[TriLUG] OT: PT One tech issue from tonight's debate

[matt at noway2.thruhere.net]

In my opinion the post below does a really good job of summing up part of
the problem.

My background is engineering and the hands down, number one complaint I
see and have had (in private business) is the lack of respect.  The
question was asked, why do people abandon tech and go the MBA route?  The
answer(s) is(are) obvious: respect, money, power.  In my experience
engineers and engineering are treated an expense and are looked down upon
by management and have limited career advancement paths unless they are
willing to go into areas such as sales.  Engineering and product
development is a long term goal and today most business can't focus beyond
30 to 90 days and the short return on cash.  Seen this way, it becomes
obvious that Engineering is an expense to be outsourced to a contract
firm, at a low wage, and as long as you are able to provide a document
that describes what you want, any 2-bit coder can do the job.  I left
(private) manufacturing about two years ago, and with it I left behind the
monthly cycle and being nothing more than a support system that is only
respected when I have to pull someones ass out of the fire or they want
something RIGHT NOW.

As has been pointed out in previous posts on this subject, the problem
with a lack of tech, both jobs and skilled workers, did not appear
overnight.  It has taken decades to transition to where it is now.  To me,
it is another facet of the general problem of what is wrong with business
in this country, with much of it coming down to a loss of longer term
thinking and myopic focus on short term money.

IT, and many other industries are now experiencing the same trends. 
Whereas they used to be protected by virtue of the hands on nature of the
job, technology has evolved to where this is less of a requirements.  You
don't need someone in the US to be your Admin when someone can simply VPN
from Bangalore and do the job just as well.  The thing is that this trend
is working it's way up the food chain and positions that used to be
protected are now getting outsourced and off shored.  Lawyers, one of the
last few bastions of ludicrous wages, have been under enormous pressure in
recent years because firms can hire a fleet of paralegals and lawyers in
foreign countries to do the work and then have a single US atty do a
review.  Similarly, who hasn't seen the articles about doctors in foreign
countries working online?

Until we stop putting this small segment of the population that is
profiting, or rather profiteering, from this on pedestals, calling them
visionaries and icons of success, and hold them accountable for their
actions, things will continue to decline.

I recently read a "joke" about labor that goes something like this:
"If your not successful, it is obviously because you didn't work hard
enough", "If you think you should be rewarded for your hard work and
effort, expect to have your contribution and value minimized and
belittled", "If you are successful, it is obviously because of your hard
work and skill", "with regards to everyone else's work and skills, it is
all a matter of how cheaply you can obtain them."


> On Thu, 18 Oct 2012, Jack Hill wrote:
>
>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>> Hash: SHA1
>>
>> Is is okay to do science because it is what one is
>> passionate about?
>
> sure, if
> o you don't mind being treated with disrespect
> o you want to live in the lower economic stratum.
> o you don't want vacations that require money
> o you don't mind moving at unpredictable times
> o you don't want a wife and kids (if you're a guy). No woman
> who wants a family will want to live and raise kids living
> in your lifestyle.
> o you don't want your kids to get as good an education
> as you had
> o you don't want to contribute to a retirement fund
> o you don't mind watching the people you work for being paid
> lots of money, having stable jobs, going on vacations where
> and when they want, living in the same house all their life
> and owning it, driving cars that don't break down and going
> home at 5pm.
>
>> Surely the wages are at least livable
>
> absolutely. They're approved by the US govt. We love having
> smart people like you applying for jobs, people who are
> passionate about your work. Step in here.