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Ask Slashdot: Getting My Wife Back Into Programming After Long Maternity Leave?

An anonymous reader writes: My wife has been on a maternity leave for three years, now. She is starting to think about refreshing her coding skills and looking for a job. Before, she worked as a Java developer for around two years doing mostly Java Enterprise stuff. However, she is not very eager to go back to coding. I think she has the right mental skills to be a developer, but she is just not very passionate about coding or IT in general. On the other hand, it's relatively easier to find a job in IT than starting a new career.

We live in Spain, and with the current economic situation, the market for software developers is not great — but it's definitely better than other jobs. I there anything else she might do, ideally Java (but could be anything IT related) that would be easier and more fun than the typical Java Enterprise stuff, while also giving her a good change to find a decent job? (I'm a Java developer myself with many years of experience but mostly doing boring Java Enterprise stuff.)

250 comments

  1. Why force her to do something she doesn't want to? by krotscheck · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It feels like you're trying to push her into a career she doesn't really want to be in. If I was you, I'd respect her wishes and instead support her while she finds something she's passionate about.

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  2. Easy. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    How about you respect your wife's choices and let her decide what she wants to do, you're treating her like a teenage child.

    1. Re: Easy. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Her life choices are putting unfair stress on her husband and eventually, her child. If a man chose to take 3 years off to raise a child and clean a house, we'd castigate him. But because it's a lady, we have to respect her life choices? Baloney. She needs to get her mopey ass out of the kitchen and into a real job. She needs to assume her position as a productive adult and not a stay at home child.

    2. Re:Easy. by pla · · Score: 0

      How about you respect your wife's choices and let her decide what she wants to do, you're treating her like a teenage child.

      The subtext of the TFS makes that pretty clear - Because "sitting around the house watching Oprah and eating Cheetos" doesn't pay the bills.

      Hey, guess what - I feel "not very eager" to get my ass out of bed every morning just so I can go make some rich inbreds even more rich. But the mortgage doesn't pay itself.

    3. Re:Easy. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about you holding women to the same standard as men? That's called "equality".

    4. Re: Easy. by kwbauer · · Score: 1

      Not only do we have to respect her life choices, we need to make sure that once she does choose to go back to work, she starts off with pay not equal to where it was when she left but equal to where she would be had she not left and continued to receive COLAs and promotions, etc. Or are you really stupid enough to believe that the woman sitting next to you doing the same work as you at the same level as you who has never had children and worked reduced hours and taken maternity leave, etc. really is being paid less than you?

    5. Re:Easy. by praxis · · Score: 1

      He said she should have the power to choose a career for herself. Where is the inequality?

    6. Re: Easy. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You're projecting (or just trolling). The OP didn't indicate that her staying at home was causing "unfair stress". And plenty of us are not sexist enough to castigate a stay-at-home dad like you say you would.

      Also, it's sad that you think that taking care of one's own children is not being a "productive adult", but rather being a "child".

    7. Re: Easy. by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      If a man chose to take 3 years off to raise a child and clean a house, we'd castigate him

      No, you would castigate him. i don't see what the problem is, if the woman has a better paid or more interesting career.

      You're just showing your insecurity.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    8. Re:Easy. by Totenglocke · · Score: 1

      She's acting like a child by expecting him to pay for her while she refuses to get a job. If the genders were reversed, you'd be telling "her" to divorced "his" lazy ass for refusing to get a job.

      --
      "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
    9. Re:Easy. by Totenglocke · · Score: 1

      The fact that men don't even get the option of "sit on my ass and force my spouse to pay for everything".

      --
      "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
    10. Re:Easy. by praxis · · Score: 1

      The fact that men don't even get the option of "sit on my ass and force my spouse to pay for everything".

      If you think there are not arrangements like that, you are mistaken.

  3. Project Management or Business Analyst by ranton · · Score: 5, Informative

    Two great careers for software developers who don't really like writing software are project management and business analyst. Both are very necessary in almost any IT group, and having software development experience will be an asset in both. Analysts that can write SQL and fully understand object modeling are rare and valuable, as are project managers who understand the software development life cycle from the viewpoint of developers.

    --
    -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    1. Re:Project Management or Business Analyst by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree, but quite honestly (not that you don't know this), project management -- and for that case, business analyst -- are very different from software development. Maybe his wife would excel at one or both of these, but I've met plenty of S/W engineers who are terrible project managers (I would probably be one of them), and we all know project managers who couldn't code their way out of a wet paper bag. Just want to make sure we're addressing the elephant in the room - the skills aren't necessarily transferable.

    2. Re:Project Management or Business Analyst by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      It sounds like the questioner's wife is doing business stuff at the moment, but Java is used in a lot of places. Mobile apps are the obvious one, but also for some embedded stuff.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:Project Management or Business Analyst by swillden · · Score: 3, Interesting

      +1

      Not to be sexist, but most women prefer jobs that include more interaction with people and less time spent in solo problem solving, so it's not terribly surprising that she does't love coding. This isn't to say there aren't women who really like coding, or even introverted women who find working with people all day to be unpleasant. There are all kinds... but on average my observation is that women prefer more human interaction.

      So, assuming that your wife falls into that category, there are lots of roles in and around software development that are more people-focused. Project management requires an additional set of skills, both people skills and management skills, but it's eminently learnable, and having a technical background is very valuable -- as long as it doesn't cause her to second-guess what the developers are telling her (always a risk with PMs, and even more with those whose technical background is shallower than they think it is. There's a tendency to assume that everything they don't know how to do is easy.)

      Business Analyst is another good one. It, again, requires some additional skills she probably doesn't have but can learn. Industry knowledge tends to be important, but most companies are okay with analysts learning that context on the job. She also needs to learn how to gather and document requirements. A technical background is useful there because good requirements need quite a bit more precision than most non-technical people are used to. There's also a risk; formerly-technical BAs have a tendency to overspecify. An important skill for this role which isn't so easy to learn is writing. Good BAs are excellent writers, able to concisely and accurately boil complex issues down to simple statements.

      Another option that might be excellent if she can swing it is Systems or Application Architect. Companies generally want experienced, senior developers to move into these roles, but smart but less-experienced people can do it as well. Architects take the business requirements and convert them into high-level technical plans/architectures. Architects tend to spend less time interacting with people than PMs or BAs, but still quite a bit since they provide the primary interface between the technical and business teams. Architects need to have good technical skills and good "taste", meaning a good feel for what sorts of structures are easy to build, easy to maintain and flexible, and for how to intelligently trade those issues off. They also need to be good at translating technical issues into language the business people can understand. Honestly I expect that your wife probably doesn't have the depth of experience needed to make a good architect, but I thought I'd throw it out.

      Another that might be good if she's a good writer and enjoys writing is technical writing. Good tech writers have greater need for writing skill than they do technical skill, but the latter is very valuable because it enables them to more quickly and accurately understand the information that needs to be documented.

      In smaller companies a lot of these roles get mixed and combined with other business roles, so another good option is to look for a position that isn't necessarily directly related to software development, but could benefit from having a deeply IT-literate person.

      Finally, the option that I've long thought I'd take if I ever got tired of writing code is the law. It's a lot of additional training, but I think there is a deep and growing need for attorneys who understand technology. This is especially true in the areas of patent and copyright law, but I think it applies in many areas. Of course, the law may not have any attraction whatsoever for your wife.

      Whatever, I'd really encourage her to take the time to figure out what she wants to do, and do that, rather than settling for something she doesn't really like. We so much of our lives working that it's really a waste to spend it doing something we don't like.

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    4. Re:Project Management or Business Analyst by laffer1 · · Score: 1

      QA is another option. I think it's the goto for people that are logical and don't actually enjoy writing software. Instead, they get to try to break it.

    5. Re:Project Management or Business Analyst by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Project managers with software development experience are golden.

      Personally I'm a geek girl, and I will never do management, simply because I don't like interacting too much with meatbags.

    6. Re:Project Management or Business Analyst by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      We so much of our lives working that it's really a waste to spend it doing something we don't like.

      Most people do not have the luxury of only (or mainly) doing things they really like.

      For example, the career opportunities for someone who enjoys drinking cheap booze, eating pizzas, listening to heavy metal and watching porn are somewhat limited. Not everyone can be a SysAdmin.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  4. First post! by Shortguy881 · · Score: 0

    However, she is not very eager to go back to coding

    Then why force her?

    --
    Brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.
    1. Re:First post! by neminem · · Score: 1

      Presumably because they need the money, and as was pointed out by the OP, it's easier to break back into a field you were already in, than a new one. Breaking into a totally new field not right out of college *is* kind of difficult, after all, especially if you've been totally out of the workforce for 3 years (but even if you haven't).

      My wife is also looking towards completely changing career paths entirely out of IT (where she's been for a few years). I totally wish her luck, but it's not the easiest thing to do, and she knows it.

      That said, yes, it is kind of silly that it was the husband posting this to /., and not the person who is actually looking for advice.

    2. Re:First post! by Shortguy881 · · Score: 1

      She is starting to think about refreshing her coding skills and looking for a job

      Doesn't sound urgent or like they need the money.

      --
      Brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.
    3. Re:First post! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doesn't sound like anyone's forcing her, either.

    4. Re:First post! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because Women in Tech! Why do you want to keep her our of technology! It doesn't matter if she wants to code or not we're going to force her to the keyboard.

  5. Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    n/t

  6. Jaimie? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Jaimie, is that you?

  7. If she's not interested...... by ip_freely_2000 · · Score: 1

    ....why go back to a job she has no passion for? There's a lot of tangential work that can be done, or maybe it's time for a navel gaze and something entirely new.

  8. No passion you say? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If she's not very passionate, she's gonna have a bad time.

    Maybe non-profit work for a bit? Or learn other languages that can be applied outside of enterprise applications. Advance her skills in information security as an application security tester, reverse engineer, or malware analysis.

  9. Pretty much exactly what my wife did by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My wife was out of the programming workforce for about twenty years, and worried that her FORTRAN skills were no longer needed :-)

    I encouraged her to take some Java classes, she liked it a lot, found an interesting job and several years later is loving it.

