers satisfaction to workers who favour work from A to Z on a project and who want full integration into an IT team – while retaining the freedom inherent to the freelance status.
Finally, long assignments can also be an opportunity to discover the work within an organization, to measure the possibility of a longer-term collaboration with permanent contract.
What are the limits of long missions for IT freelancer?
Long assignments anchor the independent consultant in a certain routine which can be compared to the status of a permanent employee.
The experience obtained on a long mission is also often less rich and diverse than that resulting from a multitude of longer missions. But they allow you to go deeper into projects and develop other types of skills.
So, what should you choose when you are an IT freelancer?
There is no one mission duration that is better than another. The duration of the assignment is an adjustable variable which depends on the motivations and personality of each IT freelancer.
Depending on your preferences in terms of types of projects, your ability to easily find assignments, and your appetite for a team configuration, you will prefer short or long assignments. And remember: nothing prevents you from alternating long and short missions.
Enter Edna's Garden Chapter 2. How an 8-year-old girl with a passion for nature turns the world upside down with her data experiments. By Horizon 2050.
Edna’s Garden: An 8-year-old girl with a passion for nature will turn the world upside down with her data experiments
“Edna?” an old voice croaked from above. From beneath the pile of dead leaves she had fallen on, Edna could hear the man struggling to breathe. Wheezes and sudden bursts of dry cough formed a rhythmic pattern that spoke of one-too-many cigarette puffs while walking the dog. “For the love of Christ, Edna! Where are you? Where do you think you are going?” The man’s voice was full of urgency and rage, his British accent more noticeable than usual. Edna could not remember the last time she had seen him this mad. Maybe she simply had not.
“Edna!” In her leafy igloo, Edna could hear his steps coming down the hill as he fought his way through the dense vegetation. She held her breath. “Of all the days you could have lost your mind… It had to be today, ah? Of course it had to be today!” Just a few feet away from Edna’s face, a loose branch broke into a dozen pieces under the furious step of a muddy leather shoe. Edna held onto her precious cargo in a protective embrace. It was still warm, much like the pulsating heat that had started emanating from her ankle. She must have sprinkled it upon touching the ground. A stinging pain stabbed her leg in agreement. Great.
“I am losing my patience, little lady. Come out of wherever you are hiding. Now!” The man’s voice was now further away. It was clear that he had assumed that Edna was no longer there and was venturing deeper into the thicket. No, she would not come out! She was tired of all the stupid rules and impositions. And all because of Her. “One last time, lady! Do you want me to tell your father? Is that what you want?” No, he would not tell Dad. He never did. He loved her way too much to want her any harm. “I am going to count to three, Edna. And then, I am going to pick up my phone and call your father.” Nice try, buddy. “One…” Just a ruse. “Two… Picking up the phone, Edna!” “Peter, no!” Darn it.
Edna had just a few seconds to hide her hunting prize in one of the inner pockets of her navy blue trench coat before a hand started digging into the pile of leaves. An angry pair of tired eyes peeped through a hole in the leafy dome. There stood Peter Kahn, the family’s butler. He was soaked in sweat and covered with dirt. He was holding Edna’s Totoro backpack in one hand and a cellphone on the other.
More hurt, than angry, Edna stared back at the man with a defiant expression. “Where is it.” said the butler. “Where did you put it?” Nothing. He proceeded to unlock his phone. “I lost it while running, ok?” said Edna. “Are you happy now?” The man directed her a suspicious look. “Peter,” said Edna pointing at the swollen ankle. “I can’t walk.”
All things considered, Edna was having a great time. She was really trying to keep herself from smiling as passerby directed inquisitive and confused looks at the man dressed in dirty, eccentric butler clothes carrying in his arms a little girl with even dirtier clothes across Central Park on a Tuesday afternoon. She could have easily piggybacked her way through the park and made it a bit less awkward, but Peter was too much of a gentleman to allow that to happen.
