Re: Doesn’t ANYONE want to be a programmer? (July 19)
Interesting editorial. However, things haven’t changed all that much except perhaps the enrollment. I can remember 20 years ago
students enrolling in Computer Studies for all the wrong reasons. Sci-fi movies in particular glamorized computers and implied that wonderful things could be accomplished with a few keystrokes. The reality about learning to program and the inability of computers to do “what you wanted” as opposed to what you “programmed” came as a great shock.
Jon Lloyd Duerdoth
Professor Emeritus
Sheridan College
Re: Doesn’t ANYONE want to be a programmer? (July 19)
I found your editorial about Bill Gates being surprised that more kids are not getting into programming interesting. However I think you missed the main concern, and that is what has happened to the jobs, i.e. the lack of them. With the move to outsourcing in India and other low paying areas, why would anyone in their right mind, spend years and thousands of dollars to learn this profession and not have a job? Since the dot-com bust, the IT industry has certainly been one to avoid if you want employment. I know too many well-trained professionals who can’t get proper employment, and have had to abandon the field altogether. The kids today know better than to chase after a dud, especially with most companies refusing to make a commitment to future jobs. They are getting what they asked for.
James Schuster
Re: Doesn’t ANYONE want to be a programmer? (July 19)
I am an IT manager with three daughters entering post secondary and none of them is even vaguely interested in this field even though they are all computer savvy. They use the computer all the time, MSN, Internet, etc., have built Web sites with tools but wanting to understand the nuts and bolts? Just not interested. Maybe Dad’s a nerd, or the whole idea seems just really boring. One sees event planning as much more exciting or owning her own gym. I don’t blame them really, when you watch TV there isn’t any shows about guys and girls having problems with IIS and auto restarts. Lawyers, doctors, writers, Police, Fire even the new home improvement shows all at least look interesting. I have another pet peeve with this industry and that is generally once you get into the computer side of things you are stuck there. People do not see IT staff as capable of moving into other areas such as sales or senior management. CIOs do not turn into CEOs. I have made a good living at this but I don’t know if I would recommend it to my kids.
I consistently enjoy ready your column.
Steve Cain
Manager Information Systems
IRLY Distributors Ltd.
Re: Diehard refuse to bury OS/2 (July 18)
I am the co-founder and latest president of the Montreal OS/2 user group. We have not had any meeting for the past three years and may have another meeting if and when Serenity Systems fulfills its promise to fill the paid orders for their eComm Stations in French. I’m not holding my breath anymore.
The big problem with OS/2 is IBM has never learned how to market outside their well-established corporate market.
Reliable sources have it at $2 billion for the development of OS/2 and still believe it was technically a great operating system that was not marketed to its potential. Its wings started to be cut with the company’s reduction of employees. The device driver department’s budget started dwindling as well as all other departments. An operating system is the manager of all the system’s resources and if the device drivers are missing in the fast-moving computer hardware field, you start to have a major problem.
While I respect the people at Serenity Systems, I believe they are too small both in capital and human resources to maintain and market an operating system. An operating system is major league stuff!
I have not booted into OS/2 for a year and a half. I now use Win XP Pro exclusively with lots of excellent little known, to the general public, software such as Eset NOD32 for av, The Bat! for e-mail, etc. Probably because OS/2 has led me to look beyond the most familiar names and search for excellence.
Gilbert Lefebvre
Re: In search of 3Com Canada (July 19)
I read with interest the story on 3Com. I have followed the company for years and have always been a big fan of the underdog. I admire companies like 3Com, Novell, AMD, and others who have giant competitors to deal with. Companies like these have to work harder to win the hearts and minds of resellers and end users, and as a result often have superior products.
While 3Com certainly has its challenges with a giant competitor they still are in the fight and recently showcased their products at Solution Provider Breakaway to rave reviews by the attending VAR executives. They are also showing their commitment to the channel as a Platinum Sponsor at the upcoming CompTIA Breakaway member conference the largest channel conference in North America.
Ron Cohen
National Manager
CompTIA
Letters to the editor must include the writer’s name and company name along with an e-mail address or other contact information. All letters become the property of ITBusiness.ca. Editors reserve the right to edit submissions for length and content.