    The thing is, do the research to find an *interesting* job -- yeah, it may be just "Java Enterprise stuff", but if it's an interesting project, and something you believe in, with good people, it's worth doing. My wife's team is a crazy bunch, and she enjoys their interactions (and telling me the wild stories) a lot.

    She's been able to learn a lot of useful side technologies (XSLT, Databases, basic web stuff, etc.) so she'll be able to find a new job if the rumors of them moving the project she's on several hundred miles away pan out.

    Anyway, with you working, she doesn't have to settle for the "first available" job, look around a lot, interview a bunch (if nothing else, to hone interviewing skills).

    Good luck to you both!

    1. Re:Pretty much exactly what my wife did by unimacs · · Score: 1

      My wife was out of the programming workforce for about twenty years, and worried that her FORTRAN skills were no longer needed :-)

      I encouraged her to take some Java classes, she liked it a lot, found an interesting job and several years later is loving it.

      The thing is, do the research to find an *interesting* job -- yeah, it may be just "Java Enterprise stuff", but if it's an interesting project, and something you believe in, with good people, it's worth doing. My wife's team is a crazy bunch, and she enjoys their interactions (and telling me the wild stories) a lot.

      She's been able to learn a lot of useful side technologies (XSLT, Databases, basic web stuff, etc.) so she'll be able to find a new job if the rumors of them moving the project she's on several hundred miles away pan out.

      Anyway, with you working, she doesn't have to settle for the "first available" job, look around a lot, interview a bunch (if nothing else, to hone interviewing skills).

      Good luck to you both!

      I agree that an approach like that can make a big difference. Coding on an interesting project is completely different than coding something you don't give a crap about. Being out of the game for 3 years makes it more difficult to be choosy like that but if she's not as concerned about a high salary, she could look to some smaller organizations or non-profits that need technical staff.

    2. Re:Pretty much exactly what my wife did by linnsey · · Score: 1

      Switching technologies could also help. Java is a pain in the arse. Scala is in high demand, based on the JVM (compiles to java) but far more enjoyable to program in. Python and Spark are also great if she's interested in machine learning or statistics. Also, put a project on github. After being out for 3 years people will want to see that she's kept up with industry changes and a github account makes it really easy.

    3. Re:Pretty much exactly what my wife did by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How dare you sir!!! How very dare you!!!!! Claim that XSLT is a useful technology!!?!?! The nerve of some people!!! The absolute nerve!!!!

    4. Re:Pretty much exactly what my wife did by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Scala is in high demand? So there's like four or five people using it now?

  10. To answer your question by rfengr · · Score: 2

    "but she is just not very passionate about coding or IT in general" I think you can answer it yourself.

    1. Re:To answer your question by Ravaldy · · Score: 2

      I'm pretty sure there's people that work in jobs they aren't passionate about but do it to keep afloat.

    2. Re:To answer your question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      My entire working life has been using the process of elimination to find a position that pays well and I can tolerate or even like. I know that's not accepted by the "follow your bliss" crowd, but I'm quite well off now, so it's viable.

    3. Re:To answer your question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This. While writing code has its interesting points, for the most part it's simply tedious.

      The "do what you love and the money will follow" crowd forgets that sometimes the money can follow from a LONG way away.

    4. Re:To answer your question by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I'm pretty sure there's people that work in jobs they aren't passionate about but do it to keep afloat.

      I would say over 90% of the workforce.

      Does anyone seriously think that people stack supermarket shelves, flip burgers, clean toilets or whatever because they really love it?

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    5. Re:To answer your question by Ravaldy · · Score: 1

      That was my point. I just didn't want to put numbers on it because then people ask for statistical proof which I didn't have. I only had common sense to offer.

  11. Go find something you are passionate about by zfalcon · · Score: 2

    If you don't enjoy programming or technology, go find something else you are interested in. All the good programmers and IT people I've met have enjoyed what they do. The ones that don't are usually dragging down the rest of the team.

    1. Re:Go find something you are passionate about by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      If you don't enjoy programming or technology, go find something else you are interested in. All the good programmers and IT people I've met have enjoyed what they do. The ones that don't are usually dragging down the rest of the team.

      There's a huge difference between enjoying what you do and it being something you're passionate about.

      Most people enjoy at least some of what they do for a job without being so interested that they would do it for no pay.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  12. Groovy/Grails is big in Spain/Europe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is a high demand for Groovy/Grails developers in Spain and across Europe right now (and has been for the past two years). Her Java EE will give her the ability to get up to speed pretty quickly. Adding in some Spring and Spring Integration and she's got a set of skills that command a very good salary.

  13. Python by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Maybe she should try a different programming language? Python is still object-oriented, but without the need for an IDE and eschews a lot of the conventions that many people complain about having ton write Java day-in and out.

    I know developers who have loved writting Python code having been long time .Net developers.

    1. Re:Python by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bored with Java?

      Python!

      Bored with software development?

      PYTHON!

      Bored with IT?

      Python.

      Bored with research?

      Python.

      Bored with life?

      Python!

      Is there nothing that Python is not the solution for?

    2. Re:Python by Wdomburg · · Score: 2

      Well, yes, annoyed is an alternative to bored.

  14. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Because OP doesn't want to be sole provider for his dependent child AND a dependent wife, when one of the two is perfectly capable of contributing? The dim view on this is that by sharing his DNA, OP has relegated himself to the status of walking wallet until the child reaches the age of majority. Potentially much longer if alimony is still a thing in Spain.

    Give a woman an education and she can work. Give a woman a child and she owns your ass for a minumum of 18 years. It's a raw deal.

  15. Of For Fucks Sake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is what passes for content on DICEdot these days?

    1. Re:Of For Fucks Sake by thechemic · · Score: 4, Funny

      Slashdot.org - News for lost souls and drifters in life who can't decide what to do with themselves.

      --
      Let's make like a bird... and get the flock outta here.
    2. Re:Of For Fucks Sake by tehcyder · · Score: 1
      Dear Ask Slashdot,

      I have absolutely no interest in technology, computers, programming or any of that nerdy stuff but I would inexplicably like to work in some sort of programming/developer/IT role anyway. Any suggestions?

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    3. Re:Of For Fucks Sake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My husband dumped me a week ago after I accused him of seeing someone else and insulting him. I wanted him back in my life but he refused to have any contact with me. I was so confused and didn't know what to do, so I reached for the internet for help and I saw a testimony of how a man that helps people to get their spouses and partners back so I contacted the man and explained my problem to him and he assured me that within 3 days that my ex will return to me and to my greatest surprise on the third day my ex came knocking on my door and begging for forgiveness. I am so happy that my love is back again and not only that, we are about to get married. Once again thank you Dr Baba. You are truly talented and gifted. If you need his help you can reach him on his email address: worldwidesupremetemple@gmail.com He can be of great help and I will not stop publishing him because he is a wonderful man

  16. Web Development by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Java experience can help, can be very code-light, and develops numerous other skills that can be eventually used to launch into a new career path, assuming they're practiced enough. Can be done from home to top it off, which is a nice segue between full-time-stay-at-home and full-time-work.

  17. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Sometimes the reality of needing to eat and have housing supercede what people are passionate about. He's not asking for marital advice, he's asking for options hat she might enjoy more that will still put food on the table.

  18. "Not eager" by mi · · Score: 5, Insightful

    However, she is not very eager to go back to coding.

    I see another "poster girl" raising awareness of the "pay inequality" in the making...

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    1. Re:"Not eager" by lyovushka · · Score: 1

      However, she is not very eager to go back to coding.

      I see another "poster girl" raising awareness of the "pay inequality" in the making...

      That is incredibly presumptuous towards the woman in question, and towards other so called "poster girls".

    2. Re:"Not eager" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      bigot

    3. Re:"Not eager" by mi · · Score: 1

      That is incredibly presumptuous towards the woman in question

      Just what is it, you are accusing me of "presuming"? The submitter gave all the details necessary: his wife worked for about two years as a developer. She has not done any coding for three years and is "not eager" to ever do it again.

      Now compare her with somebody else, who has — since graduating college — worked for two years, loves what he is doing and is enthusiastic about continuing. Like her husband.

      On the face of it, they should be both earning the same money: "Equal pay for Equal work. NOW!!!!"

      And so goes the poster about the woman — and the parochial evil sexist bigot KKKonservatives, who want to keep her and all other women "illiterate, barefoot, and pregnant".

      Quick, call your Congressman to demand generous funding for female programmers seeking to return to the workforce. Ample funds should be allocated to deal with their lack of enthusiasm, which can only be a manifestation of other people's bigotry.

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    4. Re:"Not eager" by lyovushka · · Score: 1

      You are presuming that she is going to blame her possible future low pay on "pay inequality". There are plenty of men unhappy with their career. The question was not about gender and lets leave it that way.

    5. Re: "Not eager" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you took a three year vacation, your pay would be less too.

    6. Re:"Not eager" by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      Well done, you managed to get in a misogynistic piece of crap without using the term SJW.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    7. Re:"Not eager" by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      Now compare her with somebody else, who has — since graduating college — worked for two years, loves what he is doing and is enthusiastic about continuing. Like her husband.

      Her husband? The one who says "I'm a Java developer myself with many years of experience but mostly doing boring Java Enterprise stuff"?

      He just sounds like someone doing a job, not someone in love with it.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    8. Re: "Not eager" by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      If you took a three year vacation, your pay would be less too.

      Not necessarily.

      It is perfectly possible to spend years doing crap work which adds little of value to your CV or pay expectations.

      Too many people on slashdot assume that everyone has the same carrier profile with an unbroken upward trend.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    9. Re:"Not eager" by mi · · Score: 1

      He just sounds like someone doing a job, not someone in love with it.

      True. But, at least, he's been doing it without the interruption of pregnancy, child-birth and nursing.

      You know, the burden, which the parochial and sexist Mother Nature so unfairly places only on women.

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    10. Re:"Not eager" by mi · · Score: 1

      Well done yourself, pal, you managed to call an opinion you dislike "crap" without offering a single actual argument.

