Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,153,706 members, 7,820,469 topics. Date: Tuesday, 07 May 2024 at 03:31 PM

Wallie's Posts

Nairaland Forum / Wallie's Profile / Wallie's Posts

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (of 56 pages)

Career / Re: A Harsh Take On Locally-Trained Nigerians by Wallie(m): 7:00pm On Jun 06, 2013
Interesting topic!

I actually believe that Asian ogas expect absolute compliance like their Nigerian counterparts. Here’s my anecdotal experience that you can compare with Nigerian ogas.

An Asian junior partner in my firm tends to want to have his way almost every time during a debate with other associates. He will argue with you until you give up even though you believe you’re right.

In contrast, a Caucasian senior partner once chided me for always agreeing with him when we talk about cases. He said, “Wallie you keep nodding your head in agreement...that’s not want I want!” This is someone with about 35 more years of experience and more plaques on the wall than I have. I now confidently say "hmmm...you're probably wrong because XYZ"

Lastly, watch the video below to see the type of subjugation that occurs in Asia! I would have hit him so hard that his nose bone would poke his brain!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43bEczYIQaY
Business / Re: Crowd Funding In Nigeria. Intelligent minds, lets discuss. by Wallie(m): 6:10pm On Jun 06, 2013
With regards to agriculture, there’s very little money to be made unless mechanized or large scale farming is practiced and even then, you’re always a season or two away from wiping off gains made over the years if the weather becomes unfavorable or your livestock gets a major infection. If the government of Nigeria is subsidizing agriculture, like the rest of the western world, then you might be onto something.

If I may, I think what Nigeria needs more of, as far as agriculture is concerned, is food preservation and packaging. Can you imagine being able to make fruits or crops available off season or being able to prolong the life of harvested crops long enough to make it to a major market where someone is willing to pay top Naira?
Business / Re: Crowd Funding In Nigeria. Intelligent minds, lets discuss. by Wallie(m): 4:01pm On Jun 06, 2013
Here's an article about recalculating Nigeria's GDP that relates to the investment climate that can be created. The article also highlighted a mobile apps development company, Pledge51.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/05/31/187401022/how-recalculating-gdp-can-help-app-designers-in-nigeria

I'm interested in this endeavor but I'm not based in Nigeria, which is why I've not attempted to launch such a program (although, I wasn't going to crowd source for investment funds). The aforesaid notwithstanding, I can help in the legal and business arena if your tentacles reach this side of the world.

1 Like

Business / Re: Crowd Funding In Nigeria. Intelligent minds, lets discuss. by Wallie(m): 4:32pm On Jun 05, 2013
@CharcoalBlaq

I skimmed through most of what you wrote because I'm pretty familiar with the companies you spoke about. As such, it's not clear to me if you're trying to create a hybrid of a business incubator center and crowd funding source, are you?
Family / Re: Should A Husband Forgive An Adulterous Wife? by Wallie(m): 4:16pm On May 28, 2013
Should a husband forgive his wife caught red handed with a guy on top of her? Yes if the guy can look past it and move on with his wife.

Would I forgive her if she were my wife? Absolutely f**king not! The sight will forever hunt me! Actually, I’ll probably be in jail by now for acting on my impulse.

Should my wife forgive me if she caught me cheating? I hope so but will understand if she does not.

Isn't that hypocrisy? Sure it is but nobody said life was fair.

3 Likes

Nairaland / General / Re: Nigeria Parables And Slangs by Wallie(m): 2:48pm On May 16, 2013
yuzedo: Ejiro Amu Eyi Ashawo Egwu!!!

Igbo Kwenu!!!!!!!!! Greatest Ibo Proverb EVER, yo! grin grin grin grin grin grin grin grin grin grin grin grin

I actually heard something similar in Yoruba along the lines of "you can't scare an old woman with a big 'manhood'" but I guess yours is more accurate because a seasoned prostitute would have seen it all.

2 Likes

Politics / Re: Why Is South Africa More Developed And Stable Than Nigeria?? by Wallie(m): 7:29pm On May 13, 2013
Danka7777:

I wasn't trying to be immodest. I just wanted to share a little of my background for you to know who you talking with. I[b]f I and teams of engineers can design a war aircraft and drones to fly and bomb its target, it tells you that I would never speak of anything I have no evidence or facts on.[/b] So trust me, whatever I say on here is based on solid research and facts. I expected you to say: let me go and do my research and will get back to you. Had you said that I would had shown respect to yousmiley

Dude, I call BS! What drones and aircraft did you help develop? Once you give the name(s) then name the State you're in. I'm pretty sure you're BS'ing because you said you're only 27, which means you graduated around 23 at the earliest. With ~4 years of experience, you won't even know enough to even understand how the system truly works not to talk of actually designing it! I also call BS on you controlling a team of 500 people. Which group is big enough to contain 500 people?

