Hello Yvskc.

I'm curious - have you spoken to your daughter to find out why she doesn't want to go?

Someone may be still be interested in Christianity but not interested in church.

Anyhow, perhaps you should look at this issue from another point of view. If you want her to go to church because you want her to become a strong Christian, perhaps you can explore alternative ways to getting her to be a strong Christian that don't necessarily involve church. Or perhaps you can negotiate so that she goes to church at least some Sundays, or she stays for some part of the service. But I think it's a bad idea to force someone to do something that they're not really convinced they should do, especially when they're old enough to know better. Would you like to be forced to do something by someone who felt it was right for you?

Would it work if, instead of pitching the entire series to a TV station, you produced a two-part pilot which could stand on its own as a comedy programme, i.e. one without successive episodes? Surely, TV stations do air such programmes? Then if it worked, you could pitch the series which would be based on the pilot.

Beneli: Can somebody be "proud" of their ethnic group, while NOT being a tribalist?

Well, I don't know exactly what 'tribalist' means. Does it refer to someone who believes that his ethnic group should progress at the expense of other groups? Someone who believes that it is not enough for his group to do well, other groups must do badly? If so, then yes - it is possible to be proud of your ethnic group without being a 'tribalist'.

In other words, if i am proud to be a Gwari man, would somebody who doesn't like the GWARI's then assume that I am a tribalist for being proud of my heritage?

They might - but what do you care? You're proud of your group - you feel good about belonging to a group that has given you a language to speak, a set of customs to practice and a culture to be part of. As long as your pride in your group does not cause you to act unfairly or unprofessionally, as long as it does not cause you to feel malevolence towards someone not from your group, what's the problem?

Do I, because I am NIGERIAN, stop being GWARI or is it alright for me to be proudly GWARI, but also passionately de-tribalised?

I don't know if you can be Gwari and detribalised. You can certainly be Nigerian and Gwari, though.

'Twould be helpful if all you chefs provided information on just how many tomatoes, onions, etc. of what size should be used in your recipe.

Gamine,

Would you date someone who (while not rich) had what it took become rich - i.e. he was smart, creative, hardworking - and who was aware of his responsibility to provide for his family?

He is a good example. A great man in my book. Besides, he is well prepared. He has his mathematical set!

I saw this. . .    and I was puzzled. After all, the exam he is taking is on Christian Theology.

How do you use a protractor and a pair of compasses to assess the nature of divine forgiveness? 

Still, it's good that he's taking an interest in his education. Perhaps this means that the administration of NOUN will be taken seriously - after all, I'm sure the administrators wouldn't want him to descend on his wrath.

MT: Is it anytime I try to submit a form that I have to instantiate the variable form or is it peculiar to my example alone. I asked this question because the textbook that I followed word for word didnt even ask me to instantiate.

As you probably know, when you send the information in a form to a script (like wapa.php in your case), the values that have been entered or selected in each of the form elements are sent in a $_POST array. Again, in your case, people would have entered a value in your oruko, addr and se text fields. These values will be put in the $_POST array.

So if you want to insert these values that have been entered into your database, you have to first get them from the $_POST array, and that's what IronFist was doing when he wrote this:

$oruko = $_POST["oruko"];
$addr = $_POST["addr"];
$se = $_POST["sex"];

In other words, he declared variables to hold the values entered into these form elements, and then used the values that were now in these variables in the query.

Of course, you could just write a query like this:

$nko = "insert into uk(name,address,sex) values($_POST["oruko"],$_POST["addr"],$_POST["se"])";

but I think this wouldn't be very readable.

Wow!

I didn't know this would get as many responses as this. Thanks to everyone who chipped in, especially Omoge and Eeman with their descriptions on how to make it.

So here is the final entry I will post to Wikipedia:

[b]"Kunu (also known as kununzaki) is a popular drink consumed throughout Nigeria, mostly in the north. It is usually made from a grain such as millet or sorghum, although it can be made from maize as well. The variety of the drink made from sorghum is a milky light-brown colour, whilst that which is made from millet and maize is whitish in colour.