Edna looked at the face of the sixty-year-old butler for a moment. His eyes were focused in the winding path ahead, his face as stoic as straight was his posture. He had not spoken a single word since discovering her under the leafage. Neither was Edna expecting him to do so. She knew that look very well after spending most of her life under the care of the man. He would briskly carry her all the way across the park until reaching The Pond, where he would slow down so Edna could mentally annotate the number of swimming ducks at the time and what they were doing.
It was her dad that had introduced her to nature when she was a little kid, before everything changed. She had been studying The Pond’s ecosystem for over a year now. She had built a database and tracking computer program where she carefully registered all the data in hopes that one day her research might be of use to the cool scientists at the American Museum of Natural History. Over the months, the data she collected was enough to start building a model that simulated the little natural environment she so loved. And that was only the beginning.
But this time, Peter did not slow down. Trying to get a quick glimpse of the water over the butler’s shoulders, Edna considered for a moment dropping her precious cargo where it belonged. No. It was too vital to her project’s success.
The outlandish butler and his broken princess did not look any more fitting while crossing Grand Army Plaza. Peter even had to stop for a couple of minutes in order to explain to a concerned police officer that they were neither part of an anticapitalist street performance nor had they been involved in a limousine crash.
Edna felt sorry for Peter. The gallantry had always been there, but his new attire was simply too much. It did not use to be that way. Not until she broke into their lives and proclaimed that “elegance and taste had to be conquered one outfit at a time.” Peter, like most modern-day family butlers, used to wear what adults called “business casual” clothes.
Edna knew this from the few occasions in which she had been invited – and forced to go – to a classmate’s birthday party. She hated those kids. They were always talking about either cars or horses, summer houses and the coolest technological gadget of the season. It seemed as though their only goal in life was to copy the nearsighted lives of their parents, the superfluous, clean, organized and ultimately sombre lives of wealthy New Yorkers.
She thought for a moment of Tom Collins, that little spoiled brat. She could picture him at the school gates, leaving for home on his ridiculous hoverboard after making fun at the fact that Edna still had to be walked home by “the nanny.” She had heard those things could catch on fire. And she certainly hoped so.
Distant church bells chimed way too many times. They were pretty late. She would be furious, thought Edna with satisfaction. She had been planning this for weeks, yet another fake jewel on her crown of shiny ego.
It all started when Dad announced over dinner that he had decided to invest some money in the new restaurant of a famous art critic he recently met at a fundraising event. The guy’s name was Jeremy Talbot, and, apparently, he was as enthusiastic as Dad about saving the endangered populations of North Pacific short-tailed albatross. “So, how short is its tail compared to that of a normal albatross?” had jumped an excited Edna when her dad mentioned that fact.
But, before she could ask more about that majestic-yet-not-too-majestic-sounding bird, Bianca Salazar – Her – had come up with the brilliant idea. “That’s it, darling. We are having a dinner party!” For a moment, Edna had thought the veins on the woman’s neck would burst out of pure elation. Of course – She had been desperately waiting for such an occasion. Bianca Salazar was tall, thin and evil; her beauty extraordinary enough to make everyone else oblivious to the latter.
She had shown up at their 57th Street penthouse three years after Mom’s death. Edna was only one year old when her mother finally succumbed to the cancer. It was impossible for Edna to recall a single thing about her. She simply had this feeling, a foggy impression of having had a mother a long time ago. Somehow, she knew she came from somewhere – or rather from someone – as opposed to just having been summoned into this world by pure chance. That was definitely what it felt like with her.
Bianca Salazar had simply come along with fake smiles and pretended she had always been there. It did not work that well with Edna. She would not go as far as calling it hate at first sight – Edna was simply too young in the beginning to understand what was going on. It had been more of an awakening. By the age of four, Edna reckoned, she had had enough interactions with well-meaning human beings to recognize one without a soul when she saw it.
