Comments on: Ajax Web Developer: $240k per year… with only one catch

By: Computer Jobs

Computer Jobs — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:34:23 +0000

wow looks really good

By: Alexey Bass

Alexey Bass — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:05:20 +0000

the last line can be
new Ajax.Request('pentagon.mil/requests/sos.php?track_my_location_by_ip');

By: olie

olie — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 17:17:16 +0000

If I were a US citizen, I would take the job and spend about 10% of the salary and hire an iraqi private army for hire

By: teno

teno — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:25:36 +0000

What do you think about http://fivq.com/ ? Is it good place for web developers?

By: Tom Hunter

Tom Hunter — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:09:44 +0000

Although it sounds interesting, you can earn about $160K in New York City any day at all as a J2EE developer.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:56:18 +0000

DOE = Dead On Entry

By: Vijay Santhanam

Vijay Santhanam — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:58:44 +0000

I’ll split the salary 50/50 with a Marine… He can secure the web boxes, and I’ll code, deploy and administer them from thousands of miles away.

I’ve been watching my PBS documentaries:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/warriors/view/

By: S_O_S

S_O_S — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 03:48:36 +0000

offer’s rejection or approval isn’t the issue here. i have read most of the comments on here. basically, its all about the money whether the salary or the taxpayer’s money. And, to be exact, 240K. funny thing is that most of the comments were about rejecting the offer, which i doubt any would refuse such offer “if” it was directly given to them.
on the other hand, many are talking about the taxpayer’s money and why it is being spent on the US army in Iraq, i know why!!!! hey,, its because We ,US, are trying to damn hard to spread the “democracy” in the 3rd world countries!!! Note: i guess most of you know what Democracy is. So, when we went to Iraq , we didn’t “invade” it, we just spread the democracy there, Iraq is all safe and stable. No dead bodies from our side or the Iraqis side!!! Well, I am talking about this based on the major News Networks, since they only show the bright side of the war, whether it is in the Middle East or in Mars.
thanks 4 StumbleUpon for this ride. Cya

By: Shimesh

Shimesh — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 20:53:23 +0000

@ trevor, andre, zobo, gabriel

as from iraq i can say thank you to american soldier for protecting. who are you to say. you are nothing. gay.

By: Stelly

Stelly — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 19:29:45 +0000

Uh – Can you say telecommute?

Wtf?

If they can video conference the generals, then they can video conference me in my little cube.

onsite :P

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:43:32 +0000

Nice job, shame about the salary in US Dollars. If the dollar keeps slipping against the Euro and Sterling, 200k would be about the same as what you’d earn in an normal job here. ;-)

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:52:21 +0000

I work for a government defense contractor, and my previous company managed software deployed in Iraq. I also have several friends who are working in combat zones in technical positions.

Generally what happens is there is a development team back in the US, yes, they’re not moving an entire development lab to Iraq. They are looking for ONE person. That person will likely be the all around support person, config manager, trainer, user feedback guru, problem solver, etc., and it really helps if they know the technology — not that anything we did wanted people coding over there, but it did happen, in extreme circumstances. I’ll let you use imagination, I could tell you but I’d have to kill you, etc.

I seriously doubt they’re sending one person over to develop a big huge application in Iraq. Remember that it’s not like those people are running command and control systems on the Internet either. They’re on secured, classified networks. Sure, you can get some connectivity from a similarly secure environment in the US, but trust me when I say it’s not at ALL like telecommuting here in the US. There’s lots and lots of issues involved, technical and otherwise.

Finally, why Ajax? Don’t underestimate web-based technologies. There’s plenty of cases where a web site is great for the needs, especially if there’s more of a ‘live’ aspect to it. There’s tons of software and data moving around over there, and it’s everything from logistics to command and control, to people managing public relations, to folks making sure the mess halls have food, to everything. I mean, it’s its own mini world.