Kunu is made by first allowing the grain seeds to germinate, then soaking the seeds in water for a few days and blending the soaked grain with sweet potatoes and ginger or pepper to form a smooth paste. This paste is then divided into two parts. One part is placed in a vessel and has boiling water poured on it, then it is stirred to give a thick mixture. The other part of the paste is then added to this mixture and it is stirred some more.

The mixture is then left for a day or two for the grain husk to settle. After this, the husk and other sediment are filtered out of the mixture, and the filtered liquid is bottled for consumption."[/b]

Thanks again!

Good idea, but it would be nice if:

- you had a search field that allowed people to search your site for a specifically named company or site;

- you had multiple categorisation. For example, Nairaland can be classified as a portal AND an entertainment site;

- you had a line or two which briefly described what the site was all about. You might want to make this an option for anyone who wishes to pay for it if your site becomes popular in the future.

Good luck!

I think the problem with outsourcing dev work to Nigeria has more to do with Nigerian companies not having a history of handling outsourced work. Nobody will want to contract out a very important project to an unknown quantity.

Perhaps the way to deal with this is to first build up a successful portfolio of domestic development projects, then seek software development contracts from Nigerian companies abroad (because they are less likely to view other Nigerians as unable to deliver, especially if by this time there is the portfolio of domestic project). Or perhaps you will have to offer a steep discount on your charges to pay for this 'risk premium'. Then it will be easier to approach any company abroad once you have a track record of successfully working on these outsourced projects.

The other issue with working on outsourced projects is the potential for details to be lost in communication. This isn't usually a problem if the development is done in house and there is frequent communication between the business analysts (who gather the requirements) and the developers (who implement it), but when the project is outsourced, such communication is much less frequent. This means that if you're managing the team, you not only have to ensure that you've got as detailed specifications as you possibly can, it also means that you need to ensure that the development team totally understand this specification along with any changes that it may undergo midstream. And it also means that you need to constantly keep the customer's business analysts up-to-date as to where your team is at (so that they can sleep well at night ).

Good luck!

It's definitely not a good idea to let one's anger remain bottled up.

For example, when I'm angry, I get out my rocket launcher and fire a few grenades into the neighbourhood to let off the anger. After I've levelled a few houses, I find that a great peace and calmness descends upon me.

Of course, what works for me might not work for you.

If you're writing to a SQL Server 2000 database, you need to turn every occurrence of a single quote (as you'd find in Yar[b]'[/b]Adua) into a double quote (i.e. Yar[b]''[/b]Adua).

If you're using VB.NET, I guess you can use the String.Replace function.

HTH.

Good stuff, Fdeveloper.

My comments:

No Substitute For Experience
At the end of the day, a certain level of technical skill and knowledge is mandatory and in my experience whilst theory is all well and good there is absolutely no substitute for experience so a good developer has to have his/her hands dirty. Having said that, the experience I’m talking about has to have been constructive and varied. I mean just because you have been doing something for a very long time doesn’t necessarily mean you have been doing it the right way.

Also, the nice thing about experience is that it helps you build up an unconsciously build up a catalogue software development patterns so that you can much more quickly understand code and figure out an appropriate way of solving a design problem.

Plan Before You Code
I’m a firm believer in having an overall design before I start writing code and at the very least, I think a good developer should have an overview of the solution showing the various system components, data repositories, data flows etc. To do this, the developer must have a clear understanding of the requirements to ensure that the design satisfies them. In other words, a good developer should not just be concerned with writing good code but perhaps more importantly he/she should be concerned with designing a solution that meets the stated requirements.

The other thing you also need to do is to think not just about what you're supposed to do, but about what you might do after that. In other words, you have to try and predict how your software might need to be extended so that you can design it to be easily maintainable.

Documentation
I am no different to perhaps the majority of developers in that I don’t particularly like writing documentation however I believe it is a necessary evil as anyone that has had to take over a project will appreciate. I am talking here about 2 forms of documentation the first being helpful comments in the code and the second being written documentation setting out the system architecture.

The trouble with formal architectural documentation is that it gets out of date pretty quickly. The next best thing is 'in-situ' documentation (or code comments, if you like). These shouldn't simply say what you have just written but why you have written it - there's nothing more frustrating that seeing some seemingly useless code that you're scared to touch because you have no idea why it was written in the first place.