I'm not saying that you did not work for LM but you did not help develop crap and you sure as hell do not control 500 people! Go ahead and name the system/sub-system you helped develop and what clearance level you hold.

Your best bet is to probably just ignore this post if you do not want to be embarrassed! grin
Sports / Re: Nigerian MMA Fighter Dies After Fight in Michigan by Wallie(m): 5:55pm On Apr 11, 2013
As someone who also practices MMA, this hits close to home! RIP

Apparently the fight was unregulated!
http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/436636/Fighter-dies-in-Michigan-in-unregulated-bout/
Foreign Affairs / Re: Russia Criticises US Bomber Flights Near North Korea by Wallie(m): 10:10pm On Apr 01, 2013
Iyke-D:


I see - So Putin, Jonathan, the little fat boy, and all the other leaders of the respective countries are real men
that are not fronting for any banking and multi-national cartels or any other interests, just the US Presidents?

Pray, tell us who the real power brokers are, otherwise stop talking about things you have no knowledge about? In any
country most especially the most powerful and the biggest economy, there will be competing interests. Its the job of
the US President to balance those interests and to do whats in the best interest of the country. That's why you have elections, and corporations or their owners are free to pour in money to support their candidates who they think will
promote policies that will benefit their bottom line. That's just human nature. There were billionaires that were for
Obama, and there were other billionaires that were against him, either due to ideological or business reasons.

Crap-the-frustrated has no points to make other than the US is evil and it stems from him blaming the US for his failures even though he lives in the UK. He probably got denied visa when he tried to leave UK after being unemployed for so long (I think he flunked out of law school)! He's hell bent on making the US pay for his failures. grin By the way, he has a band of followers and they're just as pointless and incoherent!
Foreign Affairs / Re: Russia Criticises US Bomber Flights Near North Korea by Wallie(m): 9:21pm On Apr 01, 2013
cap28:
Anyone who wishes to run for the US presidency must receive the approval of the jewish lobby which exerts an enormous amount of control over washington, Obama's two presidential campaigns were funded to a large extent by AIPAC which is a powerful jewish american lobby. This is why Obama kow tows to the jews - if he doesnt he'll be out. Also jews run the corporate media, the banks and most of the most powerful multinational corporations.

Sources please?
Foreign Affairs / Re: Russia Criticises US Bomber Flights Near North Korea by Wallie(m): 9:04pm On Apr 01, 2013
Olodostein:

America Today is Hypocrisy. Of course they have great ideals,constitution and so on.... America was doomed the day she began ( I think George Washington - First US president and Revolutionary founding father - warned against foreign wars) interferring in people's affairs that does not threaten their core interests and with the creation of the Federal Reserve system (Central Banks are more dangerous than standing armies - Thomas Jefferson) that is hold the world at ransom today with its ballooning debt. Dig deep buddy, there are men in the USA today who pull the string behind the scene. The fact that they voted for Obama overwhelming does not mean that he controls the US foreign policy. He is there to do the Presentation with his cunny calm look and fake smiles and perhaps advance some domestic agenda. It is called BRAND PACKAGING. You think Obama has conviction? Ask him 10 questions and he can't even answer just one with a YES or NO when warranted. A controlled clown is who does that.

War is Money. Who got money and connections dictates the war. What do you think stocks rising and crashing means on Wall street? You think relocating America's industries to China, Vietnam, Indonesia is a mere coincidence? Cmon, shine your eyes well well.... There is a chess game at play here.

Don't swallow everything the media feeds you. Read by standing on the shoulders of giants like Sun Tzu cool cool

Only a naive person would see world issues as being black or white! News flash - in the real world, very rarely would you find black or white issues! Why don't you try getting an attorney to answer yes or no to your questions; what you will hear is a lot of hesitations and qualifications. The only time one should make such pronouncements unequivocally is when you have a strong conviction at the issue at hand.

By the way, Obama, and every other president before him makes their decision based on advice given by their expert advisers. Also, Obama is actually seen as the most cerebral president of the last 5 presidents. The fact that you hate or like him will not change that.
Software/Programmer Market / Deleted by Wallie(m): 8:07pm On Apr 01, 2013
Deleted
Car Talk / Re: Cars You Wished You Owned While Growing-up by Wallie(m): 9:28pm On Feb 22, 2013
MB SL500...the car that started it all! Around 1990, I attended a car show in Lagos that had the car on display. I'm going to go test drive one this weekend but I'm afraid of owning a 20 year old luxury car that will cost a fortune to fix.

