From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Thu Jul 17 2003 - 17:03:34 MDT
On Wednesday 16 July 2003 22:03, Paul Grant wrote:
> -----Original Message-----
>
> >On Wed, Jul 16, 2003 at 07:26:37AM -0400, Harvey Newstrom wrote:
> >The list has a lot of software types, and surely the professional
>
> programmers must be having a severe case of Custer Syndrome: "Where are
> all these frigging Indians coming from?"
>
> I wish :) I was let go and haven't even been able to get an interview
> for a software position :)
>
What surprises me is that more people don't question the economic theory and
practice that produced the current pattern of > 1 million trained software
people being out of work and without much of a prospect in the US. Since
in fact we are short of all levels of software skill or believed we were a
few years ago, the loss of this many workers is a tragedy to extropic dreams
on more than a personal and humanitarian scale. We have a
monetary/financial crisis but we act as if it is only a small fluctuation in
demand/need. It is not. The need did not change. The financial resources
to operate changed a lot. Demand and finances are not as well and cleanly
connected as some might like to imagine.
> >Dynamic and practical optimism has been more difficult in the last
>
> couple years, has it not?
>
> I don't necessarily agree; I'm optimistic insofar as I think that
> eventually I'll
> be able to extricate myself out of the current mess... and certes, it
> doesn't
> really effect my ability to read and contemplate current and "future"
> technologies/paradigms in that the cost (at worst) is TV and other
> mindless activities....
>
I hope not too much of that. :-) Really, the one major resource you have
right now is time. Please use it as wisely as you can.
> I do have to say though, as a person who is extremely dedicated
> to pursuing his own ideas out to their logical conclusion, resources,
> *particularly* people resources, are next to impossible to come by
> [barring government/univ funding (where they get copyright/patent),
> or being fabulously independently wealthy]. Plus, to do anything
> significant, certain skills [which require a serious amount of effort
> and time to pickup] are currently beyond my ken. Currently :) But
> I do remain optimistic, that given enough time on this planet [- sudden
> death or illness], I'll hit my critical point in a couple of years :)
>
> More than anything else though, its the lack of a skilled [and
> dedicated]
> labor supply (read: architects rather than technicians). Unfortunately,
> I have yet to actually find a good (reliable) source for such [people]
> material.
>
You need good technicians in greater abundance than architects. But the
architects are certainly crucial.
- samantha
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