d2r: testing... testing...

testing... testing...

Since we're hiring, this topic has been on my mind lately. Can you really know the person... before you know the person? Microsoft for example is famous for putting out these little puzzles that you have to solve in your interview. Other companies take "tests" to prove your knowledge. So let's take a multiple-choice test as an example... I was thinking what one that I wrote would be like and I came up with this:

I like XML because...

it lets me validate what people tell me.
properly closed tags feel all warm and fuzzy around my neck.
where would flamewars be without it?
Big-endian down, Little-endian all the way!
The W3C should burn in hell.
X... M... ?

What comes to mind when you hear 'XSLT'?

To validate is glorious, but to transform is divine.
Velocity! Velocity! Velocity!
you know the movie 'Se7en'...?
Is that that new instruction on IBM's Power3 processor that I keep hearing about?
The W3C should burn in hell.
My cat's name is Mittens.

What do you know about Enterprise JavaBeans?

EJB rulez! Wooooohooooo! Wooooo! Wooooo!
I have three words for you: nice and slow.
Aside from the fact that they suck?
I prefer tea, thank you.
The W3C should burn in hell.
I ate my crayon.

Your thoughts on Java vs .Net.

Windows will be the end of our species.
What's the difference? Windows is better anyway.
Linux. MacOS, maybe, if you asked nicely.
Anything other than HEX and Assembly is for thin-skinned freaks.
The W3C should burn in hell.
My tummy hurts.

Did you enjoy this test?

Very much so. I found it soothing.
Not really. But the pastries were good.
Where's the door?
Stop with the damn test already and get me to a keyboard!
The W3C should burn in hell.
What test?

Categories: soft.dev
Posted by diego on March 21 2004 at 7:55 PM

Comments (please see the comments & trackback policy).

"Miss Hoover..."

:-)

Posted by: Jeremy Zawodny at March 21, 2004 9:26 PM

Jeremy: Exactly! :-))

Posted by: Diego at March 21, 2004 9:47 PM

Now I only have to ask my shrink what it has to say that I thought the most appropriate answer to all questions was "the W3C should burn in hell" ...

Posted by: Georg Bauer at March 21, 2004 10:52 PM

You are a Standards Bigot

You obviosuly hold strong feelings about standards bodies. You've given up on CSS as too complicated, especially as in the real world nobody implements it properly and ithere's no way to centre images with it. Maybe you've given up on the whole XML malarkey, as the "best of a bad bunch" approach doesn't suit you, and anyway, it's all going to be mapped back into objects and structs as soon as you get hold of it. XSLT just seems like pouring worse money after bad; I mean programming in a markup language?

Of course, your opinions are formed after very little, if any, playing with the technologies in question and your bigotry blinds you from whatever you're being asked.

All we have to say to you is: </job:prospects>

What kind of Prospective Employee are you? -- http://quizilla.com/users/metamoof/quizzes/What%20kind%20of%20potential%20employee%20are%20you%3F

Posted by: Moof at March 22, 2004 12:30 AM

I just wish that "We're hiring" link linked to a page a bit more informative than "We'll be back"...

Posted by: Will Gayther at March 22, 2004 3:44 AM

1) It's a standardised meta-data format (as opposed to a metadata format, which is something very different).
2) I must get around to learning it some time. Looks easy enough from a distance, but I bet it's full of he usual pit-traps.
3)Ooh, an API. How I love APIs. Well, ones that work.
4)I don't care about Java or .Net, I care about the toolboxes that I have to work with them. IDEs and toolkits are much more important than languages.
5)I've had more fun. But then again I've had less.

Posted by: Andrew Ducker at March 22, 2004 7:54 PM

The W3C should burn in hell!!!

Posted by: Renat at June 22, 2004 1:52 PM