Career / Re: How Can One Overcome Social Anxiety? by Wallie(m): 3:41pm On Feb 22, 2013
Anxiety is not always a bad thing only when it becomes paralyzing! I think it keeps you on your toes. smiley Even well known public speakers/performers get nervous at times but the key is knowing how to use it to your advantage.

1. Rehearse the material well in advance beforehand so that you become really comfortable with it.
2. The more comfortable you are on a subject, the easier it is to overcome your initial nervousness once you start talking.
3. Lastly, relax and just let it flow because you’ve rehearsed the same speech a 1000 times before and you should be able to just go into auto-drive.
Religion / Re: What Can You Do When Prayer & Praises Fail? by Wallie(m): 9:05pm On Feb 19, 2013
Let’s look at this logically -

1. Determination to succeed + faith + fate = Will most likely lead to success
2. Determination to succeed + fate = Will most likely lead to success
3. Fate by itself = Will most likely lead to success and is similar to winning the lottery

4. Determination to succeed + faith = Will sometimes lead to success
5. Determination to succeed = Will sometimes lead to success

6. Faith by itself = Will rarely lead to success

In all the different variables listed above, “fate” is out of your control as there’s nothing you can do about it. However, you have full control of your “determination to succeed” and “faith”.

Prayer is something that cannot be proven or disproven but given the fact that it gives you hope for a better tomorrow and adds another variable to your control, it makes more sense to pray than not to pray.

1 Like

Career / Re: Knowledge Workers: What Did You Search For On Wikipedia/Google Today? by Wallie(m): 2:47pm On Feb 19, 2013
High electron mobility transistor (HEMT) - a field effect transistor incorporating a junction between two materials with different band gaps as the channel instead of a doped region. As a result, HEMTs can operate at a higher frequency than ordinary transistors and are used in devices like cell phones, satellite receivers, etc.

Working on an invention that increases the breakdown voltage of HEMTs.
Career / Re: Knowledge Workers: What Did You Search For On Wikipedia/Google Today? by Wallie(m): 2:44pm On Feb 19, 2013
Rare: XPIC: Cross Polarization Interference Cancellation

For a few months I have been deploying microwave transmission systems that use this XPIC feature.
Essentially it's all about how a microwave path can effectively double its capacity (in Megabits per second) by assignment of the same frequency to both a vertical & horizontal polarization on a path, with sufficient seperation between both polarizations (typically > 30dB)such that interference is avoided. This being achieved by employing both polarizations on the same physical antenna (dish), simultaneously connected to two different radio units.

Benefits:
(1) For subscribers: Provides a transport capacity that can meet the growing demands of subscribers with bandwidth-hungry mobile devices and applications (especially for 4G LTE data rates).
(2) For operators: Maximize spectral efficiency of allocated frequency.


The antennas are oriented 90 degrees from each other?
Politics / Re: Our Culture Of Donating To Charity by Wallie(m): 6:53pm On Feb 13, 2013
AjanleKoko: It would be interesting if someone actually provided historical research (pre-slavery) relating to any giving cultures/traditions in Africa.


It will be interesting because I think slavery might have something to do with our psyche of only trying to look out for our own or the need we feel to accumulate as much as we can.

The funny thing is we never really seem to accumulate generational wealth in Africa anyway! Power – yes but not wealth. All we have are “has-beens” once the parents die off and names that once meant something. Rarely do we have Nigerians with inherited wealth that is built up to surpass their parents’.

What am I even saying – rarely do we have people with wealth that lasts their lifetime! For one reason or another, they always end up going broke or in decline before their death.
Politics / Re: What Are Your Responsibilities Towards Nigeria As A Nigerian? by Wallie(m): 5:03pm On Feb 13, 2013
Sincere 9gerian: A Nigerian is anyone, male or female, who has his or her origin in Nigeria. Are you a Nigerian? I am a Nigerian by birth. I expect that over 90% of persons who open this thread are Nigerians, mostly by birth.

Being a Nigerian means we have a responsibility towards Nigeria. If we want Nigeria to be great, and I expect every Nigerian to so want, then the responsibility is on you and I to do things that will make Nigeria great.

The so called advanced countries are where they are today due to the COLLECTIVE effort of their citizens, both leaders and followers. Majority of the citizens of those countries take RESPONSIBILITY for making their country great. It was the Ex-president of America, John F. Kennedy, who made the famous statement- "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country".

