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txtaz
09-16-2004, 07:47 AM
Since computers are becoming integrated into life for most people, I thought it would be nice to put out a synopsis for users.

As with everything in life, how and what you use your computer for will range from surfing the net and email to hardcore programming. Most people use their computer for multiple things. I use mine for communications, programming, financial tracking and reporting, scheduling and miscellaneous things such as vehicle maintenance tracking, planning a wedding, graphics and keeping track of friends and family, etc. Ohhh and the net.

It’s amazing how computers have evolved in such a short time. I bought my first computer in 1981 for $5000. It was a 286 dual floppy drive IBM and was used for financials only for a small shop. Four years later, I got a laptop with a 10 mg hard drive. One of the first I think. 5 years after that I was programming music software on a 386 laptop with a 40 mg hard drive (wow, I was in heaven). 486’s were out for desktops at that time. Input/output devices were becoming more available such as scanners/printers/sound cards. Chip engineers were saying they had hit the wall and 15 micron chips were the limit while IBM was developing 3D blue light access memory. I have a feeling some engineers lost their jobs over each of those.

Today, you can do almost anything with a computer. Input/output devices are available for anything from wireless barcode scanners to track inventory to satellite gps tracking of shipping vehicles. You can take your laptop from office to office and not lose your network connection. Your vitals are sent via RF to the nurses’ station for constant monitoring. Plus tons of other things can be done. It’s only limited by imagination.

Since computers are here to stay, it would be smart to keep the technology here in the US. After all, we were the ones who developed most of the technology. Should we not reap the rewards? By exporting our knowledge, we are losing our future in technology to save a few dollars today. I agree we have a world economy, but as in any business deal, it’s what you bring to the table that matters. Ours are definitely one sided. We are giving technology away to create billion dollar companies in India, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

If you have a say in decisions that affect technology, please keep it here in America. Otherwise I have to go global or back to school to become a Dentist.

Wes

TuxedoPk
09-16-2004, 07:38 PM
Wes, I don't think I agree with you.

Technololgy is changing so rapidly that in order to reap financial rewards a company must be able to rapidly sell their products profitably for a short duration of time before being outdated. Additionally, a compay must build market demand for new products, build brand recognition, and brand loyalty thru customer service.

The money in technology doesn't come from the manufacturing/development/support side, it comes from the advertising, sales and distribution side. If this can be purchased from other nations for pennies on the US dollar-great. That frees up our domestic workforce to concentrate on more financially rewarding opportunities.

(This is from someone whose worked in IT from 1978. If you were out painting your house and some foreigner walked by and offered to do it for you for $1/hour wouldn't you gladly hand over the brush and find something more valueable to do with your time? The same applies vocationally)

I also have a hard time differentiating between US companies and foreign companies. Is the difference where they incorporate, where the workers reside, where the owners/investors reside? US citizens own stock in international traded on international exchanges and NYSE listed companies have significant ownership by 'foreigners'.

Domestic IT workers often have a 'clouded' vision of this because over the past few years they have seen many of the jobs they have been doing virtually disapearing as jobs are internationally outsourced. But we certainly didn't have this concern about displacing non-technical positions with the technolgies we deployed. Our postion was on reskilling the labor force to be more technical- an ironic situation in that many of the workers displaced by technology chose to reskill and seek jobs in the IT sector.

The most important technology that we have is the ability to reinvent and refocus ourselves. We've done this when we changed from an economy of agriculture to one of manufacturing and now to information.

Wes- You're in a 'challenging' sector right now and a vocational change would probably due you good. Like selling a boat, one of the happiest days in an IT worker's life is when they leave it. As for dentistry, I'm pro nitrous but not a big fan of other people's drool.

Feel free to give me a call if you ever need to 'vent' about the industry- been there, done that.

Rich

Fish boy
09-16-2004, 10:02 PM
Wow, two of the most well written posts I have had the pleasure of reading on this site.

Fish

txtaz
09-17-2004, 11:07 AM
Rich, Thank you for such a well thought out reply. I don’t mind at all if you have differing opinions. It is nice to see someone with an informed opinion. BTW, I love a good debate.
But if I may, not only is technology changing at a fast pace, overall knowledge doubles every 6 months. These are stats based on my mother from several years ago. She was a Dean of Education so I trust her statistics. So if other facets of life are changing so rapidly and adapting, why is technology exporting and not adapting? I don’t think the “freeing up time to do something more valuable” is valid.