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
  19. Obvious answer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why don't you go out and get a job, and your wife can stay home and look after the baby.

    1. Re:Obvious answer by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      Why don't you go out and get a job, and your wife can stay home and look after the baby.

      He already has a job, genius, and it's pretty obvious his wife either wants or needs a job instead of staying at home looking after the kid(s).

      Truly outstanding reading incomprehension.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    2. Re:Obvious answer by Totenglocke · · Score: 1

      So he has two children to support - the toddler and his wife. Yeah, I'm sure that'll work out wonderfully for the relationship.

      --
      "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
  20. Passion required by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Even if it's easier to go into IT than start a new career it's not easy to go into IT for the next 20-30 years if you're not passionate about it. It can be a miserable existence. Don't underestimate the kind of crisis she might find herself into when in her 40s-50s if she's not doing something she loves. With careers it's important go into something you can happily imagine yourself being successful and accomplished as an old person... otherwise you won't have any drive to succeed.

  21. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by DiSKiLLeR · · Score: 0, Troll

    Hence, don't get married. Ever.

    But yes, she should get off her lazy ass and go back to work.

    --
    You can tell how powerful someone is by the magnitude of the crime they can commit and be able to get away with.
  22. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Exactly. It's weird seeing multiple people turn what is obviously a "I need a job but would prefer a career" request for advice into a hidden plea for help from an abused spouse.

  23. What does she WANT to do? by damn_registrars · · Score: 2

    You said what she doesn't want to do, but gave no indication of what she wants to do. There may be a not-terribly-difficult way to get from programming to what she wants to do, but without knowing what that is it is impossible to say.

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
  24. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by cayenne8 · · Score: 0
    First of all....3 YEARS of maternity leave?!?!? What...was the kid a difficult birth, or have problems? Seriously, maternity leave is like a year, more than that is taking time to spend with a kid as a stay at home mother (which is a good thing generally), but wow...that term really is more than should be applied here.

    That being said...who is pushing for her to get back in the workforce...her or you?

    Once you answer that question...well, it should be up to her where she wants to work and doing what. IT may be a good way to go, but only if that's what she wants to do. There are other interests, and certainly these days...other forms of employment that are more lucrative than just being a code monkey again.

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  25. Manage Outsourcing by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2

    You listed a bunch of strengths:
    1) she has J2EE experience
    2) she lives in Spain where the developer job market sucks
    3) she has the talent
    4) she'd like to move up to a better job

    So, how about she goes and finds un/under-employed local programmers, sets up a syndicate, and manages outsourcing jobs for enterprises in areas where the labor market is tight?

    That will gain her marketable sales and management skills which she can then parlay into better career opportunities. Maybe even sell the company once it's successful.

    I'm assuming she can speak English about as well as you can, which is plenty good (I can't tell if you're native or not).

    Here's the thing that bothers me most about your post, though: she's of child-bearing age, so I'll assume under 40, and you say doing IT is better than picking up a new career now. Don't fool yourself - she'll be working another 40 years (unless the AI's take over) and so she's less than 1/3rd of the way into her career. If you love her, you'll want her to be happy for the next 40 years, and you'll support her in finding/creating something that supports her passions and can pay the bills. So, if she really hates IT, ignore what I wrote above and work hard to help her find her purpose.

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    1. Re: Manage Outsourcing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Setup a business placing people where there is no demand. Genius! Einstein is that you?

    2. Re:Manage Outsourcing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The issue is that business people are still "the enemy" in Spain. See Start a business in Spain: mission impossible?. There is the difficulty of legally starting a company, employment regulations (25% night pay, 22 weeks paid vacation, weird "labor contract" rules, 3 weeks severance pay for someone even if you lay them off after one year), high business taxes. Then there is the difficulty of getting any credit, and it takes nearly two years to enforce a contract through the courts.

      On the other hand, there are new labor reforms going into place in Spain that may reduce the burden on employers, good info here on entrepreneurism in Spain.

    3. Re:Manage Outsourcing by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      22 weeks paid vacation

      Really? According to a quick Google search it's 30 days plus 14 days public holidays.

      This is slightly better than most European countries, but hardly a deal breaker.

      As for the rest, most European countries have employment protection laws that must look like pure socialism if you're from the US, Spain is not that different from Germany or France.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    4. Re:Manage Outsourcing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      do you really think getting outsourcing work is that easy?

      first of all , outsourcing cartel is set up in such a way ( like consulting preferred vender stuff) that you wont stand a chance to get into the door of the company

  26. Don't do it by Brownstar · · Score: 3, Informative

    First answer why does she want to go back to work? Is it because your family needs a second income, is it because she's bored at home and being a full time mother is not what she wants to do, something different, maybe she's looking for part time work. All of these are equally valid options, but before she decides to do something, she should understand why, to ensure that she's actually fulfilling those goals.

    Unless your family absolutely needs the extra money, and there is no option for any other employment why try to have her go into programming?

    She only had 2 years experience to begin with, so she's still an entry level developer. Basically that means going back to programming might as well be entering a new career as well.

    If she doesn't enjoy or want to be a developer it's more likely she's going to be very dissatisfied and not fulfilled.

    My suggestion would be to have her apply for a number of different types of jobs. Some that fulfill the reasons that she wants to go back into the work force that could be built into a career that she wants to be in, and maybe, developer positions as a last resort.

  27. Don't bother by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Women pop out kids because they don't want to work anymore...

  28. Do not do it. by Uloi · · Score: 0

    I can tell you first hand. My now ex wife started in on a degree in programming. About 1/2 way she decided it wasn't for her in spite of getting all A's. I forced her to finish and she graduated with honors. But she couldn't find a job because people in interviews can tell it someone is passionate about programming and she isn't. Long story short, we are now divorced and she is very happy as a nurse.

  29. Systems Analyst / Doc Writer / Project Manager by Aero77 · · Score: 2

    The traditional career forks for developers are the obvious options for someone with coding skills, but not coding desire. Someone often acts as an interface between the software developers and the users of that software. This is a path that allows her to use her old skills, develop new skills, and gives her an option to move into a more generic career later.

  30. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    he never said it was maternity leave for 1 child, she might have had 1,2 or maybe even 3 separate pregnancies during those 3 years.

  31. Java UX by WOOFYGOOFY · · Score: 1

    It has been my experience that many women enjoy and are actually better than men at UX design. The best books I have are authored by women and when I pass ideas or problems by others, women often bring better insights and ideas than men.

  32. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What about her staying at home and raising the child, or is that not an acceptable option? She can open a day care center for a few other families if you need the money.

  33. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Sir_Eptishous · · Score: 0, Troll

    I think the maternity leave period duration is because of their location: Spain(Europe...)

    This graphic shows the breakdown by country
    As we can see, Americans prefer a social darwinism form of maternity leave.

    --
    We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
  34. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by danbob999 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    how do you know they only had one kid during those three years?

  35. AngularJS by innerpeace · · Score: 1

    It's a huge wave that will continue to grow. Knowing Java already, it won't be like she'll be starting from scratch. She might even be able to do some work from home and start part time.

    1. Re:AngularJS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Java has nothing to do with JavaScript.

    2. Re:AngularJS by BitZtream · · Score: 1

      Ah kids these days. This years fad is not a huge wave.

      --
      Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
    3. Re:AngularJS by innerpeace · · Score: 1

      Java has nothing to do with JavaScript.

      I didn't say it did. There are, nonetheless, skills she has as a Java programmer that she can transfer to AngularJS. Therefore:

      ... it won't be like she'll be starting from scratch.

  36. She's lucky to be able to jump back in! by ErichTheRed · · Score: 2

    I guess things really are different in Europe with respect to employment. I understand Spain is having economic troubles now, but you are very lucky your wife has the choice. In the US, most women who take time off to take care of children are branded unemployable, and often treated worse than a non-mother with a long-term gap in their employment.

    It's a legitimate concern for my wife and I. She has a good job that pays well, but is very inflexible and involves a long commute. My oldest kid is going to be entering school next year, and the younger one is only 2 years behind that. I would love for her to have the choice to stay home and work a more flexible job or just take care of the kids. The problem is, once she pulls that trigger and decides to leave, getting comparable employment again is extremely hard. We could get by on one income, but frankly having the financial cushion allows us to actually save, and enjoy life at the same time. Without that second income, there would be some pretty deep cuts since we live in an expensive area and have other high fixed costs. So yes, we've definitely talked about it and are both coming to the same conclusion -- that leaving is a one-way choice and it would severely reduce our retirement savings, etc. Not that she won't eventually do it...the sad thing is that it's a permanent reduction in income.

    Whether she wants to go back to coding, or do something different, she should be happy she has this choice. If she doesn't like development, a systems analyst or PM would be a good choice. An analyst with half a clue on how some of the stuff she's specifying works is a huge plus.

    1. Re:She's lucky to be able to jump back in! by jopsen · · Score: 1

      In the US, most women who take time off to take care of children are branded unemployable, and often treated worse than a non-mother with a long-term gap in their employment.

      It's a legitimate concern for my wife and I. She has a good job that pays well, but is very inflexible and involves a long commute...

      So she could look for a more flexible job with a shorter commute and work part time from home or something like that...

      Or you could be the stay at home dad and let your wife go to work... (it's an option, but I suspect you would fear for you career too)

    2. Re:She's lucky to be able to jump back in! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      In the US, most women who take time off to take care of children are branded unemployable, and often treated worse than a non-mother with a long-term gap in their employment.

      I left programming to try entrepreneurship, thinking I can always come back, and the business failed - '09 took me out.

      Well, I can't get back in. That time as a business owner means nothing apparently - I really don't know because I never hear back. In the meantime, I am not adding to the economy - and not paying taxes - even though I really want to come back.

      The book "Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream" describes perfectly what out of work people go through.

    3. Re:She's lucky to be able to jump back in! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least from my perspective, it seems the gp makes the larger portion of the total income before taxes, and thus him becoming unemployed would be an unsustainable choice. If his wife were to get an equally paying job, then what you snidely remark could be possible, although it wouldn't actually solve the problem, just do some character switching. Therefore, the only way in which the gp could become a stay at home parent would be for his wife to make probably a minimum 50% more than he makes now.