Attitude Is Important
I believe that a developer’s attitude is sometimes just as important as the level of skill he/she possess. Imagine you have to work in a team where all the developers are very defensive and don’t take kindly to criticism, I would suggest that in such an environment, the rate of output would be slow and even though the individual components may be perfect, they may not all work together to give produce the ideal solution . I believe that a good developer should have an open mind and be willing to listen to alternative suggestions and accept justified criticism of his/her design or code. After all if you are sure of your design, then you should have no reason to get defensive, you just calmly explain why you have done what you have done keeping in mind that there may always be a better way.

While it's good to keep an open mind, sometimes, you'll meet 'religious evangelists' who believe that their way is the Only True Way. You'll learn to recognise them by the absolutist language they use and the vehemence with which they condemn sinners. Their arguments may have merit, but learn to cross-check what they say to compensate for the excessive bias.

Good Enough Is Not Enough
It is very tempting once you’ve got your solution working to forget about it and move on to the next challenge however I think a good developer will come back to the solution after a while and take a critical look at it to ensure that it cannot be enhanced in anyway. I also believe this should be done even if any enhancements you implement will never be used as the main benefactor of the exercise is you the developer.

I used to think like this too, but the realities of the commercial world mean that I simply don't have the time to revisit code that's 'good enough'. The best I can do is to make a note of what I might do if I had the time, but hey - life's too short to be spent obsessing over one piece of code when there's a whole world of software out there waiting to be developed.

The idea of a Nigerian superhero is intriguing - but I suspect that it wouldn't take long for him to turn from being 'superhero' to 'super-dictator', given the controlling tendencies most Nigerians seem to have (as much as they would like to deny it).

Finch,

You might also want to try putting your question on this site (if you've not been there already):

http://www.oyibosonline.com

It's frequented by expatriates working in Nigeria.

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I nominate the late Seewoosagur Ramgoolam of Mauritius - the independence leader of one of the few African countries that has a functioning democracy and is reasonably prosperous.

I'll also add Seretse Khama of Botswana as well.

As for those noisemakers who preached African unity but delivered little prosperity, well. . .

Don't forget that solar panels aren't very efficient at converting the sun's energy to electricity. And when you're storing this energy for nighttime use, you'll find that you need loads of batteries to store the energy for regular domestic usage.

Check this article out - it sets out how the new electricity regime should work:

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/shokos-mixed-bag/nigerias-electric-power-sector-reform-matters-ar.html

Certainly, there needs to be privatisation, but it isn't as straightforward as it looks. The big problem is that unlike telecom companies that can build their own infrastructure so that they aren't dependent on each other, the various electricity companies will need to share infrastructure. The most important company of all will be the transmission company managing the national grid - if this doesn't do its job well, then it doesn't matter how much electricity the power gen companies generate.

I think it'll take at least four-five years for things to be settled, and even then, you can probably only expect rationed regular power, not 24hrs a day power. But at least, that's still better than the present regime.

Out-of-body experiences?

I have those every morning when I go to the toilet - I tell my waste to get out of my body.

Greetings, followers of the Coconut,

I have been travelling in the seven hundred and seventy seventh dimension, where I have seen signs and verified visions, hence the long absence. In fact, this is just a short stop over to encourage you all to stand strong in the face of attacks on us by Those Who Do Not Understand.

Evangelist (Pastor (Superior Prophet)) Seun, your good works in spreading the Word of the Coconut are noted. I have lined up an extra title for you on my eventual return.

Idinrete, I hereby confer on you the title of 'Evangelist-General', and I command you to go forth and assist Seun in planting the Word of the Coconut wherever you go.

Babaearly, I shall look into the possibility of opening a Sexual Services Division. If I do, your name shall definitely be near the top of the list.

Nferyn, the Temple is big enough for us all to live in harmony. There is no need to ape the intolerant behaviour of other 'religions' by persecuting Seun. Believe what you want to believe, and let him believe what he wants to believe.

So I depart yet again. . .   but I leave you with the Magnificence of the Milk and the Knowledge of the Kernel as I do so.



Yours in Reverence,

(Cardinal (Reverend) ( (Pastor-General) (Deacon) Apostle)) Ka

Texazzpete,

There are no rules on the length of a CV - I've sent out 4 page CV which have got me jobs in the past.