Here’s why:
Overall unemployment has gone down. The tech sector unemployment has doubled in the last year. That is significant considering most of the jobs in the tech sector were lost in the tech crash of 2000. It’s true since then many have adapted while others fought for the available jobs that has been dwindling. But let’s not forget the human factor. I paid a lot of money and time for my education. I worked full time and went to school full time. I stayed up till 2am to finish homework just to get up at 6 to go to work. A lot of people in the tech sector have done the same thing. But they aren’t as fortunate as some of us. They have basically mortgaged their lives for what was to be a promising career only to see it disappear. I have a guy who works for me who has a PhD in chemical engineering (MIT/Northwestern). He could not get a job in a lab so he taught himself how to program. Now I have to look at the fact of laying him off because he costs to much and my contracts are going away. This guy struggled to put himself through MIT. He has a wife and three children and cannot afford to “re-tool”. That is the human factor.

Granted the money comes from sales. But if you have nothing to sell, or competitive, where are you then? Some one once told me the power base, in any company, is the ones who provide the core business functions. Everything else is support. So if your core business was technology, would you not want to protect it? Why give it away? As in your scenario, the painter for $1/hr. was not given the formula for the paint or how to make it, only how to use it. We have been giving away the formula. It makes no sense to me. I am one of two people in the world who know how to do something. I protect that at all costs. I have self destructing codes, bulletproof contracts and happy employees. BUT even with all the protection I can provide to my core business, I see my contracts going away because of cheap foreign labor. They can afford to spend several years developing what I have for a fraction of the price. I know this because of the increase in foreign visitors over the last several projects. I work for clients, and clients can invite whomever they choose to visit a site.

I guess to sum it up, I would say that we need to protect what we have. I look at it more as a human factor. What is the cost to people? When you go to church and see your friends who lost jobs and just want to do everything you can to help. People with advanced degrees should not be working at fast foods or gas stations. BUT the real problem is the ones who want to help, no longer can. We are being affected by this and have to make hard decisions. It’s not fun, it’s not right and it definitely isn’t fair.

Rich, I would love to chat with you on the phone. PM your number and I’ll give you a call on Monday. We are swamped for the weekend with the cake lady, organist, buying gifts, meeting with the pastor, church….ohh…and going to defensive driving class. It seems we both got our first tickets in 10 years in the same month. Of all the luck.

Fish, Dude, thanks for the compliment. I’m sooo right brained that whenever I get a left brained compliment my head swells. NOW I cannot get out the door to play with the Donzi.
Wes, As Toona would put it “Trying to get out the door”

TuxedoPk
09-17-2004, 01:20 PM
Wes you ignorant slut ;) ,

As it not only supports my argument but also avoids the risk of offening yo mama, I'll accept your statistics.

I fully appreciate the educational and opportunity expense of learning your trade. I was one of the first 100 Certified Novell Instructors in the country and owned NJ's largest Novell and subsequently Microsoft education center. Economically I reaped the benefits from all of those career changers who sought a brighter future in IT as well as personally enjoyed evangelizing the technology.

I employed a Harvard Phd w/1 child teaching MS software development initially at the rate of $800/day as an independent contractor and then subsequently at a much lower rate of pay as a full time employeee and eventually stepped aside to allow him to pursue even greater opportunities (I terminated him due to economics)

I don't buy into the "if you don't have anything to sell" argument. Your clients are still buying the service you provided- just from cheaper sources. If I am understanding your issue correctly your problem is 'inefficient manufacturing'. There is no reason why you could not maintain and expand your client base and profit margins by outsourcing the labor just as your competitors do.

I don't believe you would feel the need to 'protect what we have' if you had belief that there is even far more to be had by leaving it behind and changing ourselves and how we interact with the world. Yesterday's successess pale in comparison to the opportunities that tomorrow brings.

Neither the apostles or our country's first founders and citizens shared the belief of protecting what they and only prospered by leaving what they had behind.

- There are those that resist change and perish
- There are those who accept change and survive
- There are those that cause change and prosper

Rich

*Fish- Thank you for the compliment

txtaz
09-17-2004, 01:45 PM
Rich, You are tooooooo funny. I might agree with the ignorant part, but slut???? Come on, you're going to get me in trouble with the future misses with terms like that.
I will give you a call on Monday. I busting butt here to finish up stuff so we can have dinner on the lake. Looks like the only boating we will get for the weekend. Plus, I got the "Official" go ahead to get the 28ZX for sale in Austin so I have to check into that.
Good banter.
Wes
PS "- There are those that cause change and prosper"
I am all over that one. Just need to figure out what to change.

thriller
09-19-2004, 10:36 AM
I am one of two people in the world who know how to do something. I protect that at all costs. .

HHHmmm..I know who the other guy is..I know who the other guy is..

It's Lenny:jestera: and he has his own ThunderBoat Alley:anchor:

Do I get a prize? Come on give me something..I'm from a foreign country..Share the wealth and rewards..:)