At first, I didn't see what could be "flip" about your reply title, until I realized the play on deafness. I guess I didn't make the connection because Deaf people are not necessarily quiet.:-)
Anyway, I'd like to add that I personally am not really worried about my career per se. Stumped would be more like it. I am very concerned about how it is for other Deaf professionals, though, because I know firsthand how hard and frustrating it is to be Deaf in a hearing world.
The words of Helen Keller expresses this especially well:
Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people.
I've been wondering about this for years since I had one of those lava lamps as a kid. I vaguely remember reading in the instructions NOT to turn the lava lamp bottle upside down--and of course, I saw that AFTER I had already done so. Somewhere along the line, the lava lamp stopped working, even with the light bulb turned on. Maybe I'm remembering wrong about what it was that I was not supposed to do (but did anyway). Maybe that wasn't even why the thing stopped working. I was just a kid, so it was a long time ago. Has anybody heard of anything like this?
I've seen several articles in various places on the woes of the current job market and ways to deal with them, and I noticed that they are primarily written with a "hearing" audience in mind (a reasonable target audience, after all). Their advice on coping in today's job market often does not address the unique difficulties of being a Deaf IT professional who has been laid off.
For several years, even as a Deaf person, I rarely had to look very hard to find a job, simply because my skills were in demand. Now that the tables have been turned around on all of us, an already bad job market is worse for me because I am Deaf. Many job postings state that excellent communication skills are required--which is fine and reasonable, except I feel that I am at a disadvantage and won't be considered a good prospect once they know that they can't just talk to me as easily as they can talk to most people.
I do communicate quite well in one-on-one settings with minimal background noise. However, even if I get the interview and land the job, there is another concern: fast-paced, cutting-edge job environments do not encourage ideal communication settings. The norm is to get together in group meetings, which I find very difficult. Yes, I could get an interpreter, but these meetings are often called at the last minute (fast-paced environment, remember) and many interpreting agencies want a week's notice. Also, the lag time in the interpreting process prevents me from smoothly contributing to the discussion. In a previous job, I tried setting up an IRC server to allow people to talk online, but the other workers just didn't want to have online meetings. The isolation had very deep, harmful effects on me. This was a corporate setting, and I don't see how a Deaf person could survive there.
I seem to remember that employers were more willing to work around these issues when the economy was better. When that changed, there was less and less tolerance for my needs (however substantial they were) as time went on. Now that I have been laid off, this is on my mind as I search for job opportunities. If I'm not someone who can communicate in a "typical" way, there are hundreds of other candidates with no communication issues who will appear more attractive for that reason. Furthermore, for the sake of my sanity, I do not want to get into another impossible corporate situation like my previous job.
So, I am faced with couple of possibilities. One is to seek out a work environment where we can work out ways to communicate effectively and get fairly settled for pretty much the long term. I do feel that I would do well in a small-company environment, where I could easily get to know everyone. In the past, I have worked in such settings and they indeed proved to be better experiences. That kind of environment is hard to find nowadays, and the ones that I have come across don't seem to be hiring. Even so, this would be my preference, because my experience is that corporate settings just do not work for me. The same goes for consulting firms such as RHI (just to pick one example out of many) which would entail working out communication at the start of every new contract.
The other possibility is to change my career. I'm not sure what kind to consider yet. Once upon a time, Computer Science (my degree major) and IT were considered very promising fields. Now, it is all a completely different ball game.
Actually, my career is not completely uncertain. I became a Deaf preacher in the last few years, and this is becoming my primary focus. However, Deaf churches are usually not able to support a full-time pastor, so I expect to be bivocational when the Lord calls me to pastor a church. Thus, I still need to think and pray about what kind of work to pursue on the side.
I also have a few Deaf friends in the IT field who are either laid off or see the ax falling anytime soon. I wonder what advice I could give them and other Deaf IT professionals (and myself, for that matter) on how to cope in today's job market?