It's all down to what's in the CV. If the 4 page CV is a rambling, pointless, incoherent mess, I'd expect any interviewer to bin it. On the other hand, if it's a compelling, interesting and logically sequential story, I'd invite the applicant in.

Abra[b]ha[/b]movich?

I thought it was Abramovich.

I don't know about being a beatmaker, but in some of my spare time, I do compose music.

I use Noteworthy Software - but it helps to understand music notation to use it.

I also use a Creative SoundBlaster Live soundcard. This lets me use SoundFonts which provide realistic sounding instruments. The nice thing about this is that there is a huge amount of SoundFonts out there which provide you with an incredible variety of sounds (and beats) to create.

Seun: well, there's something more.  It can be used to get back at annoying bigots.

Not necessarily - not if your satire just goes 'whoosh' over their heads.

Unless of course, you take extra delight in their 'not getting it'.



Nferyn,

I don't do heated religious debates any more. The best I can hope for as a result of dialogue is to better understand the workings of the believer's mind - which itself isn't a bad thing if I want to understand how to communicate with them. But I believe that it is only a severe emotional experience that can detach someone from a religious belief - and usually, the more entrenched the belief, the more severe the emotional experience must be.

In fact, I wouldn't detach someone from their religious belief, even if I could conclusively and irrefutably prove it was false. I might end up doing more harm than good.

Seun,

I don't do clips - I aim for a more refined, subtle approach.

Oh, by the way - Hank just called. He said he's coming to kick your ass from here to eternity. Be afraid, be verrrry afraid. . .



Nferyn,

So you've given up? You've finally realised the gap between believer and infidel is too wide to be bridged? Oh dear!!!

Nferyn,

You should know that in matters like this, either you're preaching to the choir or you're uttering unintelligible nonsense.

The clip was amusing, although it doesn't quite capture some of the subtleties of religious belief.

Why can't we just play the dating game in a honest manner? Why can't we pursue sex for sex and love for love?

Come on Seun - you know that honesty and romance do NOT mix.

But really, it might be down to the fact that both parties in a man-woman relationship have different desires and expectations of the relationship.

I didn't know that answering these questions was a burden, all right, I won't ask you any more, then.

Exclusive contracts are nothing special. For instance, David Beckham cannot play for two different football clubs at the same time? Beyonce cannot release her music through two different record labels at the same time? Is it "unfair" that I can't record music for Celine Dion unless she dumps her current label? If a supplier decides to sign an exclusive contract wih a large corporation, it simply means that the large corporation is worth it.  As long as the supplier wasn't forced at gunpoint to sign the exclusive contract, but did it to make lots of money, it is fair.

Of course superstars have sufficient 'power' to negotiate contracts at terms favourable to them - so as long as they get a good lawyer to read the small print, they may not mind being locked into an exclusive contract. The point is that there is a certain amount of volition here - the superstar consciously makes the decision to agree to the contract, especially because he knows he has many other options if the other party doesn't agree.

The case is somewhat different where there is a large company who because of its dominance in a certain area can pretty much lay down the law as to what the terms of the contract will be, and if the suppliers don't like it, they can take a walk. Of course you will say that there are many options open to the supplier - they can move elsewhere, change business, etc. But let's not pretend that these are easy decisions that can be made without much pain. In fact, the decision to remain a supplier of the big contractor may even have some emotional input - what if the supplier's family is tied to the area and doesn't want to move?

Supposing I find myself in the position of a competitor to a large corporation which has signed exclusive contracts with major suppliers, I will just look for new suppliers who haven't signed such contracts.  By the time my business grows to a certain point, the old suppliers will have a good reason to terminate their exclusive contracts.  Once they discover that they can make more money by supplying products to the new guy, they will start liberating themselves.

What if the existing company wants to extend its control by insisting in its contracts that none of its business partners should do business with anyone who does business with a competitor? Do you think this is unrealistic, or excessive, or still all right as it doesn't stifle competition?

Capitalism is about fair competition in the marketplace.

Could you explain what you mean by 'fair'?

For example, if a large corporation uses its power in the market to force smaller companies out by predatory pricing, is that fair?

Or if the large corporation forbids its suppliers from supplying any competitor, is that fair?