      So please, STFU with the gender role crap. He seems committed to his children, and his wife. Not furthering the idea that women need to stay in the kitchen, except when they venture out to the nursing room or the bedroom.

    4. Re:She's lucky to be able to jump back in! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is totally false. I work at a tech company and they bend over backwards for women especially mothers. They can take off over a year after they have the kid and when they do come back to work they can choose to do so at only 32 hours a week, and still keep all their benefits. Good luck asking for that as a man.

    5. Re:She's lucky to be able to jump back in! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Once you've got the job, taking maternity leave is one thing. Does your company also hire mothers who have been out of the workforce for few years and want to get back in? Because that's the situation, and it seems that if you leave the workforce, even for a year or two, it's assumed any skills are out of date and you're basically unemployable after that.

  37. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by phantomfive · · Score: 2

    It feels like you're trying to push her into a career she doesn't really want to be in. If I was you, I'd respect her wishes and instead support her while she finds something she's passionate about.

    Let's be honest, writing enterprise Java is enough to kill anyone's passion. That stuff sucks your soul out until you make it to architect level (then you spend your time sucking other people's soul out).

    She should find a job that interests her more (while lets be honest, work is called work because it's not fun). Then, if that job happens to be embedded programming, she get a raspberry pi and work with it for a while. After a couple months she should be more than proficient enough to find a job in embedded.

    In any case look through job postings until she finds something interesting. Once again, work is generally not interesting.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  38. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No wonder Spain is quickly approaching economic collapse. A company would be stupid to hire a woman younger than 40 if they can get pregnant and leave for THREE YEARS.

  39. Too late by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    She's a mother. Nobody hires mothers. They tend to put the kids before the job. Face it, if you were not in management AND in a key position before crapping another useless human into this world you're out of the market. Forever.

  40. the break isn't a big deal, the lack of passion is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I got back into programming after a 7 year hiatus during which I went to law school and practiced law. I spent about 3 months writing apps to refresh my skills and then took the first job I got offered a few weeks after posting my resume. I am now back to senior developer status after 2 years, making good money. I was 8 years in to my career before I went back to school and I continued to do development work here and there (ie personal programming projects) while I was out of the industry.

    The big problem here is your wife's lack of passion. If someone doesn't want to code, you're fighting a losing battle. It takes at least 5-6 years of intensive development experience before you start becoming genuinely good at coding. You need to see lots of problems and solve them. You need to fuck up at least a few times and learn from your mistakes. You need to overengineer something by accident at least once and learn from your wasted effort. You need to overcommit to a project and burn out. You need to make assumptions and then get burned when they turn into defects because it turns out you aren't a mind reader. You need to work with lots of developers that are better than you and learn new ways of doing things.

    Suffering through that pain and humiliation for years takes a real passion for programming. If you aren't passionate about it, you aren't going to keep coming back to it again and again.

  41. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by kwbauer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Or you can look at the reverse... Those of us having children are the only ones helping you have all the social welfare programs (pensions and Social Security, etc.) after you stop working.

    So, yes, I am getting a raw deal because I am raising kids that will contribute to me and to you and you are getting a free ride by having no kids.

  42. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Ask Slashdot was useful once, but in the last few years it's just become an opportunity to abuse the questioner. Okay, sometimes the questions are really dumb, but how about we try to assume good faith and not expect them to write an essay covering every possible objection first? You know, kinda like Stack Exchange or something.

    In fact, screw it, Slashdot is dying. I recommend asking the same question on Stack Exchange, you will get more helpful answers.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  43. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by DiSKiLLeR · · Score: 0

    I'm getting downvoted because I said she should get off her ass adn go back to work? After THREE YEARS of maternity leave!? What in the actual fuck.

    --
    You can tell how powerful someone is by the magnitude of the crime they can commit and be able to get away with.
  44. Maternity leave by sjbe · · Score: 1

    3 YEARS of maternity leave?

    Sure, why not? Raising kids is a lot of work and pretty important to the well being of our species. Why not allow people the time to do it well? Honestly I'm fairly disgusted by how little help is given to new parents here in the US. (close to none)

    Seriously, maternity leave is like a year, more than that is taking time to spend with a kid as a stay at home mother (which is a good thing generally)

    One year is as arbitrary as three. And you admit that spending some time with the child when they are young is a good thing so what really is your problem with maternity leave? Just because it isn't the amount you are accustomed to doesn't mean it is wrong.

    1. Re:Maternity leave by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

      One year is as arbitrary as three. And you admit that spending some time with the child when they are young is a good thing so what really is your problem with maternity leave? Just because it isn't the amount you are accustomed to doesn't mean it is wrong.

      I think spending time with the child at home over the first years is GREAT and I think the lack of this in todays society has lessened the quality of kids today over yesteryear (with respect to manners and the parental participation in the educational process, etc).

      However, I don't believe it should be up to other to PAY for this. If you're gonna have kids, well, then PLAN and be fiscally ready before you pull the old rubber off or quit taking the pill. Be ready to sacrifice, and not live on the ideal standard with nice shiny cars and electronic toys.

      It is your kid, plan before you fuck and have one.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    2. Re:Maternity leave by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd want to employ SO MANY women if they could just disappear for 3 years while being paid. Yeahhh

  45. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by DiSKiLLeR · · Score: 1

    Pensions? Social Security? Really, at my age, I will never have a pension when I reach old age. It's what I can save away in my retirement funds and build into a nest egg.

    I don't expect to receive any free govt. hand outs. Nor do I expect to need it.

    --
    You can tell how powerful someone is by the magnitude of the crime they can commit and be able to get away with.
  46. Sole provider? by PatientZero · · Score: 2

    What part of

    She is starting to think about refreshing her coding skills and looking for a job. . . . However, she is not very eager to go back to coding.

    makes you think she wants her husband to be the sole provider? Is there something wrong with wanting a rewarding career that you're passionate about?

    --
    Freedom to fear. Freedom from thought. Freedom to kill.
    I guess the War on Terror really is about freedom!
    1. Re:Sole provider? by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

      Is there something wrong with wanting a rewarding career that you're passionate about?

      Nope...but the reality is, most people do NOT have the luxury of having the time and resources to find the perfect job they love in order to work and make a living.

      I guess it does help to attain that if you have a man supporting you till you find the one job you love, but that's mostly a luxury for women....but even that has its limitations with 3 mouths to feed and one new one to save for to educate later in life.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    2. Re:Sole provider? by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      The "starting to think about... looking for a job" after 3 years of dependency bit. 3 years' maternity leave is not the norm anywhere, even in the EU. After 1 year it's not maternity leave anymore, it's "I quit my job. You may now support me as a dependent willingly or under court order, but you *will* support me, because vagina."

      The last time I looked it took two people to make a baby. A man's responsibility towards that baby doesn't stop once he wipes his cock off on the duvet.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    3. Re:Sole provider? by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      Is there something wrong with wanting a rewarding career that you're passionate about?

      Yes, if it's stopping you getting a "boring" job and making do like the rest of us.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    4. Re:Sole provider? by Totenglocke · · Score: 1

      Last time I looked, women had sole control over if a baby is born (abortion, adoption, or keep it). How is a woman's choice a man's responsibility? Can you imagine the literal riots we'd see if men got sole legal rights to make a decision and leave a woman stuck holding the bill for it?

      --
      "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
    5. Re:Sole provider? by PatientZero · · Score: 1

      But the reality is, most people do NOT have the luxury of having the time and resources to find the perfect job they love in order to work and make a living.

      Certainly, but the author isn't asking what most people should do. He's been able to support his family for three years, and his wife has demonstrated the ability to learn Java and build enterprise software. I'm willing to bet she could transition to a related field (consulting, IT, a different language, etc.) quickly and with minimal additional training.

      I see no point to rush immediately into the same type of job when a small investment could yield much better results for everyone.

      --
      Freedom to fear. Freedom from thought. Freedom to kill.
      I guess the War on Terror really is about freedom!
  47. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

    Although I agree with your sentiment, Slashdot is dying. It was painfully clear in the thread about James Horner. However I did want to ask: When did Ask Slashdot EVER produce no criticism? I remember ten years ago when the big complaint was that people would ask any question at all when there was the magic Google around.

    --

    "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  48. Retool with a more interesting language by bradm · · Score: 1

    I can sympathize with not wanting to be a Java programmer in the enterprise space. Perhaps that's what makes the prospect of programming seem boring to her.

    Different programming languages involve different thought processes, and work better in certain domains than others. If she's retooling anyway, perhaps she should look at other languages. I'm not sure what's hot in the Spanish job market at the moment, but perhaps looking for job listings from the type of company or organization she'd like to work for would give a hint as to what language to learn. If you want a few generic recommendations, then the ubiquitous Javascript (some modern style, not going to advocate for or against a specific framework or library), or the JVM centric Scala, or the niche-pervasive Python come to mind.

    I'm going to avoid the sweeping generalizations about gender that seem to epidemic, and just suggest that the focus should be on the organization and problems to be solved, and not on the technology. If you like those, the job has potential to be interesting - and if the organization is any good, they'll have chosen a language that fits their problem space well.

  49. Why are you (not she) posting this question? by karlandtanya · · Score: 3, Insightful

    That's not rhetorical. She isn't posting this; you are, and there's a reason.

    You've already established that your wife doesn't want a 'job' in IT.
    Go listen to her and find out what she wants. If she wants your help, help her.

    "...it's relatively easier to find a job in IT than starting a new career..."
    comes off a "IT folks and my wife can handle jobs, not careers".

    --
    "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick
    1. Re:Why are you (not she) posting this question? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's not rhetorical. She isn't posting this; you are, and there's a reason.

      She doesn't speak English?

      OP is in Spain.

    2. Re:Why are you (not she) posting this question? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What a crappy crappy double standard? How many men actually want the jobs they end up with? How many men that don't want to go to work would you advise to work out what they really do want while someone else supports them financially.