Actually, I think it's a great thing to have. I happen to have an OmniSky (now Earthlink) modem with my Palm Vx. I've always gotten a kick out of saying "half the bandwidth, twice the cost" to people.:-)
It makes me think of what it used to say on early Jolt bottles: "Twice the caffeine and all the sugar." Too funny.:-) Wonder why it doesn't say that any more?
One problem with the idea of a "computer" sign language or dialect--it would most likely be a verbal language. Many Deaf people whose native language is American Sign Language have a highly visual way of expressing themselves. For that reason, the majority of such people would not pick up a verbal language very quickly (if ever). Unless the glove software can deduce intended meaning (which is expressed in highly unique ways by each individual) the produced speech would be word-for-word. Consequently, it may not make much sense. It might come out like this: "gloves nice. finally talk hearing happy me. computer smart wow!" The intended meaning might be: "These gloves are nice. Now I can finally talk with hearing people, and I'm happy about that. The computer is so smart!!"
Until the software can go beyond word-for-word translation and determine the intended meaning, a "computer" sign language or dialect would only work for Deaf people who have some level of proficiency in verbal communication. I know because I interact with Deaf people on a regular basis. I'm Deaf too, but then again, I was raised in the hearing culture. The norm of people raised in Deaf culture do not think or express themselves in a verbal way.
I guess I need to install Mozilla and play with it. Patch it and stuff, so it doesn't do anything irritating like some other browsers do. Cool.
--
Re:Why I hate Mac keyboards
on
Interface Zen
·
· Score: 1
Well, I don't know about most people, but my fj fingers generally touch the keys before the other fingers do. (AND I use the home keys to type--I am not a hunt-and-peck typist!) So, I *REALLY* like the "(inverted) dimples" to be on the fj keys. Having them on the dk fingers makes me want to squirm a lot.
I like browsers that "do one thing and do it well" without all kinds of extra baggage. (Of course, it's going to do more than just strictly "one" thing, but as long as it only has useful AND relevant features...) What are the available choices along these lines? I don't necessarily mean free, btw.
Slashdot Mirror
At first, I didn't see what could be "flip" about your reply title, until I realized the play on deafness. I guess I didn't make the connection because Deaf people are not necessarily quiet.
Anyway, I'd like to add that I personally am not really worried about my career per se. Stumped would be more like it. I am very concerned about how it is for other Deaf professionals, though, because I know firsthand how hard and frustrating it is to be Deaf in a hearing world.
The words of Helen Keller expresses this especially well:
I've been wondering about this for years since I had one of those lava lamps as a kid. I vaguely remember reading in the instructions NOT to turn the lava lamp bottle upside down--and of course, I saw that AFTER I had already done so. Somewhere along the line, the lava lamp stopped working, even with the light bulb turned on. Maybe I'm remembering wrong about what it was that I was not supposed to do (but did anyway). Maybe that wasn't even why the thing stopped working. I was just a kid, so it was a long time ago. Has anybody heard of anything like this?
I've seen several articles in various places on the woes of the current job market and ways to deal with them, and I noticed that they are primarily written with a "hearing" audience in mind (a reasonable target audience, after all). Their advice on coping in today's job market often does not address the unique difficulties of being a Deaf IT professional who has been laid off.
For several years, even as a Deaf person, I rarely had to look very hard to find a job, simply because my skills were in demand. Now that the tables have been turned around on all of us, an already bad job market is worse for me because I am Deaf. Many job postings state that excellent communication skills are required--which is fine and reasonable, except I feel that I am at a disadvantage and won't be considered a good prospect once they know that they can't just talk to me as easily as they can talk to most people.
I do communicate quite well in one-on-one settings with minimal background noise. However, even if I get the interview and land the job, there is another concern: fast-paced, cutting-edge job environments do not encourage ideal communication settings. The norm is to get together in group meetings, which I find very difficult. Yes, I could get an interpreter, but these meetings are often called at the last minute (fast-paced environment, remember) and many interpreting agencies want a week's notice. Also, the lag time in the interpreting process prevents me from smoothly contributing to the discussion. In a previous job, I tried setting up an IRC server to allow people to talk online, but the other workers just didn't want to have online meetings. The isolation had very deep, harmful effects on me. This was a corporate setting, and I don't see how a Deaf person could survive there.