Dad was probably the golden standard when it came to evaluating a person’s qualities. He had taught Edna everything cool she knew or cared about, from zoology and astronomy to The Beatles and good adventure stories – The NeverEnding Story was one of her favourites.
Then there was Peter, of course. He had taught her substantially different things, the kind of things Edna wished no one cared about: how to properly eat at the table, how a lady should introduce herself to a stranger, the list of words she was not supposed to use. Well, no – That was unfair.
With her father travelling so much and the witch being, well, a witch, Peter provided Edna and her siblings with the valuable concepts of reliability and selfless generosity.
Edna looked at the butler’s face as they crossed Fifth Avenue on a red light. Peter was an honourable man. The most honourable. Edna wished they had known each other as kids. They would have been really good friends.
Infosec & Google’s Project Zero: Google says try harder
New research by Maddie Stone, a researcher at
Google’s Project Zero security team, suggests hackers have it way too easy
thanks to the business world’s failure to patch zero-day and recurring
vulnerabilities.
According
to Stone, attackers these days don’t really need to come up with new
vulnerabilities to exploit. Although industry leaders including Google itself
are diligent enough in issuing patches to zero-day vulnerabilities, these bug
fixes often fall flat and don’t fully address the issue, leaving the doors open
to future attacks.
Project Zero, whose only focus is to investigate these zero-day flaws, advocates for greater investment and a more proactive approach to security. The key, Stone says, is to let engineers go deeper to identify the root of the problem and implement more meaningful structural changes.
This week we got a surprise announcement from
a technology titan: Jeff Bezos is stepping down as CEO of Amazon. And his
choice of successor is quite revealing of where the industry is headed
next.
Amazon
started as an online retailer, and that’s for what most people know the
company. But it’s not where the money is at. Any tech insider like yourself
will undoubtedly tell the layman that the Seattle born company makes most of
its revenue with its cloud services. It is no surprise then, that Bezos has
chosen Andy Jassy, head of Amazon Web Services, to take the company into the
future.
And Amazon is not alone here. Microsoft is no longer the company that makes Windows. Google is not just a search engine. Cloud has clearly become the winning bet for tech goliaths. And, with only 25-30 percent of business workloads in the cloud. we are just seeing the beginning of it.
And speaking of Microsoft and cloud, the Redmond-based company announced this week the availability on preview of Azure Quantum, a public cloud ecosystem that lets users access the quantum capabilities of partners like Honeywell, IonQ and Quantum Circuits.
With this
public preview, Microsoft wants to encourage developers, researchers and
systems integrators to learn how to use the platform and build applications
that could potentially transform a wide range of industries.
The announcement comes the same week Dutch researchers at Radbourd University revealed a new method for assembling a network of atoms that works in a similar way to the synapses in our brains. The breakthrough, the researchers say, is a major step towards the creation of a quantum brain that is able to function and change like a human’s.
Why and how should you pursue SAP and SAP S/4HANA certifications? Hear it from Denys van Kempen,Technology Expert at SAP focusing on SAP HANA and Analytics.
Why and how should you pursue SAP and SAP S/4HANA certifications?
Denys van Kempen is Technology Expert at SAP focusing on SAP HANA and Analytics. He has been at SAP for more than 10 years, where he helps SAP’s Global Partner Organisation support and educate partners about the company’s technology. Denys is a true SAP advocate, blogging extensively and managing content for the SAP HANA Academy.
How did you get started in your career, what do you do at SAP?
It’s funny that you
ask, because, out of curiosity, I recently picked up a starter certification
for Azure fundamentals. I just did the exam and was happy to pass. And it was curious,
because, when I looked at the transcript where it lists all the certifications
that you’ve done in the past, I saw how I had started out in IT almost 25 years,
and my first certificate was in Windows 95, doing the networking.
One of the most fun parts of the whole software industry and the whole community around it, is that it is constantly changing, and the only thing required is a willingness to learn. If you are interested in studying, you can work in IT. That’s the main qualification you need, as far as I am concerned.
