Rogers’s VoIP vision combines cellular, cable networks (June 29)
Ted Rogers looks to Gates for inspiration. Go figure. Microsoft is a large organization that has made billions marketing a
mediocre product worldwide, Rogers is doing the same thing in Canada. Just goes to show that people do not want excellence. They want mediocrity and they want to be told it is excellent.
Must have been a slow news day for you guys.
George Fiala
Rogers’s VoIP vision combines cellular, cable networks (June 29)
I read your article and found it was really good and informative except for when you mention in the second last paragraph that piggybacking on someone else’s network is know as war-driving because that is not what war-driving is. War-driving itself only consists of detecting the existence wireless networks and sometimes calculating its location. War-driving does not, in any way, use the wireless network and the only signal that is sent to the network is a request for the network to identify itself.
Jeffrey Arcand
Re: Interac architect sounds off on SOA (June 28)
I agree with George Galambos, I think SOA has lots of potential. However, he neglected to address the subject of SOA development, management, maintenance and above all who’s gonna champion the use of the SOA. I see the Enterprise Architecture function having a big role in the Service Architecture for a company.
Bob Muma
Federal IT workers fight proposed incentive cuts (June 27)
I am a CS employee in the federal government. Your recent article left out a couple of important details. Our contract expired in December 2004. Historically, it takes between one year and 18 months to negotiate a new contract. When the union didn’t agree to terminate the allowance in June 2005, which would have resulted in a pay cut until the next contract is negotiated, the government did cut off the allowance immediately. So much for not wanting to cause financial hardship for the employees.
The union then filed a complaint and won based on a stipulation in all contracts that current wages and benefits must continue until a new contract is negotiated.
If the government truly wants to stop paying the allowance, then they should stop the practice of taking a year or more to negotiate new agreements. I fully expect to lose the allowance with the next contract, but at least that loss will be offset by any increases we receive as part of the new agreement.
Lise Legare
Federal IT workers fight proposed incentive cuts (June 27)
I am a CS and have worked in private sector about half of my 20 plus years in IT and the latter half with the government. From what I have seen and experienced in the public sector, CS employees make many sacrifices in terms of salary, flexibility, bonuses, perks, and the opportunity to work with the latest tools and technologies. You can also add to this the restrictions of not being to do other IT-related work on the side because of potential conflicts of interest, and restrictions on holding stocks.
The fact is I work as a public servant to make a difference, serve my country, for the greater community, so the least the government could do is pay us a decent salary and show some appreciation and respect by not nickel and diming us during contract negotiations. I/T is a high stress fast paced profession that requires constant and vigilant study. There are fewer grads from IT programs, many older I/T workers retiring, and growing demands for IT related products and services from the taxpayer. I suggest that the right thing to do at this point is for the TB to offer three per cent per year over a three year contract and roll in 50 per cent of the retention bonus into regular salary retroactive to Jan. 1, 2005. This is not unreasonable in today’s market, makes government IT somewhat attractive to students graduating from IT programs, begins to protect us from losing experienced IT workers, and increases productivity in the public IT sector by sending the message that the government values its IT workers.
Other areas where the government can help its IT community is to enhance their vacation package and provide some addition professional development time and funding. I found that with the very successful private sector IT companies I have worked for, that they had great vacation packages, paid overtime and offered time off in lieu. They also provided the time, funding and flexibility for training and development. The government preaches this, but I have found they do not consistently practise it.
Let’s face it, except for our veterans and armed forces members, public servants are unsung heroes who have forgone fame and fortune to server the greater good. At least give them respect, a fair salary and the tools they need to do a good job.
Name Withheld By Request
Federal IT workers fight proposed incentive cuts (June 27)
What can I say but management has the inherent right to manage?
CS employees were hired fully aware of the IT boom in the National Capital and the bonus pay offered to them. What, did they think the gravy train was going to last forever? All the rest of us Federal Public Service must comply and now it is their turn.
Two options come to mind:
1. Take a job in the private sector before your years of service locks you in.
2. Take what percentage the union can negotiate and get over it.
Welcome to PSC world.
Thank you for letting me comment.
Stephen VanVeit
PWGSC
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