So the economy has been in the tank for about 30 months now, corporate earnings are dismal, and the stock market is depressing. You still have your job! You are a survivor! There really must be a place for an ber-geek in your organization. But that means many lesser geeks are vying for your spot. Alpha techies cant rest on their laurels. You have to prove occasionally youre more than just a pretty face. We once again present our little quiz to see if you still know any technology (even if you havent written a line of code in years).

1. What is the difference between an error and an exception (were talking code here)?An error occurs during the execution of a block of code that causes an interruption. The code crashes. The errors cause and nature are captured in an exception object. The code threw an exception. We may examine the exception object and make a determination of how it is to be handled (e.g., resume or terminate).

2. True or false: People who spend hours at a computer terminal or keyboard are likely to experience carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).False. A study by the Mayo Clinic, published in Neurology, noted heavy computer use (up to seven hours a day) does not increase the risk of CTS. Nevertheless, it still is considered an excellent excuse (some say the best) for failure to perform.