| Work at RSI! [message #19533] |
Wed, 05 April 2000 00:00  |
Research Systems
Messages: 2
Registered: April 2000
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Junior Member |
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You've been using IDL for years and you like it! You're the "go-to" person
for difficult IDL-related questions in your organization. Perhaps there are
even some things about IDL that you wish were different or you think could
be better. Here's your chance to do something about it.
We're looking for people with one foot in science and the other foot in
programming (and an understanding of both) to contribute to future IDL
functionality.
Candidates will be responsible for all aspects of a project from design to
development to product launch. Candidates must show attention to detail in
their work, have good oral and written communication skills and demonstrate
that they work will under pressure as well as in a fast paced team
environment. Preference will be given to those candidates that have
experience with cross-platform application development under Macintosh,
UNIX, and/or Windows (Win32, MFC, COM) using C/C++, and a thorough
understanding of IDL programming.
Prior experience in either a scientific or medical field is an asset. Visit
our web site http:www.rsinc.com for more information and details, or send
your cover letter and resume to jobs@rsinc.com.
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| Re: Work at RSI! [message #19626 is a reply to message #19533] |
Tue, 11 April 2000 00:00  |
davidf
Messages: 2866
Registered: September 1996
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Senior Member |
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Patrick Broos (patb@astro.psu.edu) writes:
> I find this opportunity at RSI to pose a moral dilemma.
> I enjoy programming in IDL, I've wanted to work again in Colorado for
> quite a while, and I happen to have experience relevant to RSI's need.
> However over the years I've come to believe that the environment/culture
> at RSI does not tend to place a high enough value on scientific integrity,
> i.e. getting correct answers from IDL applications, or on their customers'
> time. For example:
>
> * To this day RSI has not done anything about the corrupt scientific result>
> its customers may produce using the multi-flawed random number routines.
> (Just three weeks ago another person reported to this newsgroup that they
> were burned by this.)
>
> * RSI seems to make no effort to notify its customers of even routine and
> straigtforward bugs that are known and fixed. They have twice now given
> me a revised version of cw_form.pro when I pointed out a bug but made no
> effort to make such improvements available to the rest of their customer base.
> I'm sure the people at RSI are perfectly nice people. They would probably
> explain that by not doing the things _I_ think they should be doing, they
> are able to accomplish other important stuff. Fine ... everyone has to set
> priorities.
>
> So, when you disagree with a company's behavior, should you avoid working
> there (as a protest, and for your own personal happiness), or should you
> try to work there (making an effort improve the place)? This is an entirely
> academic question, of course, designed to stimulate interesting newsgroup
> discussion, since RSI would not likely hire me now anyway. :)
> I like the IDL language generally, but just wish RSI would do some things
> better. Perhaps you, gentle reader, just wish I would stop complaining.
I feel vaguely disturbed by this letter, and I am having
difficulty putting my finger on exactly why I feel that way.
I think because it implies a sort of malicious intentionality
to RSI's collective behavior that I don't think is justified.
Lord knows, I've had my differences of opinion with people at
RSI. And I've chided them publicly on numerous occasions on
matters, such as informing their customers of bugs and
improvements, that I think they can do much better than they
are now. But this letter seems to imply that they don't give a damn
about their customers. And I know for a fact that is simply
not true.
I suppose there could be people at RSI who would just blow
customer complaints off, but I don't know them, and I know
plenty of people at RSI. Sure, I would be disappointed if I
reported a bug on several occasions and it was not fixed. But
rather than believe there were sinister or malicious motives
involved, I would find it easier to believe that the company
simply did not have adequate systems in place to track
customer comments. No company, RSI among them, could survive
long by ignoring problems with their software.
I wouldn't presume to tell you whether you should work
for a company like RSI. Certainly there are politics and
personalities to contend with, just like there are in
any other company. I can tell you that there are a heck
of a lot *worse* places to work than RSI. I think they
both need and want good people who work hard and care
about what they are doing and who they are serving.
I know that the years I spent there are among the most
satisfying and rewarding of any of my professional life.
Mostly because I was given the opportunity to do what I
thought was right for both the customer *and* the company.
Although the culture has changed some in the years since
I left and as the company has grown, I still think it is
a place where individuals with vision and purpose can
make a difference.
Cheers,
David
--
David Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting
Phone: 970-221-0438 E-Mail: davidf@dfanning.com
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/
Toll-Free IDL Book Orders: 1-888-461-0155
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| Re: Work at RSI! [message #19630 is a reply to message #19533] |
Tue, 11 April 2000 00:00 |
Patrick Broos
Messages: 27
Registered: December 1996
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Junior Member |
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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML>
Research Systems wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>You've been using IDL for years and you like it!
You're the "go-to" person
<BR>for difficult IDL-related questions in your organization. Perhaps there
are
<BR>even some things about IDL that you wish were different or you think
could
<BR>be better. Here's your chance to do something about it.