  50. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, it isnt up to her, it is up to them. They operate as one unit under a shared contract and obviously the current situation isnt amenable to one of the parties operating under that contract and so he is seeking options to assist in bringing resolution to heir shared objectives

  51. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by MightyYar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't know the woman, but calling someone who has been chasing a toddler around for 3 years "lazy" is probably why. It might not be skilled work, but it is exhausting.

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  52. She doesn't want to program. by Dalmarf · · Score: 1

    Of the programmers that I have worked with, it's easy to pick out the ones that are not passionate about the work.
    They invariably produce substandard work that gets shoehorned past acceptance testing due to late deadlines and overly-forgiving (forgotten?) standards. No one wants to work with them or maintain their leavings because the poorly crafted code shows failings in all ways possible.
    It's rarely easy to explain to decision makers the true cost of efforts by the others trying to make up for the poor decisions in design, lack of reasonable planning, lack of analysis.
    Oddly I am now reflecting on how many of them will even openly say how much they hated programming but they do it because they're "good at it" (they *NEVER* really are) and they can't afford to change career tracks. It's sad that they're only stuck in it because of their own illusions.
    Help her find what she's good at and what she loves, or she'll be miserable.

  53. Your wife is not a cow. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Moo.

    1. Re:Your wife is not a cow. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, indeed. She's more like the goose that laid one damn golden egg and expects to get paid for it in perpetuity.

  54. Android? by Hallow · · Score: 2

    How about Android? Use all those mad Java skills, but skip all the "Enterprise" BS. Might be fun.

    1. Re:Android? by bradgoodman · · Score: 1

      Yep - MOD UP! Mobile is very hot. Definitely uses Java, but makes it practical and "real-world" if you're not into all the Enterprise stuff.

  55. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by cayenne8 · · Score: 0

    Those of us having children are the only ones helping you have all the social welfare programs (pensions and Social Security, etc.)

    Social Security...are you serious?

    I have paid into that damned system all my life, and would have loved early on to have been able to take that money and invest it myself, rather than the Feds. But here we are now, and by the time I get to retirement age, it likely won't be around, or it will be so severely crippled with new regulations and moving the retirement age, I'll likely never see a meaningful fraction of what I put into it.

    And by listening to the millineals (sp?) today they don't seem to want to respect the system put in place, and don't feel they owe anything to the previous generation, and hell...whine that life is tough (entitlement mentality), and they aren't coming out of school making $50K a year, etc. So, no, they don't want to pay into the system, and with the debt the Feds have rolled up these past two presidents....the SS system will go tits up long before I'll get anything out of it.

    I"m scrambling now to sock back every cent I possibly can to take care of my own self in my older years. I won't have a wealthy retirement of traveling and golf, but I'm making damned sure I'll have a roof over my head I can call my own, and no debt. The trick is in timing having a good, reliable car that is paid off that will likely last me through the retirement years.

    But no..I have no faith in your progeny to uphold the social safety nets or obligations to the elders of society at all.

    What is a pension by the way? I thought that term disappeared in the 50's.

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  56. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Maybe because being a full time mom is a perfectly valid option? And also, for many people going to work instead of staying home with the kids is the lazy option.

  57. She's think about it, or you are? by BitZtream · · Score: 1

    If she's thinking about it, why are you the one asking about it?

    Sounds more like she's thinking about not trying very hard to get back into it ... You ever consider that she doesn't actually want to? Maybe you want her too? Maybe she's only trying to put forth enough effort to appease you but not actually enough to get a job?

    Something is wrong if you're asking for her.

    --
    Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
  58. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by houghi · · Score: 1

    To me it does not look as if he is pushing her anywhere. She wants to do IT, but not Java or coding in general. He is trying to help find a solution.

    As somebody else suggested, Project Management or Business Analist.

    OTOH the information is extremely limited. What she should do is write dwn what does DOES like and what shoe does NIOT like. Brainstorm. Perhaps she lies to be more social and then she could perhaps help elderly about the Internet. Or she perhaps she wants to do more networking or she likes more tinkering with the hardware itself.

    Does she really want to go into IT, or is that 'just the best option' to get a job? For all I kn ow she likes to give guided tours for tourists in her city.

    So she should first see what she REALLY wants to do and what she really does NOT want to do. This is a process that needs a lot of thinking and hard work as you need to re-thik everything and it is hardest on the partner to accept that change.

    --
    Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  59. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 1
    I was thinking about this this morning and then it occurred to me that the same thing happened to the computer magazine industry.

    In the beginning, there were hobbyist magazines such as Byte and Compute!. Through the early 80's. I spent my lunch money on these, reading them cover to cover about a dozen times between issues. They were what would be considered today hard core, with pages of byte and machine languages to be typed in along with corresponding circuits to be soldered . Then computers started to become mainstream and content was slowly reduced to make room for more advertising I forget he name of it, but one issue of a computer magazine in maybe late 80's was over 1,000 pages of PC clone adverts. This was around the peak. Magazines, instead of be educational or a place where you could teach yourself a million dollar career, became a place where you could learn to change the color of your windows background or why windows was the best thing ever and so much better than various unnamed 'competitors'.

    All the techy people who made the magazines interesting to nerds packed up and left like the Bar-ba-Loots. As the magazines tried to remake themselves into something else (usually Windows tips and Easter eggs), they declined and went out of business.

    They were destined to die with the advent of the www, but their death was 15 years premature.

  60. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you want her to have passion for programming, she probably needs a new language.
    I hear Italian is the language of passion, not Spanish.

  61. she is not very eager to go back to coding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So don't.

    Also, programming hasn't changed.

  62. Living under a rock ?? by Archfeld · · Score: 1

    At what point do you think raising and monitoring a 3 yr. old ISN'T a full time job ???? I'd imagine the lady is looking forward to getting back to work and getting some rest. As for going back into computing and programming I can't blame her, the industry SUCKS. IT companies expect you to give them your entire life while they lowball your salary, try and get you to work overtime for free, biatch and moan when you take your vacation days, and generally take advantage of you as much as possible, while complaining all the time that you cost too much and always looking for a way to cut people rather than produce a superior product.

    --
    errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
  63. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    People like you are the problem with society today. The early years of a child's life are the most important for development of their personality for the rest of their life. A mother's bond is needed.

  64. It is the economy by Rumagent · · Score: 2

    I do not know you financial situation at all. But my wife and I were in a similar situation a couple of years ago. And it basically boils down to two things:

    1) You are parents. That means sometimes doing things you do not particularly like to make sure that your kids will have a reasonably stable upbringing - aka you can pay for stuff.

    2) Regardless of what you do, it is easier to get the next job if you are employed.

    No matter how you end up dealing with your situation, remember your wife. Help her, listen to her and be there. In a year or two you will have moved on, and this will just be another story to annoy your kids with.

    Best of luck!

  65. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by butchersong · · Score: 1

    To be fair housewife isn't exactly equivalent to coal miner or roofer. On the other hand they likely made a decision that their child would be best served by being cared for and getting one on one attention from her rather than being tossed in a daycare.

  66. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In Spain maternity leave is free for the company (it is paid by the state), and the mother leaves for about 4 months (and 15 days for the father, in order to help during those first days).

    If she wants to, she can stay out of her position for another two years, but not being paid. In that case, the company must readmit her if she wants to come back (the person working in her place is hired temporarily).

    In this case, I suppose that she decided to quit when she had the child, and now, three years later, she wants to work again.

  67. Don't do it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Listen to yourself: "However, she is not very eager to go back to coding...but she is just not very passionate about coding or IT in general."

    Unless you're literally starving, don't push her into a job she'll hate. (And if you're literally starving, then she should only take the job until you have enough money to find ANYTHING better.)

    You have the whole EU market.

  68. You are asking the wrong people. by sconeu · · Score: 1

    You say your wife doesn't seem to be into dev anymore. Have you even THOUGHT about asking *HER* what *SHE* wants to do?

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  69. Re:Rants re women/girls not wanting to be engineer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Programmers aren't engineers, or otherwise they'd all go bancrupt or be in prison for delivering faulty products in no time.

  70. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Rasperin · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I can't speak for either of those professions, but I stayed home for about 6months with my two toddlers (honestly easier than one because they play together), and trust me, it isn't easy. If you actually parent/clean/cook and don't just screw around watching tv and facebooking all day it is pretty constant physical and mental labor. By the end of my run, I was ready to get back to programming. On top of that it really is a thankless job with criticism when you are having a bad day. At least when you are having a bad day programming, you just open up slashdot and slack for a few hours. Do that when you are at home and the house is trashed. Then it becomes mentally debilitating because it's a job that is never done and if you are consistently doing it 24/7 it all goes to hell.

    In regards to coal miner or roofer, again I can't speak to those professions, I can say as a person who worked in construction for 5 years during school, I'd rather be doing that then chasing kids around (if only it was just that).

    Oh and nap time is the time to get shit done, it aint rest time. There are no breaks. And when you are the SAHP your the primary care giver and the other person disconnects so instead of working 40hours a week like your spouse you work essentially 7 16hour days.

    --
    WTF Slashdot, why do I have to login 50 times to post?
  71. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by ThatsDrDangerToYou · · Score: 4, Funny

    Gaa, your post was a PTSD trigger for me... make it stop! Oh wait, kids are grown. Ah, nevermind.

  72. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I admit I know nothing of the OP's actual situation. However, if the genders were reversed, no one would raise an eyebrow if the wife were telling her husband that three years was long enough and it was time for him to start earning his share of the money.

    In addition, while one may not leave a toddler entirely unattended, it is definitely not necessary to devote one's full attention to said child. I myself have cared for a baby while working from home full time.

  73. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    many three year old require much more stimulation and socialization than a mother can give. a decent preschool can do a much better job. anyone who has raised an above average child will recognize this. On the otherhand, some parents are very good at home schooling. It sounds like this mother recognizes her limitations with respect to her child raising skills and needs to supplement their income to afford the pre school.

  74. Beat her with a stick by skovnymfe · · Score: 1

    Beat her with a stick until she realizes its for the greater good. All must bow to the great diversity or be publicly shamed and beaten. We can have it no other way.