Yes, Nigeria may not have done much for most of us. Yes, our leaders, past and present, may have performed below expectation and in some cases woefully. I for instance hold the opinion that most of our founding fathers- including Awo, Zik and Ahmadu Bello- created the dis-unity and ethnoreliguous sentiments we see today. Yes, Nigeria in the past may have hurt many of us. For instance, I feel terribly hurt by the fact that Nigeria, between 1966 and 1970, supervised the massacre of over 50,000 easterners in a pogrom and another 2million in an avoidable civil war.

But not withstanding these mis-givings, Nigeria is our one and only country, and whatever we make of it affects you and I directly or indirectly.

Critical self introspection by every Nigerian, home and abroad, will reveal the connection between our individual BAD BEHAVIOUR and most of the problems plagueing our country. The BAD BEHAVIOUR of you and I will add up to destroy the country while good behaviour by the majority will add up to build the country. For instance, school teachers who encourage examination mal-practices should see the connection between their BAD BEHAVIOUR and multitude of un-employable graduates, high unemployment rate, morally bankrupt/incompetent leaders,etc. The medical practitioners should see the connection between their actions/inactions and low life expectancy in Nigeria (estimated to be 47yrs), high infant and maternal mortality rates,etc. The legal practitioners who unduly prolong court cases should see the connection between their antics and monumental corruption in the country. The parents who fail in giving their children proper upbringing are simply churning out more potential criminals and looters. The moderators on NL who speedily push negative news in Nigeria to the front page should see the damage they'r doing to the IMAGE of this country. And so on and so forth.

Consequently, every Nigerian should take RESPONSIBILITY for creating the great Nigeria we desire. As individuals, teachers, lecturers, legal practitioners, medical practitioners, parents, sports men/women, politicians, students, etc we should DO THE RIGHT THING. The professionals should give 100% at work place and the COMMON GOOD should be top priority. By so doing, you and I will be building the great Nigeria of our dreams

Here's another facet of the same question you asked.
https://www.nairaland.com/1195129/culture-donating-charity
Politics / Our Culture Of Donating To Charity by Wallie(m): 4:59pm On Feb 13, 2013
We need to cultivate our culture of giving! One of the stark differences between Africans and Westerners is our willingness to help strangers in need. I say strangers because we do have a culture of extending a helping hand to our relatives but only our relatives!

I wonder why all these politicians and leaders can’t do something positive that is not business related with all their wealth! About the only time you hear our politicians lending a helping hand is when they’re seeking votes.

I came across an article about how Mark Zuckerberg and his wife became the second-biggest charitable donors in the United States last year, which made me wonder if an African can do the same thing.

Check out the list:
1. Warren Buffett $3.1-billion
2. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan $498.8-million
3. John and Laura Arnold $423.4-million
4. Paul Allen $309.1-million
5. Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki $222.9-million
6. Mortimer Zuckerman $200-million
7. Fred Fields $191.5-million
8. Carl Icahn $150-million
9. Sheldon and Miriam Adelson $143-million
10. David Gundlach $140-million

http://philanthropy.com/section/Philanthropy-50/370/


I’m sure we will be so quick to point out that the people listed above are billionaires and that we will probably do the same if in their shoes! But I’m not so sure because we also do not contribute to charities based on our current income levels. In the US, the median contribution last year is $2,564 which represents 4.7% of the donor’s income.

Here’s a break down of the actual figures:

Income $50k-$99k
Percent of income given (The amount a typical household claimed in charitable contributions as a percentage of its discretionary income.) - 6.0%
Average contribution (The average amount of money households donated to charities, as reported to the Internal Revenue Service on itemized tax returns) $2,047
Average discretionary income (The average amount of income earned after excluding taxes, housing costs, and other living expenses.) - $33,985
Total returns (The number of itemized tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service in 2008, the most recent year for which data are available) - 19,322,251


Income $100k-$199k
Percent of income given - 4.2%
Average contribution - $3,361
Average discretionary income - $80,112
Total returns - 12,006,429

Income $200k and up
Percent of income given - 4.2%
Average contribution - $14,088
Average discretionary income - $339,323
Total returns - 3,965,244

All income levels
Percent of income given - 4.7%
Median contribution - $2,564
Median discretionary income - $54,783
Total returns - 35,293,924

http://philanthropy.com/article/Interactive-How-America-Gives/133709/#{"panelsStates":[0,3,0,0],"panelShowing":1,"searchString":"","searchChoiceIndex":0,"autoSuggestObject":{},"clickResponse":null,"clickEvent":null,"mapLatLng":null,"mapZoomLevel":"nation","initialTextTitle":"","initialParagraph":"","contibutionCatagories":"0","incomeBrackets":"0","cObj":{},"obj_data":null,"conveyor":0,"noSplash":0}


I’m ashamed to say that my donation last year is also below the median figure listed above. Can you imagine if we can be so selfless and give to charities instead of buying that extra piece of “thing” that we don’t really need? (I need to listen to my own advice! smiley ) We can’t just keep waiting for the government to fix things that can be easily done by the private sector!