<P>We're looking for people with one foot in science and the other foot
in
<BR>programming (and an understanding of both) to contribute to future
IDL
<BR>functionality.</BLOCKQUOTE>
<PRE>I find this opportunity at RSI to pose a moral dilemma.</PRE>
<PRE>I enjoy programming in IDL, I've wanted to work again in Colorado for</PRE>
<PRE>quite a while, and I happen to have experience relevant to RSI's need.</PRE>
<PRE>However over the years I've come to believe that the environment/culture</PRE>
<PRE>at RSI does not tend to place a high enough value on scientific integrity,</PRE>
<PRE>i.e. getting correct answers from IDL applications, or on their customers'</PRE>
<PRE>time. For example:</PRE>
<PRE>* To this day RSI has not done anything about the corrupt scientific results</PRE>
<PRE>its customers may produce using the multi-flawed random number routines.</PRE>
<PRE>(Just three weeks ago another person reported to this newsgroup that they</PRE>
<PRE>were burned by this.)</PRE>
<PRE>* RSI seems to make no effort to notify its customers of even routine and</PRE>
<PRE>straigtforward bugs that are known and fixed. They have twice now given</PRE>
<PRE>me a revised version of cw_form.pro when I pointed out a bug but made no</PRE>
<PRE>effort to make such improvements available to the rest of their customer base.</PRE>
<PRE></PRE>
<PRE>I'm sure the people at RSI are perfectly nice people. They would probably</PRE>
<PRE>explain that by not doing the things _I_ think they should be doing, they</PRE>
<PRE>are able to accomplish other important stuff. Fine ... everyone has to set</PRE>
<PRE>priorities.</PRE>
<PRE></PRE>
<PRE>So, when you disagree with a company's behavior, should you avoid working</PRE>
<PRE>there (as a protest, and for your own personal happiness), or should you</PRE>
<PRE>try to work there (making an effort improve the place)? This is an entirely</PRE>
<PRE>academic question, of course, designed to stimulate interesting newsgroup</PRE>
<PRE>discussion, since RSI would not likely hire me now anyway. :)</PRE>
<PRE></PRE>
<PRE>I like the IDL language generally, but just wish RSI would do some things</PRE>
<PRE>better. Perhaps you, gentle reader, just wish I would stop complaining.</PRE>
<PRE></PRE>
<PRE>Regards,</PRE>
<PRE>--
============================================================ ========
Patrick S. Broos, Systems Analyst/Programmer patb@astro.psu.edu
Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics My office 814-863-5505
Penn State University
525 Davey Lab &nb sp; &nb sp; &nb sp; &nb sp; FAX &nb sp; 814-863-8686
University Park, PA 16802-6305
<A HREF="http://www.astro.psu.edu">http://www.astro.psu.edu</A> Group office 863-9550
============================================================ ======== </PRE>
</HTML>
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| Re: Work at RSI! [message #19672 is a reply to message #19533] |
Thu, 06 April 2000 00:00 |
davidf
Messages: 2866
Registered: September 1996
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Senior Member |
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Research Systems (jobs@researchsystems.com) writes:
> You've been using IDL for years and you like it! You're the "go-to" person
> for difficult IDL-related questions in your organization. Perhaps there are
> even some things about IDL that you wish were different or you think could
> be better. Here's your chance to do something about it.
While Boulder is just a little south of God's Country, it's
close enough. I'd encourage all you "go-to" guys to think
about this. If you are into outdoor activities, you will never
find a better place to live than Boulder. And although you don't
get to wear your pajamas to work like I do, RSI *is* pretty
casual. I think it's a great place to work. :-)
Cheers,
David
--
David Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting
Phone: 970-221-0438 E-Mail: davidf@dfanning.com
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/
Toll-Free IDL Book Orders: 1-888-461-0155
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| Re: Work at RSI! [message #19725 is a reply to message #19533] |
Tue, 11 April 2000 00:00 |
Patrick Broos
Messages: 27
Registered: December 1996
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Junior Member |
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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML>
David Fanning wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>
<BR>I feel vaguely disturbed by this letter, and I am having
<BR>difficulty putting my finger on exactly why I feel that way.
<BR>I think because it implies a sort of malicious intentionality
<BR>to RSI's collective behavior that I don't think is justified.
<P>Lord knows, I've had my differences of opinion with people at
<BR>RSI. And I've chided them publicly on numerous occasions on
<BR>matters, such as informing their customers of bugs and
<BR>improvements, that I think they can do much better than they
<BR>are now. But this letter seems to imply that they don't give a damn
<BR>about their customers. And I know for a fact that is simply
<BR>not true.</BLOCKQUOTE>
David,
<BR>It seems that I've failed to accurately convey my point this time.
<BR>Use of the phrase "moral dilemma" was inappropriate. I did try
<BR>(later) in my message to characterize RSI's behavior as that of
<BR>reasonable people who have priorities I don't agree with. I regret
<BR>that the impression left in the reader (you at least) included the
<BR>concept of "malicious intentionality".
<P>There is no reason to think that the folks at RSI are malicious.
I
<BR>do however think reasonable people can hold the opinion that RSI
<BR>has a policy of not revealing to its customers information about
<BR>currently known bugs, and of not supplying existing fixes for those
<BR>bugs in any sort of proactive way. I think RSI can and should
do
<BR>better.
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>I know that the years I spent there are among the
most
<BR>satisfying and rewarding of any of my professional life.
<BR>Mostly because I was given the opportunity to do what I
<BR>thought was right for both the customer *and* the company.
<BR>Although the culture has changed some in the years since
<BR>I left and as the company has grown, I still think it is
<BR>a place where individuals with vision and purpose can
<BR>make a difference.</BLOCKQUOTE>
Your insight into the culture of RSI should be valued by those
<BR>seeking employment there, probably more valued than my
<BR>criticism. I'm glad to hear that you think so highly of the organization.
<BR>I suspect my level of tolerance for the shortcomings of my employer
<BR>is unreasonably low.
<BR>Perhaps, compared to the population of other employment options,
<BR>RSI really is a great place. I leave that to reader to decide.
<P>Regards,
<PRE>--
============================================================ ========
Patrick S. Broos, Systems Analyst/Programmer patb@astro.psu.edu
Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics My office 814-863-5505
Penn State University
525 Davey Lab &nb sp; &nb sp; &nb sp; &nb sp; FAX &nb sp; 814-863-8686
University Park, PA 16802-6305
<A HREF="http://www.astro.psu.edu">http://www.astro.psu.edu</A> Group office 863-9550
============================================================ ======== </PRE>
</HTML>
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