  75. Re:Why do that? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Some new appliances with touch screens and stuff can be pretty complex -- I'm not sure women are cut out for it. Make sure to only allow basic features (wood stove, icebox, no running water, no dishwasher) in the kitchen or you will be disappointed by all the technical help you have to provide.

  76. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Uh, I pay into social security. It's not a handout for me to want some back, however unlikely that seems.

  77. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Maybe because being a full time mom is a perfectly valid option? And also, for many people going to work instead of staying home with the kids is the lazy option.

    Amen - we're taking a pretty large financial hit for my wife to stay home and she probably hates it 30% of the time. But we discussed it before and continue to discuss it and both feel it is the best option for our kids. (might not be for other kids, no judgement here)

  78. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Pensions? Social Security? Really, at my age, I will never have a pension when I reach old age. It's what I can save away in my retirement funds and build into a nest egg.

    I don't expect to receive any free govt. hand outs. Nor do I expect to need it.

    I'm not sure you understand what a pension is, the different types or how it works. I just left one career that had a non-contribution defined pension plan. I only work there for 10 years but when I retire I will get around $750 a month from that pension. There's no question about it, the money's there, its fully funded and I was vested. The employer can't take it away.

    Now there are some pensions that are less secure and Social Security could be subject to change but if you choose your employer wisely you should be able to take advantage of a pension, 401k and SS.

  79. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    People like you are the problem with society today. The early years of a child's life are the most important for development of their personality for the rest of their life. Both parent's bond is needed.

    FTFY

  80. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It feels like you're trying to push her into a career she doesn't really want to be in. If I was you, I'd respect her wishes and instead support her while she finds something she's passionate about.

    This is an interesting example of what I call Male On Male dominance display. One male is trying to assert his dominance (via correction and humiliation) over another in what amounts to a sexual power display for the benefit of the female whose presense is merely implied .

    Would this same poster chastise the OP if he had been asking for a male colleague? Would his tone and thinking process be the same?

    Yet the presumed relationship between a husband and wife is even MORE intimate than that of close colleagues so the natural assumption ought to be that the OP does in fact know the mind of his wife.

    There's nothing in the tone of the OP's question or words he used that suggests he's some insensitive male telling his wife what she ought to do, think or feel. But he's taken to task as though this is a great certainity. In life, couples act as teams, exploring, thinking and strategizing with the correct, implied buy in from the other even when they're not present. They can do this effectively just because they know each other's minds so well.

    So why the nastygrams for the OP? The answer I think is males are prone to search and seize upon opportunities to present and display themselves as superior and more powerful than other males in the presence and for the benefit of females.

    This is also how a lot of feminists have learned to approach legislatures - I am thinking of the more extreme formulations on campus of Yes Means Yes laws where every single distinct touching act during seduction must be preceeded by an express verbal premission seeking and an express verbal consent. These laws are also known as "Mother, May I" laws. This is situation which now obtains at my alama mater.

    Feminists have learned to present to the males in legislatures an opportunity to act as protectors and defenders of women by presenting women as little more than chaste medieval damsels, inducing the mostly male legislatures to react to and seize on an opportunity to act as knights and defenders. Males will go along with virtually anything because there are implied sexual privileges such dominance displays would have yielded them in prehistoric times and to which they are finely genetically attuned.

    OP you are a bad insenstive male who obviously is abusing his wife across the board.

    Now, bring her to me, the better that I may comfort her.

  81. Think it depends on the company by goldcd · · Score: 1

    Ours tend to have graduated up through the ranks from dev, so to me it sounded like a fair suggestion.
    However there's wide variance between companies - I've incredulously interviewed people unable to do a join..

  82. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by halltk1983 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So that nest egg... is it invested into stocks that require workers younger than you? Is it invested into government bonds which require taxpayers younger than you? Is it invested into banks which require people taking and paying loans who are younger than you? Are you going to spend them at stores staffed by people younger than you, with things made by people younger than you, and delivered by people younger than you? Without young'uns being born at a pretty consistent rate, you'd see some piss poor returns on your investment.

    --
    Watch for Penguins, they eat Apples and throw rocks at Windows.
  83. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's not that exhausting, trust me. I'm a single dad, put myself through college (night classes) while working from home and raising a child. There were stressful times, but if you at all attempt to raise the child with manners, respect, etc, and by setting an example yourself, most days are actually quite nice. Not to mention things get easier after about the first or second year.

  84. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by butchersong · · Score: 1

    This is actually true. The looming problem of not enough young people is going to hit most developed countries pretty hard. Luckily we are largely immune to it in the US due to our high immigration rate. Of course immigration comes with it's own problems like crime and increased reliance on those same social programs... it might be preferable to increase our fertility rate in the middle and upper middle class.

  85. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It feels like you're trying to push her into a career she doesn't really want to be in. If I was you, I'd respect her wishes and instead support her while she finds something she's passionate about.

    Exactly. He already said, "she is just not very passionate about coding or IT in general." Yet he wants to push her into a programming job. Listen to your wife and allow her time to build a career from something that she is passionate about. If you cannot live on a single salary you are living beyond your economic means.

  86. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    You have never been in a european country, have you?

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  87. Re:the break isn't a big deal, the lack of passion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In commercial development, isn't 'passion' just code for 'willing to work 90 hour weeks for the vague promise of a pizza party on launch day'?

  88. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You pay about 70 cents on the dollar for what you should... I do the same. The reality is our kids are getting a raw deal as they will pick up the balance or have the program cut.

  89. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    Last time I checked, Spain was in Europe.

    Maternal leave is regulated by law.

    Why the *fuck* - excuse my language - should she take less maternal leave than either is *offered* by the law or even *demanded* by the law?

    Grow up, and understand that not all countries have a political "we don't care' attitude about families.

    In Germany we have on top of forced maternal leave/vacation (demanded by law) an optional 12 month vacation for one parent, or of both take it, in total 14 months.

    Everyone who takes that and does not take all 14 is basically dumb.

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  90. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by morgauxo · · Score: 1

    He hasn't verified that she really did that. She could have been a really crappy mother and housekeeper for all we know.

  91. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How about an Ask Slashdot that is actually consistent?

    Getting My Wife Back Into Programming

    she is not very eager to go back to coding

    Which is it?

  92. ScrumMaster, Requirements Engineer, BA by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    If she is still into IT, then either planning/management stuff might be interesting (BA=Business Analyst), or probably operating, second or third level support might be interesting.

    I once worked for a bank in operations, very well payed, but boring as I had not much to do. That was 90% Calypso related (a trading software) and SQL on Sybase and a little bit of Solaris/Unix work.

    Bottom line I was there 8h a day and worked like 1h - 2h per day, you could read books or surf the internet.

    Actually a sign of a smooth running data center that the people working there spend more time reading than "working".

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  93. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sooo true. We got 2. 4 and 2. The big one just cant play by herself. Ever. Unfortunately they cant even play together on their own as they will take each others toys etc. And they no longer do naptime. Honestly I dont know if I could do this 7 days a week on my own if I was a stay at home mom. Evenings and weekends as a working dad is enough to cherish Monday mornings.

    Dont get me wrong. I love my kids and I'd love to be with them 24/7 but ... not really ;) it's a weird thing to describe.

  94. Practicality by morgauxo · · Score: 1

    A lot of people are commenting about her deserving a fulfilling career or about children needing a parent around and all sorts of stuff like that. That's all well and good, but I am assuming a little differently.

    The fact that he is bothering with this at all makes me think it is possible that the family simply NEEDS the money. Maybe he is just being the financially responsible one and she is not.

    Sure it would be great if she could find a new career which she would love. But.. if they NEED the money now and she already has the job experience, knowledge and skill in a specific, decently paying job market then maybe the responsible thing is for her to just suck it up and take one for the team.

    As for staying home.. Hopefully if he is considering talking her into going back to work he has already thought about who will take care of the kids. Maybe they have grandparents around. Maybe, based on when she worked previously he expects the cost of day care to be worth it.

    BTW, as a working Dad I can tell you that you can have a full time job and still have a ton of influence in raising your child. It's all in what you chose to do once you get home.

    Anyway, he could just be being greedy but we don't know that. Maybe they need some more income to take care of their family.

  95. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Depends entirely on the child. Trust me. Got two daughters and they're entirely different. I'd say you are right if we're talking about my little one. You're completely wrong for my older one though...

  96. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You mean rather than the child learning necessary social skills by being around other children its age?

  97. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah StackExchange is the WORST environment for abuse of questioners and trolls. the worst. IT's essentially an online game where players screw each opther over for points and power. Slashdot generally has excellent answers. This OP is getting the shaft Ibagree but that I would attribute to theStackExchange effect whereby attacking someone gets you "points".

  98. Um, ya ... by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

    Before, she worked as a Java developer for around two years doing mostly Java Enterprise stuff. However, she is not very eager to go back to coding. I think she has the right mental skills to be a developer, but she is just not very passionate about coding or IT in general.

    ... she has the "right mental skills to be a developer" because she *was* one.

    So let me re-phrase things for you: I think you have the right mental skills to be a good partner/husband, but you keep saying stupid things like that. Keep it up and and enjoy your divorce... :-)

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  99. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Oligonicella · · Score: 2

    "Give a woman a child" - You're an asshole. A rational man doesn't give his wife a child, they share one. My daughter was the best thing that ever happened to me and I don't regret any 'inconvenience'. I pity any partner you end up with because you obviously only see them as that wallet you referred to.

  100. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Up the the age of about 3/4 years the wee buggers don't give a rats arse about their peers

  101. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    By the end of my run, I was ready to get back to programming.

    This is the bit I find most convincing, but perhaps not in the way you intended. If the original poster's wife had been as diligent a parent as you, I suspect she would be similarly ready to get back into programming. The fact that she isn't suggests it's more likely that she instead, as you put it, screw[ed] around watching tv and facebooking all day.

  102. Have you looked into Performance Testing? by ajdowntown · · Score: 1

    I am a performance tester, where we, you guessed it, test the performance of applications and environments. You write scripts using specialized software (the major ones being LoadRunner or even Visual Studio Ultimate) to record the scripts. After the scripts are recorded you can go back and change the scripts to do specific functions, which is where the coding skills come in. It is definitely more interesting than programming, and in lots of jobs can be done via telecommuting.