By the way, it is not just money that can be given to those in need. You can donate your services to charities or the less fortunate especially if you have a special skill to offer. For example, in Maryland, lawyers are encouraged to donate legal services pro bono but are required to report the donated services every year even if one donated zero hours otherwise your license to practice law will be suspended. The deadline to report is February 15 and I just reported mine. I'm sure you can guess how many hours I donated!

Here’s the rule:
"the basic responsibility of each lawyer engaged in the practice of law to provide public interest legal services" without fee, or at a substantially reduced fee, in one or more of the following areas: poverty law, civil rights law, public rights law, charitable organization representation and the administration of justice.

Here's the reporting letter that has to be filled out every year:
1. I rendered the following number of hours of pro bono legal service without fee or expectation of fee, or at a substantially reduced fee: 1

a. To people of limited means2, I donated ____ hours in total, and out of these total hours, ____ hours were spent in matters that were referred to me from a pro bono or legal services agency.

b. To charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or educational organizations in matters designed primarily to address the needs of people of limited means3, I donated ____ hours in total, and out of these total hours, ____ hours were spent in matters that were referred to me from a pro bono or legal services agency.

c. To individuals, groups, or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties, or public rights, I donated ____ hours in total, and out of these total hours, ____ hours were spent in matters that were referred to me from a pro bono or legal services agency.

d. To charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or educational organizations in matters in furtherance of their organizational purposes, when the payment of the standard legal fees would significantly deplete the organization’s economic resources or would otherwise be inappropriate, I donated ____ hours in total, and out of these total hours, ____ hours were spent in matters that were referred to me from a pro bono or legal services agency.

2. The pro bono legal service hours reported above were rendered in the following areas of law:
_____________________________________________________________________________

3. (Note: This is a relatively new question). Of the hours reported, I provided _______ pro bono hours assisting homeowners in distress through the Foreclosure Prevention Pro Bono Project (including staffing workshops, accepting case referrals, consulting with housing counseling agencies, etc.).

4. I devoted ____ hours to participating in activities for improving the law, the legal system, or the legal profession.4
Please specify: _______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

5. I contributed a total of $ _________ to one or more organizations that provide legal services to people of limited means.5
DURING ALL OR PART OF THE REPORTING PERIOD:

6. _____ I was prohibited by statute, ordinance, rule, or regulation from rendering pro bono legal service as described in Rule 6.1(b)(1) of the Maryland Lawyers’ Rules of Professional Conduct.

7. _____ I was retired or not actively engaged in the practice of law. 6

8. _____ I was practicing law part-time. 7


We need to do things differently than the generation ahead of us for we are the generation to bring change! Change comes in different forms and not just political but has more to do with our mindset and how we see things. There’s no doubt that our experiences are different because we are the generation of the information age, which results in our generation being more knowledgeable, better exposed and more integrated.

So how are you going to make a difference?
Politics / Charity Black Tie Event - UKF Ambassadors Ball In Washington DC (march 2nd) by Wallie(m): 8:10pm On Feb 11, 2013
UKF is a Nigerian charity organization that caters to children. http://unitedforkidsfoundation.org/

Here's their mission statement:

Our mission is to heal Nigeria, and indeed the World, One Child, One Heart and One Smile at a Time. We are committed to creating long-term solutions to direct problems facing children from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. To ensure that we are better equipped to assist the children and institutions we support in 2011 and beyond, UKF desires strong alliances and partnerships with socially responsible organizations in Nigeria

Please, support them if you can as they're doing great work to help the less fortunate. Here's what they have going on in Washington DC on the 2nd of March 2013.

United for Kids Foundation USA proudly presents United for Kids Foundation Ambassadors Ball, a night of elegance, glitz and glamour for a wonderful cause. The ball wil be held at the Whittemore House, Dupont Circle, Washington DC. watch this space for ticket and other event details.

http://unitedforkidsfoundation.org/blog/2012/12/17/united-for-kids-foundation-ambassadors-ball/

See you there!