Web portals also are great in that they can simplify deployment of software. Have a browser? You can run it! Sure beats having no one tech savvy able to install your application or provide support, and hopping on a fuel convoy out to some remote base to do it yourself. Our particular piece of technology had a thick client as its primary client, but also had a thin-client portal to provide visibility beyond the number of users we could otherwise support, and to people who just need certain aspects of information.

I could go on, but anyway, it all makes sense, it’s legit, there are other jobs like this out there, the salary is within bounds of what you can find elsewhere, etc. You need a security clearance, yes. As far as the taxes, I think it’s not even a full 12 months, but it’s some arcane rules and very close to 12 months (basically I think if you time it right you can spend a couple of weeks on R&R and still get taxes waived). My friend did this, he got his income tax-free. Talk to someone who does know, though, I forget for example if it’s based on calendar years, fiscal years, or something else.

I qualify for the position, but I’m not keen on working in Iraq. I’ve turned down similar positions.

By: Tio Malandra

Tio Malandra — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:04:41 +0000

SELECT SOLDIERS.NAME
FROM SOLDIERS
WHERE
SOLDIERS.TORTURED_PRISONER > 20 AND
SOLDIERS.CIVIL_VICTIMS > 50 AND
SOLDIERS.AMPUTED_ARMS

By: Gabriel

Gabriel — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 04:41:31 +0000

I agree with Trevor and the like on this one. Id rather spend the next 2.25 years earning that wage than profit from this war. Besides, I’m really not a gambling man . . . last I heard, Iraqis don’t like American’s too much, in fact, last I heard, most countries don’t like American’s too much. . . I’d rather earn a modest salary and keep my head intact, but thanks for the offer.

By: zobo

zobo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 17:24:00 +0000

I can’t believe what sheep you people are. You are admitting you can be bribed to betray your country and planet. And so cheaply!

By: Andre

Andre — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 04:33:15 +0000

Thank you Trevor,
at least one sane comment in this thread.
Can we call the job what it is…WAR PROFITEERING!!!!!

By: Trevor

Trevor — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:42:14 +0000

I know that there’s a correlation between tech jobs, money and conservatism, but I’m really surprised that there has been very little in the way of antiwar sentiment in response to this, or discussion of the fact that taking this job would further an unjust war that’s claimed nearly a million lives.

A quarter of a million dollars to be part of an unjust war machine? No thanks.

By: Ajaxian Sharpshooter

Ajaxian Sharpshooter — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 20:10:24 +0000

For all of you talking about doing the work remotely, have any of you considered the (GASP!) possibility that the systems being worked on are not necessarily networked or that the persons giving the requirements may be front line soldiers who can’t sit down and do a con call with some developer sitting in his bathrobe at home in the states?

I mean seriously, there are plenty of reasons why doing a job might not be possible remotely.

And as plenty of others have pointed out, $240k isn’t that ridiculous when you read that you are working 12 hour days, 7 days a week in a freaking war zone and you’re a contractor who probably doesn’t get any benefits. And I’m sure life insurance for someone going to Baghdad ain’t cheap!

By: Zeev Neumeier

Zeev Neumeier — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 19:53:10 +0000

I get this whole pay sky high amounts of money to people to work in a war zone. And for the money (not to mention the really good Falafel you can get in Bagdad) I would take the job in a heartbeat if my wife would let me (which she is not).
BUT I have just one simple question. Why would a sane human being plan on developing code, and front end code at that, on site in Iraq!?!? Why not send one poor admin guy to manage a remote desktop or something on the base, develop the code the air conditioned comfort of Virginia, and then deploy it when itâ€™s done?
Has our government lost its mind completely? Or is there an office pool somewhere in the Pentagon to see who could spend the taxpayers money faster?

Any ideas?

By: Patrick

Patrick — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 18:38:16 +0000

Alvaro…..
Didn’t NY get it’s ass kicked a few years ago because someone thought the were better ’cause they were born in a different country or had a different religion or beliefs ?? Were you tired then? Who’d you bitch to about it?

gays, blacks, jews > arabs (for now anyway)

Ajax sucks! ..I still have a ring around my tub