    For more info, check out:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

  103. Technical Writing by GrantRobertson · · Score: 1

    If she is a decent writer, she could parlay her programming experience into a technical writing position. Many require programming experience. The hours and work environment are more like a regular job.

  104. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by MightyYar · · Score: 1

    Yes, she could have. But per-emptively assuming that to be the case will get you called out.

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  105. Android development by CosaNostra+Pizza+Inc · · Score: 1

    She could get into Android development but that's not something she could just jump right into, even with her Java background

    1. Re:Android development by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, if she has any acumen for software development, the barrier to entry in the Android system is so low that she almost could just jump right in. (Almost.) I'd be surprised if a halfway competent dev couldn't get a job after a few months of self-study and a couple projects.

  106. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A friend of mine worked full time. He'd come home to find his partner sitting on the couch watching TV, and the baby with a dirty nappy, so he'd change the baby and get the washing going, do some dishes, clean up the house, vacuum, and do some dishes.

    Then she'd decide she wanted steak for dinner, to add to her enormous 220 pound frame, so he'd have to go out and buy steak for her, and then cook it, while she watched more TV.

    After dinner, he'd sit down and watch the baby, because it was such an exhausting day she'd had watching TV. An hour and a full tank of hot water later, she'd get out and he'd have to get her dressing gown, so she could come out and watch some more TV, while he looked after the baby.

    She's now a solo parent. I can't work out why - can you?

  107. Re: Rants re women/girls not wanting to be enginee by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    BS. Your complaint is due to the fact that the people who pay them for their engineering have decided high risk beats out high cost.

  108. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Rasperin · · Score: 1

    So mine are 3 and 5 and nap time got renamed to "30m quiet time" after lunch, in their beds, which 70% of the time turns into 2 hour nap time. Luckily my wife and I switched our roles again so after work I cook/clean. Seeing both sides of the fields I no longer pull the "I'm too tired" shenanigans. If I do, I do "dad cooking" by ordering pizza and breaking out paper plates. Either way, my wife needs her evenings off. It really did take me being at home with my kids to see my wife as not lazy and just over burdened.

    People, when you are late-20-something mid-30-something, you still need "me" time no matter who you are (I believe this applies no matter age, but there seems to be a perception to the contrary). As I said, I take the evenings after work with the child care so my wife can get her 'me' time, then Saturdays I go hike a mountain for some relaxing times, Sundays we do family events. Sometimes it's precleaning for the week, sometimes hiking a trail as a family and teaching the boys about plants and edible berries, sometimes it's city walking and shopping, sometimes it's doing nothing but catching a movie and detoxing. Either way, we are constantly trying to balance family, work, and ourselves time. And schedules are never locked, they are fluid. Sometimes I need to work late, sometimes I need to go have drinks with co-workers, sometimes she has Saturday plans. We work around it together.

    Oh shit I've gone preachy, carry on... (my wayward son)

    --
    WTF Slashdot, why do I have to login 50 times to post?
  109. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by ksheff · · Score: 1

    Luckily we are largely immune to it in the US due to our high immigration rate.

    lol Far from it. http://mercatus.org/sites/defa... BTW, the "trust fund" is just special bonds currently held by the US Treasury. Those bonds are then sold along with the regular Treasury bonds that are issued to make up the regular "national debt".

    --
    the good ground has been paved over by suicidal maniacs
  110. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Pharmboy · · Score: 1

    No, she doesn't. He specifically said:

    "but she is just not very passionate about coding or IT in general."

    So yes, it does look like he's trying to push her. Most women I know take a few months of maternity leave, not a few years, so maybe that is why he is pushing, but he's pushing her in the wrong direction.

    --
    Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
  111. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't wan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not weird. There is no rationale in having kids. My ma was angry when i told her that longvtime ago (as 18yo). I was tricked intonhaving kids by my wive. She just lie about taking the pilll. I love my kids but hate the bitch for ruining it for me.

  112. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Bender0x7D1 · · Score: 1

    So, yes, I am getting a raw deal because I am raising kids that will contribute to me and to you and you are getting a free ride by having no kids.

    Are your kids using public education? Using public playgrounds? Are you getting a tax break for more dependents?

    --
    Reading code is like reading the dictionary - you have to read half of it before you can go back and understand it.
  113. Stick with experience by safetyinnumbers · · Score: 1

    All her most recent experience is in childcare. You should take advantage of that and hire her as a full-time nanny.

  114. Baby steps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    First, let her program her own dildo.

  115. Because there's nothing creepy about that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is this a social status thing for you?

  116. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I totally agree with you, but please, spell it 'analyst'. The other spelling reminds me of Tobias' vanity license plate, to commemorate a new outlook on life...

    ANUSTART

  117. Maybe try C# by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not sure it's been mentioned because TL;DR, but she may find more options in the C# space. I changed from Java to C# and it took about two weeks since the languages are so similar. Maybe look at the jobs available in both languages and see if she likes the stuff available in C# more.

  118. Getting Back Into My Wife? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    gross

  119. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by ztexas · · Score: 1

    I forget he name of it, but one issue of a computer magazine in maybe late 80's was over 1,000 pages of PC clone adverts.

    Computer Shopper! I remember it well.

  120. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by rtb61 · · Score: 1

    Slashdot ebbs and flows, and as old readers and commenter move on, they feel it is dying (it is really just their interest is dying) and new readers and commenter try to shift it's content. Paid trolls of course abound, more in registered users than in actual individuals but they tend to fail and give up but they always return.

    It seems like that coder because they obviously enjoy coding fails to grasp that many coders abandon coding because they do not like it. Those coders go on to sales and support and they do a good job because of they coding background. This does not stop coders from looking down their nose at those ex-coders now sales people.

    Likely his wife in learning how to interact with her child had picked up skills and abilities that will help her deal with the typical troublesome customer.

    --
    Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  121. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by CODiNE · · Score: 1

    And when you are the SAHP

    I'm still trying to understand what the heck Slow afterhyperpolarization is and how it affects parenting... but it sounds difficult! My condolences.

    --
    Cwm, fjord-bank glyphs vext quiz
  122. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by styrotech · · Score: 1

    I totally agree with you, but please, spell it 'analyst'.

    Position description of a Business Analist: When it comes to business time, someone who gets the big jobs through the back door.

  123. I want one for Xmas. by hackus · · Score: 1

    Dear Santa Claus,

          I have been exceptionally good this year so I think I deserve a wife for Xmas that like computers that:

        1) Like BIG DATA problems.
        2) Doesn't do Windows but loves little Penguin OS's.
        3) Like to write C and JAVA. (No DOT Net please...this women should be respectable.)

    PS: Please include instructions for the wife as I hear they do other things, not related to programming. Thank you.

    --
    Got Geometrodynamics? Awe, too hard to figure out? Too bad.
  124. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by brantondaveperson · · Score: 1

    To be fair housewife isn't exactly equivalent to coal miner or roofer.

    No. Quite right. It's harder, more exhausting, requires a broader range of skills, and isn't paid at all.

  125. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And everybody keeps harassing my wife and I why we don't want kids.

  126. PHP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There. I said it!

  127. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

    Hence, don't get married. Ever.

    Wrong. You'll get screwed even worse if you're having a kid outside of marriage.

    You don't want kids? Just as bad - you'll be considered married in CoP if you simply live with her for a long time[1]

    Marriage with iron-clad prenup and no kids is currently the least screwed-over option for men. Take it.

    [1]Length depends on jurisdiction

    --
    I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
  128. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

    Yes, she could have. But per-emptively assuming that to be the case will get you called out.

    I've spent time at home with my kid when he was born. To be perfectly honest if she was in any way at all attending to the kid, cleaning/cooking as well as making sure that the child was properly stimulated, carefully watched, reasonably socialised, etc then she'd be dying to get back to work. The fact that she isn't so passionate about leaving the house say's that she was probably getting a lot of "me time' in those three years.

    Hell, after a few months of stay-at-home, I was looking forward to working only 60-hour weeks. The fact that she appears to be wary of 40-hour weeks tells me that she is/was/ working significantly fewer hours than those as a stay-at-home mom. OP should clarify.

    --
    I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
  129. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

    Pensions? Social Security? Really, at my age, I will never have a pension when I reach old age. It's what I can save away in my retirement funds and build into a nest egg.

    I don't expect to receive any free govt. hand outs. Nor do I expect to need it.

    If people stop having kids, have fewer kids, etc, then you must also expect to have no healthcare, no food and no life. The ones having kids today are ensuring that you'll have a doctor on call when you are older.

    --
    I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
  130. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

    Ask Slashdot was useful once, but in the last few years it's just become an opportunity to abuse the questioner. Okay, sometimes the questions are really dumb, but how about we try to assume good faith and not expect them to write an essay covering every possible objection first? You know, kinda like Stack Exchange or something.

    In fact, screw it, Slashdot is dying. I recommend asking the same question on Stack Exchange, you will get more helpful answers.

    He is trying to get her to do something she (apparently) doesn't want to do - "she is just not very passionate about coding or IT in general", but because that "something" aligns with your ideological and political interests you whine about abuse. What *is* borderline abusive is the fact that he is probably going to get her to do something she doesn't appear to have an interest in doing.

    If you want your messages to be logically consistent with themselves you should rather be pointing out that artificially limiting her choices is sexist. You won't though. Your ideology is more important to you than fairness to women.

    --
    I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
  131. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

    This appears to be the writing style of the last psychiatrist.

    --
    I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
  132. why not create your company ? by duredhel · · Score: 1

    If she's skilled in java but doesn't love Java Enterprise stuff and the only jobs she can secure are related to Java Enterprise stuff, why not create her own company ? Maybe she can learn the Androïd SDK and do mobile apps ? Or whatever she wants as long as she's motivated by it. I have no idea of how favorable or hostile the spanish economic climate is for entrepreneurs, but this is the solution I applied to myself and I live in France of all places...