Romance / Re: Leave A NL Voicenote For Your NL Valentine, Potential Valentine, or Friends by Wallie(m): 5:40pm On Feb 11, 2013
Here’s an attempt at a witty voice message from someone that hates listening to his voice on an answering machine! cheesy To make things worse, the original VN was a 349kb mp4 file and by the time I got it down converted to 67kb amr, it seemed I developed a lisp! I do not have a lisp grin
Career / Re: Knowledge Workers: What Did You Search For On Wikipedia/Google Today? by Wallie(m): 2:47pm On Feb 11, 2013
Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) - a cardiac abnormality seen on an electrocardiogram (ECG) caused by the delay in activation of the left ventricle that causes the left ventricle to contract later than the right ventricle.
Politics / Re: Tinubu: APC Will End PDP's Rule Of Scavengers by Wallie(m): 2:04pm On Feb 08, 2013
Goddex: Tinubu should first and foremost explain to Nigerians
the source of his wealth.
How much was his salary as governor?

I think people like him should not be allowed to talk for the new party.
It will hurt the party more. Let him just stay at the background.

Just to be fair, EVERY single politician alive that was elected to public office should be rounded up and made to explain the source of their wealth! If their source of wealth can’t be adequately explained, then it should be forfeited.
Nairaland / General / Re: Top 10 Highly-desired Skills You Can Teach Yourself by Wallie(m): 4:56pm On Feb 07, 2013
[quote author=Slyr0x]On countless occasions, you've likely said to yourself "I wish I knew how to do ______." Then, of course, life got in the way

10. Repair Just About Anything - Check (cars, home repair - just give me a YouTube video or a service manual and I'm good!)

8. Learn to Defend Yourself - Check (MMA, kick boxing)

6. Pick Up Just About Any Subject You Missed In College - Check (coding, big data)

5. Build and Hack Electronic Hardware - Check (autonomous vehicles - drones, cars)

3. Cook Like a Pro - Check (but the meat pie I tried to make from scratch by watching a YouTube video was a complete disaster and the experience emotional scarred me! grin Having instructions is just half the story!)

2. Become Fluent in a New Language - I might become fluent in French before I die since 3 years of high school French and my over-the-years exposure to it is not cutting it! (reluctantly check)

1. Make a Web Site, Create an App, or Just Learn to Code - Check (Made or highly modified about 5 websites, created 2 iPhone apps, had to learn Objective C)
Programming / Re: Your Future As A Software Developer by Wallie(m): 5:54pm On Feb 06, 2013
kambo: @2buff (thanks 4 spicy up the section wt ur post) as a programmer, tryng to create a product one thing u'll notice is There isnt enough time in a year! A year has about 8750 hrs. A product may require 5000+ development time, coding, testing, fine tuning. Thats almost a year. So wat do i say, hit the streets and start to sell, most solo developers in naija hav no funding to hire hands (lawyers etc), you'll learn dynamically as you make your mistakes. (this is how eric sink learnt), by the time your selling your 3rd/4th product or starting a company u'd hav picked up some ideas of business gotten lawyer buddies and friends and developed a sense of direction but it starts from making the hit solo green eyed and wet behind the ears. I'm talking of 1man programmer enterprenuer here. For guys starting full blown gigs, i.e making a programming idea into a corporate entity like facebook, google etc. Stick with your technical side and hire best of breed ceo's analyst lawyers also carvort wt big boys in the industry. You'll need their insight and support (zuckerberg was taken under the wings of peter theil , founder of paypal, the character played by timberlake in the movie, *forgotten his name*, contributed also to making facebook take off, the financial ground work was laid by eduardo saverin (somebody help wt the names) so zucker boy had a full team to rob minds with ) . The value of the combined team knowledge compensates for the programmers business knowledge shortfall. Besides a programmer who wants to make money the corporate route make far more than the solo coder. Paul graham, built a product with 2 other programmers, sold the product to yahoo for millions, retired from the rat race got into venture capitalism, all business acumen needed to succeed has come from the streets rather than from a formal school taught programme. Dan brinklin, creator of visicalc, the app that turned apple from a toy to a major domo, lost his opportunity by failing to patent his innovation u may say because he businness savvy but not so fast , his co-developer, that wrote the editor and assembler on the system he used was a harvard mba! . As an mba he was supposed to be conversant wt the legal implication of not building a thorn bush around their creation. So what am i really saying! Some programming ideas can only b fully realized by the owner of that idea, when bricklin talked to other programmers abt his plan , most didnt see the big deal about it. Bricklin,zuckerg, shawn fannings, had to work their behind off to create a working prototype only then , with intense marketing, meetings etc did the business side take. Note:: shawn fannings, creator of napster, is a hard core enterprenuer. How did he get the spirit? From his experience with napster. None of these guys deserted their technical talent by trying to get a business degree. And theyre still innovating (paul graham is creating a new dialect of lisp, fannings has created so many tech startups) the mba/ thing is usually the path of the corporate coder. Because of management pressure (and contempt for programmers) and job loss threat from outsourcing. Corporation building programmers (like zuckerberg, paul graham, joel (founder of fog creek), eric sink, bezos) . Learn on the street and from their non techie teams(lawyers, accountants , industry vets etc).

