Phoenix.pm: EL&R for computer field

Hal Goldfarb codewell at earthlink.net
Wed Dec 4 12:37:33 CST 2002


(Attempting to keep my note short this time ... )

> The field is so broad and so many levels of experience are tolerated it
> would be difficult.

You also made some positive remarks about IEEE, all of which I agree with.  
You overlooked the fact that engineering is also very broad, and IEEE has a 
division for each area.   I am confident IEEE could do the job, and do it 
extremely well.   But first it means commandeering the field away from 
corporate interests and then taking the lead.

> Ahhhh, but the recruiters are the shirfers (sp? can't find it on dict.org).
> They make sense of the Voodoo for employers. That puts them in a very 
> powerful position.

"They" -- meaning the recruiters?  Are you kidding?  They cannot even make 
sense of job postings and resumes most of the time.   Couple that up with 
their lack of experience in the field and zip technical knowledge, and that 
they cannot spell worth dirt ... and you have a dangerous situation.  The 
only "Voodoo" most recruiters really know seems to be having the inside scoop 
before we do.

> Companies don't trust programmers -
> not even good ones - especially good ones - so they *have* to find shirfers
> to trust that take care of that pesky trust thing. Recruiters for American
> talent are hurting badly right now - companies are disguested with them and
> blame them for the programmers failure (neglecting the possibility of 
failure 
> in management, of course - pride blinds).

Companies are disgusted (sp!!!) with recruiters and are blaming them for the 
bad talent they recruit?   Maybe there is an albeit dark, but ever-existent 
justice somewhere out there.

> Licensing computer professionals is about as useful as licensing artists,
> licensing authors, or herding cats...

Artists and authors are artists.  (I don't know about herding cats, is that a 
viable trade?)  Do you really think information technology is in the same 
category with art?   Well, maybe you are right.   After all, there are all of 
those "COOL GRAPHICS MAN!"   If you don't mind too much, I'd like to keep the 
science in computer science and leave artwork to artists.   Again, I did 
originally say:  

> If you want "COOL GRAPHICS MAN!" then maybe you should consider a career as 
> an artist of some type.

If you think you would feel bored in this new, dry (maybe dull to you) world 
of professional software development and maintenance, then feel free to 
split.  I, OTOH, plan to split if things do NOT change in this field.

Thanks, that burned less than I expected.

-Hal




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