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Dot-com Unhealth Benefits Other Industries

Posted by Hemos on from the interesting-application dept.

Ant wrote to us with a story from ZD talking about the flow of engineers back from the .com industry to, for many, whence they came. It's interesting to read, because I do know a number of people who left the defense industry to join in the Internet industry - but they've all stayed in the Internet industry.

2 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. DOT COM == POISON by imagineer_bob · · Score: 5
    If you came frome a DOTCOM you'd better have a great resume. It's already 2 1/2 strikes against you.

    The typical ex-DOTCOM resume I see reads like this:

    - Degree in some watered-down lame-ass field like MIS

    - 6 Months at GEOCITIES, and the get laid off

    - 3 Months at NETSCAPES, and the laid off

    - 6 months at iVillage

    -6 months at "Women.com"

    etc. Then they claim to have 3 years experience! BUT THEY NEVER ACTUALLY DID ANYTHING. Never shipped a product, never worked through a product cycle from beginning to end, and everything they were associated with FAILED.

  2. I'm never going back... by segfaultcoredump · · Score: 4

    having worked for 3 years in the defense industry (right out of college, into the secret world of software development), I will never go back.

    The main reason is that the environment is very restrictive. I ran about 70 sun systems (E5500's, 4500's, etc. ) and was in a constant battle with the security folks. Want to put ssh on the system to ditch *rsh apps? Fill out this paperwork, file it, wait 6 months, resubmit for further disapproval.

    Want to upgrade the version of perl on the system to fix a bug or two? Dont even think about downloading the source code and recompiling. It must be purchased from a vendor, otherwise it might have back doors in it. Lets not even talk about using any other 'free' software.

    The folks in charge of the system security generally do not understand how the various parts of a computer interact and what is a security risk and what is totally benign.

    But what has to be the largest source of frustration is working with former military officers who were taught that an officer is trained to take on any task whatsoever and thus they are qualified to do anything just because they were an officer. I'd rather work with a bunch of PhD's (did that in college).

    The old boy network is in effect at most defense jobs. Folks gain their position based on their rank in the military. Look at most defense companies org chart and you'll almost never find a major in a position above a general.

    But anyway, my current job pays better and I get to work from home :)