I'm a little late getting back to this thread!

@Kambo, can you please “throw” some carriage returns in your post to make it easier to read? I skipped your first post but decided to read this because I think you made some interesting points but the post is very hard to follow.

Anyway, I think you’re trying to say that one should stick to what he/she does best? I agree up to a certain extent. You also seem to state that being a software developer is mutually exclusive from being an entrepreneur? Are these your positions?

Personally, I think entrepreneurs are just people with varying skill sets that try to build a company out of an idea. However, before your idea becomes a successful company, you need to develop it which is where your skill set will come into play! If you do not have the requisite skill set, you partner or hire those that have it.

Having said that, almost all the techies that Kambo listed have the ability to code or, at the very least, develop the needed algorithm. Their ability to code does not make them software developers but it gives them the ability to develop their product or service up to a point (prototype) before getting “real” software coders involved.

@AJ
I do agree that some companies in India are now more than code-monkeys but for the most part, they do lack specific industry knowledge except if they’ve worked on similar projects in the past.

For example,
1. Patent Software – I will still need to give Indian programmers specific instructions to develop software that can navigate US and European patent laws.
2. Air traffic control software – they will most likely need specific instructions.
3. Obamacare Software – even though they might have generic knowledge about the healthcare industry, they will still need specific instructions.

A code-monkey, to me, is someone that you need to give specific set of instructions or pseudocode to before they can execute a task! They lack the requisite knowledge to implement a solution except to convert instructions to lines of code.

People that do the “manual aspect” of coding (converting instructions to syntax) can be easily replaced but not the person that gives the instructions because that requires industry specific knowledge.
Politics / Re: Lagos To Introduce Cable Cars For Mass Transportation. by Wallie(m): 4:44pm On Feb 06, 2013
I think people seeing this opportunity as Lagos misplacing its priorities are missing the point!

As a private investor, I will invest my money into a market that I understand and see a potential! If I see a gold mine in canning farts and selling it because people believe it will make them healthy and I understand the business, that’s where I’m going to invest regardless of whether the whole plumbing infrastructure of Lagos is crumbling and presents another opportunity that I do not understand.

If cable cars is what I do, it matters very little that there are opportunities in ferries, housing, roads, trains because I do not understand those markets and that’s not what I do. All that matters to me is that there are opportunities in Cable cars that I can leverage.

Moreover, it seems people fail to realize that this project compliments other transportation projects! There is no single solution to Lagos’ transportation woes; it has to be a multi-facetted approach.

What do you really expect LSG to say to an investor that wants to pump $500 million into the local economy?

1 Like

Politics / Re: Blame Northern Leaders Over Insecurity Not Jonathan-dino Melaye by Wallie(m): 4:22pm On Feb 06, 2013
Dibiachukwu:
By virtue of OBJ's office, he killed all the people in odi. Why is he still walking free, with a lot of ever teaming supporters like you.

I don't really have the information or facts to tell you who OBJ killed and did not kill in Odi. If you have information or facts to show that a lot of innocent people, and not those armed, where intentionally killed don't you think it would be prudent to share the same with international news organizations?

I'm not naive enough to think that extrajudicial killings did not occur in Odi, like it is currently occurring in North in the pursuit of Boko Haram, but at what scale? Do you have facts to show the scale and not just opinions and rumors, which can be used to bring him to justice?

By the way, I'm a supporter of no one! I'm a supporter policies that work with results to show.
Politics / Re: Who Will Be The Presidential Candidate Of The Newly Merged Parties? by Wallie(m): 4:01pm On Feb 06, 2013
From a strictly numbers point of view, only a combination of candidates that can deliver the North and the Southwest can pose a credible threat to PDP. There are 3 major regions and a winner of any election will need a very strong showing in 2 of the 3 regions OR a decent showing in ALL regions. In today’s political climate, I don’t think there’s a person that can put up decent numbers in all regions of the country.

Unfortunately, if a person can only deliver SE and SS, the combination still won’t put up good enough numbers because GEJ will still win majority of the votes from those regions thereby reducing the pie size, and the SW will still be up for grabs.