I seem to remember that employers were more willing to work around these issues when the economy was better. When that changed, there was less and less tolerance for my needs (however substantial they were) as time went on. Now that I have been laid off, this is on my mind as I search for job opportunities. If I'm not someone who can communicate in a "typical" way, there are hundreds of other candidates with no communication issues who will appear more attractive for that reason. Furthermore, for the sake of my sanity, I do not want to get into another impossible corporate situation like my previous job.
So, I am faced with couple of possibilities. One is to seek out a work environment where we can work out ways to communicate effectively and get fairly settled for pretty much the long term. I do feel that I would do well in a small-company environment, where I could easily get to know everyone. In the past, I have worked in such settings and they indeed proved to be better experiences. That kind of environment is hard to find nowadays, and the ones that I have come across don't seem to be hiring. Even so, this would be my preference, because my experience is that corporate settings just do not work for me. The same goes for consulting firms such as RHI (just to pick one example out of many) which would entail working out communication at the start of every new contract.
The other possibility is to change my career. I'm not sure what kind to consider yet. Once upon a time, Computer Science (my degree major) and IT were considered very promising fields. Now, it is all a completely different ball game.
Actually, my career is not completely uncertain. I became a Deaf preacher in the last few years, and this is becoming my primary focus. However, Deaf churches are usually not able to support a full-time pastor, so I expect to be bivocational when the Lord calls me to pastor a church. Thus, I still need to think and pray about what kind of work to pursue on the side.
I also have a few Deaf friends in the IT field who are either laid off or see the ax falling anytime soon. I wonder what advice I could give them and other Deaf IT professionals (and myself, for that matter) on how to cope in today's job market?
"...it could have been a lot different. Ewan McGregor and Will Smith both turned down the part before the Speed star snapped it up."
:-)
The really funny thing is...at first glance for just a split second, I thought it said Wil Wheaton.
Actually, I think it's a great thing to have. I happen to have an OmniSky (now Earthlink) modem with my Palm Vx. I've always gotten a kick out of saying "half the bandwidth, twice the cost" to people. :-)
:-) Wonder why it doesn't say that any more?
It makes me think of what it used to say on early Jolt bottles: "Twice the caffeine and all the sugar." Too funny.
that's half the bandwidth for twice the cost :-)
One problem with the idea of a "computer" sign language or dialect--it would most likely be a verbal language. Many Deaf people whose native language is American Sign Language have a highly visual way of expressing themselves. For that reason, the majority of such people would not pick up a verbal language very quickly (if ever). Unless the glove software can deduce intended meaning (which is expressed in highly unique ways by each individual) the produced speech would be word-for-word. Consequently, it may not make much sense. It might come out like this: "gloves nice. finally talk hearing happy me. computer smart wow!" The intended meaning might be: "These gloves are nice. Now I can finally talk with hearing people, and I'm happy about that. The computer is so smart!!"
Until the software can go beyond word-for-word translation and determine the intended meaning, a "computer" sign language or dialect would only work for Deaf people who have some level of proficiency in verbal communication. I know because I interact with Deaf people on a regular basis. I'm Deaf too, but then again, I was raised in the hearing culture. The norm of people raised in Deaf culture do not think or express themselves in a verbal way.
fwoomp
Don't buy their products! Then they don't have to produce the box or CD in the first place. :-D
I guess I need to install Mozilla and play with it. Patch it and stuff, so it doesn't do anything irritating like some other browsers do. Cool.
--
Well, I don't know about most people, but my fj fingers generally touch the keys before the other fingers do. (AND I use the home keys to type--I am not a hunt-and-peck typist!) So, I *REALLY* like the "(inverted) dimples" to be on the fj keys. Having them on the dk fingers makes me want to squirm a lot.
I like browsers that "do one thing and do it well" without all kinds of extra baggage. (Of course, it's going to do more than just strictly "one" thing, but as long as it only has useful AND relevant features...) What are the available choices along these lines? I don't necessarily mean free, btw.