I am now in my early 50s, I speak to a lot of people, and people have very, very different backgrounds. But I would say that is the most essential qualification. Today we are looking at the cloud platforms, yesterday it was blockchain and then it was big data. The only thing you know is next year it’s going to be something different, and we have to take out our books and study the topic.
Why should SAP experts pursue certifications?
I think there are basically two camps. There are people who enjoy learning new things, who maybe even enjoy the challenge of sitting an exam and hopefully pass. And then there is the group who thinks they have a lot of experience already and don’t really need to answer silly questions. I think there’s value in both arguments.
I’ve seen very good exams. But there are also examples of exams where you have to provide answers to questions nobody would know by heart. The certifications that aim for experience and how you solve things are better examples than just those who ask you to memorise things. And I think most vendors try to get that.
Getting a
certification is a great way to make sure you study all the aspects of a
certain technology, because typically you work with the most common things, but,
if you study the topic, you have an opportunity to learn things that are more
obscure, less well-known. For your own benefit, getting certified gives you the
confidence that you know the product inside out. It’s a great way to solidify
your knowledge.
Are you seeing a particular branch of SAP and SAP S/4HANA certifications that is on the rise these days?
Two years ago, SAP
made the strategic decision to go cloud-first in all the development. More
recently, that decision was accelerated. Everything is going cloud these days.
I think you have that
same effect on certifications. There are not really that many people today who
pursue a certification for only on-premise software. It doesn’t matter which
vendor, everything is going cloud. That would be my advice: if you learn
something new, make sure it runs on the cloud. That’s where the future is.
When it comes to cloud, you can work on software that runs on the cloud, or you can help set up and maintain the infrastructure, the internal plumbing. Would that be a good career move for someone that’s just starting within the cloud ecosystem?
That’s a good question.
SAP systems can be very complex, and you have these very large companies, like
big food manufacturers or big banks, whose SAP landscapes are huge. There are a
lot of functional people, of course, involved in making sure everything works,
but also technical people, doing the networking, the backups, etc. And moving
all those landscapes onto the cloud is a major shift of focus.
A question I get from time to time is one from people who have been working as Basis Administrators. They wonder what their role will become with everything going to the cloud. If you’ve been working with backups and things like that, that’s no longer a concern for the customer, because it’s being taken care of by the cloud provider. So, you see that shift.
A lot of the technology is now on the cloud, and no longer on the side of the software vendor. So that would definitely be something to look at. If you have a strong technical interest, you’ll have to study how to work with those cloud providers. Configuration and security, for example, they remain very important, but it’s a different role from the traditional one.
How people make their certification journey easier for themselves?
I would try to stick
as close as possible to the information the vendor provides. Most of it is
freely available or at a very low cost. The thing is that there are just so
many materials out there that you end up going from one rabbit hole to another
and lose focus. If you just stick with the course manual, you’ll be able to
have a quick preparation for the exam, but if you get side-tracked, you search
for exam dumps and study the wrong answers… well, I would certainly not
recommend that.
Also, don’t make it a
project that lasts too long. It’s either going to be 6 or 8 weeks, but make it
something for which you are going to study frequently, even if it’s half an
hour every day. Just come half an hour earlier to work and spend that half-hour
when you are still fresh working on that. That’s far more reachable than if
it’s going to be a 5-month project and every weekend once in a while you try to
cram it all in.
How about the books you publish through the SAP Press?
Well, that’s a bit of
a different story. For example, if you look at Azure or Google Cloud, they
provide a lot of information for free or at a relatively low cost. It’s up on
Coursera or EdX, and for 50 euros you can study for a month and that’s all you
need. That’s a very reasonable amount of money to invest in your career.
Unfortunately, for some SAP and SAP S/4HANA certifications, you have to go through training, and that training can be quite pricey. If you’re self-employed, you might not have the budget. In those situations, an exam guide might be of help. In addition, the course manuals are written to support the course, so they are always challenging. We write these books specifically to help you pass the exam.
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