Personally, I think the only thing Buhari can offer Nigeria is a strong anti-corruption stance and respect from the military. But I would rather him anoint someone else because he’s a polarizing figure everywhere except with the common man from the North. Do you really think all those past Northern politicians and leaders would want Buhari to be the President? Also, I don’t believe in recycling leaders as he already had his time under the sun and it’s time for new set of hands that can be trusted. Trusted is the keyword here and the only way one can be certain is to look at the person’s past performance.

I see Ribadu as someone that could deliver the North, especially if anointed by Buhari, but also as someone that can also deliver the same anti-corruption stance as Buhari. However, I don’t think he has the executive-type leadership skills needed to grow Nigeria. His skill set is really tailored towards investigation and doggedness. As such, he should be the vice presidential candidate.

In terms of leadership skills, foresight and popularity that can deliver the SW (and perhaps, most of Nigeria?), I doubt anybody is better suited than Fashola. Love or hate his policies, he delivers and he delivers big! He is the governor that shamed other governors into performing!

Lagos is probably the most diverse state in Nigeria and the most populous with varying competing interests – if you will a microcosm of Nigeria. If you can build Lagos’ economy, you most certainly can build Nigeria. I think Fashola will make a better presidential candidate.

Other people that should be members of the cabinet
1. Sanusi for his bluntness and common sense approach.

2. Oshiomole for his progressiveness but might also be needed to make Fashola take a second look at his progressive policies that may be affecting the masses negatively. Someone needs to fight for public policies.

3. Madam Dora – I think she did a great job with NAFDAC even though all that headache in Anambra tainted her legacy

4. Okonjo-Iweala – I think she has been demonized unfairly but one has to understand that her marching orders come from above. She can only do the best she can within directives or policies of her boss. Give her the right policies and I’m certain she’ll perform wonders.

5. Rochas* - I keep hearing his name being brought up don’t I don’t really have an opinion of my own yet

3 Likes

Politics / Re: Blame Northern Leaders Over Insecurity Not Jonathan-dino Melaye by Wallie(m): 11:04pm On Feb 04, 2013
Hey Chris, have one on me! grin

What do you see when you look at the pics? Don't mess with me! No matter how crass one thinks the pictures are, you can be rest assured that people will think twice before pissing him off when within an arms length! grin

Career / Rapper 50 Cent Wins Copyright Battle - Case Summary by Wallie(m): 8:47pm On Feb 04, 2013
I don't know where to post this and mods can move it to where appropriate but it might be somewhat relevant here to highlight issues raised during a copyright suit to potential copyrights owners.

Music mogul 50 Cent is more accustomed to rap battles as opposed to legal battles. However, he still came out on top in a recent copyright infringement lawsuit.

Shadrach Winstead, author of the book The Preacher’s Son – But the Streets Turned Me into a Gangster, filed the lawsuit against 50 Cent, whose legal name is Curtis Jackson, and his record label. He alleged that Jackson’s Before I Self-Destruct album and film of the same name derived their contents from, and infringed the copyright of, his book.

As detailed in Winstead’s complaint, his book included these short phrases: “Get the dope, cut this dope,” “let’s keep it popping,” and “I said the strong takes from the weak, but the smart takes from everybody.” In a scene from Jackson’s film, a song playing in the background includes these lyrics: “Get the dope, cut the dope, get the dope. Let’s get it popping. The strong sit down, but the weak work for me.”

Despite the similarities, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ultimately concluded that 50 Cent had not infringed Winstead’s book. As the court explained, “Not all copying is copyright infringement.” Rather, the court must determine whether the allegedly infringing work is similar because it appropriates the unique expressions of the original work, “or merely because it contains elements that would be expected when two works express the same idea or explore the same theme.”

In this case, the court concluded that the words and phrases did not sustain a claim of copyright infringement. “They are either common in general or common with respect to hip hop culture, and do not enjoy copyright protection. The average person reading or listening to these phrases in the context of an overall story or song would not regard them as unique and protectable,” the opinion states. It further added that words and short phrases do not enjoy copyright protection.

With respect to the works overall, the court concluded that they differed as to character, plot, mood, and sequence of events. “Winstead’s protagonist embarks on a life of crime at a very young age, but is redeemed by the death of his beloved father. Jackson’s protagonist turns to crime when he is much older and only after his mother is murdered. He winds up dead at a young age, unredeemed,” the court noted.

As this case highlights, copyright infringement lawsuits are both fact and law specific. For more information about how to best protect your rights, we encourage you to contact one of our experienced trademark attorneys for a free 30-minute consultation.

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (of 56 pages)

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 122
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.