Does this author believe nothing should ever be done unless it furthers mankind'd foray into the future as long as someone might die? Many people die in the cultivation of foods that are not necessary for survival, the manufacture of items that aren't earth-shattering, and the testing of new technologies that don't blow your mind. History is rife with examples of casualties. I'm not saying the deaths are deserves, but merely exist as an inescapable part of creating something new.
Current field soldiers don't need to perform especially well on logic/intelligence tests, so why would a "cyber warrior" need to do especially well in demonstrating physical ability? Won't this make it so people with physical disabilities (amputees for instance) can help defend and maintain this country? I've always personally been interested in military service, but a congenital heart condition ruled that out. I had tested in the 99th percentile on the ASVAB (do they still use those these days?) and actually met with recruiters from the Marines and the Air Force. It was disappointing to find out that the heart problem we thought had resolved itself in early childhood was still present. I'm not at risk of dying, but it does affect physical performance with the lack of oxygenation holding me back. I wonder if someone like me can now join the Army and contribute despite being physically underwhelming.
Sorry for the wall of text; my phone browser does not enjoy inserting line breaks.
It's unfortunate, but in my experience in corporate America, critical thinking is looked down upon. The message is always to be a good little soldier and don't question anything. At one company, we were literally told not to analyze data for new patterns even thought it was done when there was no other work, and Research and Analytics were too swamped to do it. We were saving $30k-$45k a day in wasted ads, but I was told to stop it because "it's just not part of your department's duties."
Problem solvers were never rewarded. Instead, when the engineer stayed an extra 4 hours everyday for weeks to get a project launched early, it's the account managers who are given cruise tickets and thousands in bonuses. Literally, once the contract is signed, all client contact was through my department. The account manager would come back into the picture on the day of the launch. Once in a while, the account managers would give the superstar person/team a Papa Johns pizza. It is a horrible feeling to see potential and intelligence in people you oversee, but are powerless to harness their ability due to procedure, or properly reward them for unexpectedly potent solutions.
It's easy to see why it would be easier to avoid critically thinking and embrace routine and surface understanding instead.
I know companies aren't all like that; my husband workplace is fantastic for fostering creativity and critical thinking. However, I tend to feel more companies than not are stifling.
It's amazing that $1.21/hr is all that stands between an employment dispute and human slave trafficking.
The company and involved employees should be punished much more severely, imho.
"Can a combination of legal action, market pressure, and societal taboo work together to curb harassment?"
I'm not sure how this can happen when online anonymity (for the average person; whether or not any of us have true anonymity is up for debate) is so pervasive. There will always be people who only do the right thing when others are watching and know who they are. This is from personal experience only, but those people exist in disturbing numbers both online and offline.
Thoughts?
It seems like country size and proximity to other nations would be a factor. Growing up in a country where 5 other nations are only a few hours away makes moving to another country seem less daunting compared to someone living in Texas or California, where you drive for hours between cities. I like to compare European countries to American States, and I'll bet a good percentage of Americans would be willing to explore working and living in another State.
My husband gets paternity leave, so yes, some companies are very into equality. He works for a large, global company, so maybe some of those European practices have rubbed off. It's funny because most people see the company as an evil slave-driver, but their policies are actually rather enlightened.
We women care less about whether men/women enjoy the field.
We DO care that once we are in the field and working, that we receive equal pay, treatment, and opportunities.
Slashdot Mirror
Does this author believe nothing should ever be done unless it furthers mankind'd foray into the future as long as someone might die? Many people die in the cultivation of foods that are not necessary for survival, the manufacture of items that aren't earth-shattering, and the testing of new technologies that don't blow your mind. History is rife with examples of casualties. I'm not saying the deaths are deserves, but merely exist as an inescapable part of creating something new.
I'd be okay with it if we were allowed to pay in ads. I'd love to send them some clips of Preparation H or Summer's Eve's commercials.
Current field soldiers don't need to perform especially well on logic/intelligence tests, so why would a "cyber warrior" need to do especially well in demonstrating physical ability? Won't this make it so people with physical disabilities (amputees for instance) can help defend and maintain this country? I've always personally been interested in military service, but a congenital heart condition ruled that out. I had tested in the 99th percentile on the ASVAB (do they still use those these days?) and actually met with recruiters from the Marines and the Air Force. It was disappointing to find out that the heart problem we thought had resolved itself in early childhood was still present. I'm not at risk of dying, but it does affect physical performance with the lack of oxygenation holding me back. I wonder if someone like me can now join the Army and contribute despite being physically underwhelming.
Sorry for the wall of text; my phone browser does not enjoy inserting line breaks. It's unfortunate, but in my experience in corporate America, critical thinking is looked down upon. The message is always to be a good little soldier and don't question anything. At one company, we were literally told not to analyze data for new patterns even thought it was done when there was no other work, and Research and Analytics were too swamped to do it. We were saving $30k-$45k a day in wasted ads, but I was told to stop it because "it's just not part of your department's duties." Problem solvers were never rewarded. Instead, when the engineer stayed an extra 4 hours everyday for weeks to get a project launched early, it's the account managers who are given cruise tickets and thousands in bonuses. Literally, once the contract is signed, all client contact was through my department. The account manager would come back into the picture on the day of the launch. Once in a while, the account managers would give the superstar person/team a Papa Johns pizza. It is a horrible feeling to see potential and intelligence in people you oversee, but are powerless to harness their ability due to procedure, or properly reward them for unexpectedly potent solutions. It's easy to see why it would be easier to avoid critically thinking and embrace routine and surface understanding instead. I know companies aren't all like that; my husband workplace is fantastic for fostering creativity and critical thinking. However, I tend to feel more companies than not are stifling.
It's amazing that $1.21/hr is all that stands between an employment dispute and human slave trafficking. The company and involved employees should be punished much more severely, imho.
"Can a combination of legal action, market pressure, and societal taboo work together to curb harassment?" I'm not sure how this can happen when online anonymity (for the average person; whether or not any of us have true anonymity is up for debate) is so pervasive. There will always be people who only do the right thing when others are watching and know who they are. This is from personal experience only, but those people exist in disturbing numbers both online and offline. Thoughts?
It seems like country size and proximity to other nations would be a factor. Growing up in a country where 5 other nations are only a few hours away makes moving to another country seem less daunting compared to someone living in Texas or California, where you drive for hours between cities. I like to compare European countries to American States, and I'll bet a good percentage of Americans would be willing to explore working and living in another State.
My husband gets paternity leave, so yes, some companies are very into equality. He works for a large, global company, so maybe some of those European practices have rubbed off. It's funny because most people see the company as an evil slave-driver, but their policies are actually rather enlightened.
We women care less about whether men/women enjoy the field. We DO care that once we are in the field and working, that we receive equal pay, treatment, and opportunities.