    1. Re:why not create your company ? by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      If she's skilled in java but doesn't love Java Enterprise stuff and the only jobs she can secure are related to Java Enterprise stuff, why not create her own company ? Maybe she can learn the Androïd SDK and do mobile apps ? Or whatever she wants as long as she's motivated by it. I have no idea of how favorable or hostile the spanish economic climate is for entrepreneurs, but this is the solution I applied to myself and I live in France of all places...

      I thought the French didn't even have a word for entrepreneur?

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    2. Re:why not create your company ? by duredhel · · Score: 1

      If she's skilled in java but doesn't love Java Enterprise stuff and the only jobs she can secure are related to Java Enterprise stuff, why not create her own company ? Maybe she can learn the Androïd SDK and do mobile apps ? Or whatever she wants as long as she's motivated by it. I have no idea of how favorable or hostile the spanish economic climate is for entrepreneurs, but this is the solution I applied to myself and I live in France of all places...

      I thought the French didn't even have a word for entrepreneur?

      Well in fact its a french word originally... The English saw that we had no clue on how to use it, took it from us, used it at length and then marketed it and resold it to us all the while making us think we've never had it in the first place. I hate to say it, but this is genius :)

  133. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by tehcyder · · Score: 1
    The vast majority of people work because they need money, not because they're passionate about it.

    In general, finding a job with decent working conditions, reasonable colleagues and a moderate level of interest is the best you can hope for.

    There seems to be a lot of entitlement with people these days. Not only does the world not owe you a living, it absolutely doesn't owe you an interesting one.

    If you're living somewhere like Spain with high unemployment, you should be grateful for a half decent job, however "boring" it may be.

    I don't suppose this will go down well with the special snowflake crowd on slashdot, but if she was some sort of passionate creative genius, by the time she reached the age where she's had 3 years maternity leave she'd already know it.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  134. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    I'm getting downvoted because I said she should get off her ass adn go back to work? After THREE YEARS of maternity leave!? What in the actual fuck.

    Apart from the US, most civilized countries allow a decent amount of maternity leave. At three years, toddlers are generally able to go to nursery and thus allow the carer the ability to work more or less full time.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  135. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    Exactly. What all the misogynistic trolls here seem to forget is that the kid is both parents' responsibility. If you don't want to have to worry about one parent dropping out of full time work, don't have children.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  136. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    Hence, don't get married. Ever.

    But yes, she should get off her lazy ass and go back to work.

    The couple decided between them to have the kid, you fucking moron.

    The amount of teenage level fear of women and responsibility here is staggering.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  137. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't wan by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    Not weird. There is no rationale in having kids. My ma was angry when i told her that longvtime ago (as 18yo). I was tricked intonhaving kids by my wive. She just lie about taking the pilll. I love my kids but hate the bitch for ruining it for me.

    You are an idiot.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  138. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    Hell, after a few months of stay-at-home, I was looking forward to working only 60-hour weeks.

    Being proud of regularly working more than 35-40 hours a week is a largely American thing.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  139. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    I don't expect to receive any free govt. hand outs. Nor do I expect to need it.

    As with affordable health care, that's what everyone says until they do, in fact, need it.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  140. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    What is a pension by the way? I thought that term disappeared in the 50's.

    As with social security, most civilised societies decided some time after the Second World War to provide a safety net for the poor paid for out of taxation.

    Yes, it's essentially socialist.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  141. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    No wonder Spain is quickly approaching economic collapse. A company would be stupid to hire a woman younger than 40 if they can get pregnant and leave for THREE YEARS.

    The company is not paying her salary for those three years, so why should they care?

    Unless you are in some incredibly fast moving and specific field with an unswervable career trajectory, taking three years out of work doesn't make a lot of difference. Someone who is 50 isn't necessarily any better at their job than someone who is 47 and had a three year break.

    I know everyone on slashdot expects to work 24/7 and be a billionaire by the time they're 25, but in the real world most people trundle on quite happily at work despite having distractions like children, friends, family, hobbies and so on.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  142. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    Your powers of psychological insight into a total stranger's marriage are incredible.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  143. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

    Hell, after a few months of stay-at-home, I was looking forward to working only 60-hour weeks.

    Being proud of regularly working more than 35-40 hours a week is a largely American thing.

    I was perhaps not being clear; let me retry: "After a few months of stay-at-home I was looking forward to working fewer hours each week, because even 60 hours incl. overtime a week is still less than staying at home with a small child."

    FWIW, I'm a firm believer that I top out at 40 hours/week, and would very very rarely work extra hours.

    --
    I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
  144. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Heaven forfend she should want the best for her kid. Hang on, you're USAian aren't you? As far as you're concerned the kid's needs are irrelevant, everyone must work in shit jobs they hate full time so they can buy Disney products. Otherwise, Communist.

  145. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Totenglocke · · Score: 1

    The number of extremely overweight housewives in the US would disagree with your statement.

    --
    "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
  146. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    is it invested into stocks that require workers younger than you? Wow, commie liberal aren't we. If it feels bad taking money from someone who had a gun pointed at them...STOP TAKING THE MONEY.

    Voluntarism works.

  147. Holy crap. by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 1

    "My wife doesn't want to do something, but I'm pretty sure I know what's good for her better than she does. How do I mansplain to her simple woman brain that she needs to get back in the kitchen and code me a recipe database?"

    --
    Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
  148. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't wan by Totenglocke · · Score: 2

    He's an idiot for not wanting to flush his life down the toilet? Having kids means MASSIVE unnecessary expenses (current average for middle class families in the US is ~ $250,000 PER KID - and that's NOT including college!) , no more free time, less sleep, a worse relationship (this is well documented by researchers and we even touched on it in Economics classes in college / grad school - for "normal" people who do the "born, go to school, get a job, get married, pop out some brats, slave away until retirement, die" routine have a U shaped curve for their level of happiness - it drops once the first kid is born and doesn't get back to pre-children levels until after the last kid is out of the house and you're retired), etc. Once you factor in the massive overpopulation of the planet as well, there is no rational reason to have kids.

    --
    "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
  149. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Totenglocke · · Score: 1

    Don't cave! I got a vasectomy in my 20's and when people get offended after finding out, I tell them "You only get one life - I intend to enjoy mine".

    --
    "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
  150. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Totenglocke · · Score: 1

    You don't want kids? Just as bad - you'll be considered married in CoP if you simply live with her for a long time[1]

    Not in the US. Almost all states in the US have eliminated "common law" marriage (though existing ones aren't nullified).

    --
    "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
  151. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Totenglocke · · Score: 1

    The couple decided between them to have the kid, you fucking moron.

    Sometimes. More times than not it's the woman saying "We're having a kid or I'm divorcing you and taking everything" or, more commonly, she just stops taking her birth control without telling him and then "Wow, I can't believe this happened!".

    --
    "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
  152. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Totenglocke · · Score: 1

    Those of us having children are the only ones helping you have all the social welfare programs (pensions and Social Security, etc.) after you stop working.

    Ahahaha. First off, those programs are pyramid schemes and unsustainable. Secondly, if those of us who choose not to have kids weren't forced to subsidize you (schools, tax credits / deductions, etc), we could invest it and earn far more than we'd ever potentially see from mismanaged entitlement programs.

    --
    "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
  153. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Totenglocke · · Score: 1

    I hate to break it to you, but that's not - nor has it ever been - how Social Security works. It's not a "fund" you pay into and collect from, it's literally straight up wealth redistribution from those who work to those who don't work.

    --
    "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
  154. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Totenglocke · · Score: 1

    Ah yes, and I'm sure you think a law forcing everyone onto insanely-high deductible plans (thus ensuring that you'll almost always pay everything out of pocket) is "affordable".

    --
    "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
  155. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by MightyYar · · Score: 1

    First, it is Spain. Second, I would think that a fat person chasing a toddler would be even more exhausted than a skinny person.

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  156. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by MightyYar · · Score: 1

    The absolute best was the period of time between the start of daycare and when my work ramped all the way back up. And frankly, then when the economic crisis hit and I found myself with half of the work. Lots of "me time" :)

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  157. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Totenglocke · · Score: 1

    First, do you really think the necessities of being a stay at home mom differ that much between first world (if Spain can still be called that) countries? Second, I think it's been a long time since you had kids - most toddlers these days are plopped in front of a TV / iPad while mommy goes on Facebook.

    --
    "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~Thomas Jefferson
  158. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by MightyYar · · Score: 1

    No I mean being Spanish she's probably not too fat.

    TV has been a bad mommy's best friend for a long, long time. In the 80s we used to keep "TV logs" at school to show how much time we were watching and to try to encourage less viewing. There was even that infuriating period with "educational" VHS/DVDs for infants.

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  159. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't wan by Rasperin · · Score: 1

    He might be an idiot if we take the meaning of life to spread our genetic code. However, I have always personally felt to each there own, I was surprised by my first kid but I _we_ had been ready for a couple of years preparing for it. I've always wanted to be a father and to teach my skills to the next generation. I am hoping to raise my kids to be the next major breakthrough in the world.

    But keep in mind, I have the ability to give my children quite a few opportunities that most often don't get. I was born living out of a truck and on a native american land reserve. I worked my ass up to programmer purely through passion as a kid (I didn't have a computer but the library did). I was obsessed with math and the principals of physics, computers were my practical outlet.

    Which leads me to my last retort, choosing to not reproduce means potentially cheating the world out of it's next superstar. But again, those are odds not worth playing if you can't feed and cloth the child. So I go back to "to each there own".

    --
    WTF Slashdot, why do I have to login 50 times to post?
  160. Substitute "I am" for "My wife is" as you read. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "I am not very eager to go back to coding."
    "I have the right mental skills to be a developer"
    "..but i'm just not very passionate about coding."
    "Is there anything else I can do..that would be easier and more fun?"

  161. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They say Ann Romney never worked a day in her life ...

  162. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by morgauxo · · Score: 1

    Ad it should. But so should assuming the opposite! I just noted that a lot of commenters were taking her side when she very well could have been in the wrong.

  163. Re:Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is one of the dumbest comments I've ever read.

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    --
    Anybody want a peanut?
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