I'm currently in my fourth year of college and I often feel some of the same feelings about my chosen career field and I'm not even out in the real world yet. I have often thought of going to cooking school and perhaps opening a small restaurant. If I wasn't so far along in school I probably would. I think there is just something about a job such as cooking where in my opinion you are providing something that people need and enjoy. Not that I wouldn't love working on computers, but I just think sometimes that my life would be better focused on providing a more essential need.
At the library where I work something similar to this happens. The only information that our computer system keeps on a patron is what items they have checked out and what fines they owe. Once they return the book or stop using a public internet station the item is checked in, removed from their record and we have no way of knowing what they have out. Now I guess someone could look at the backup tapes but we only keep a 3 week cycle of those anyways so after those are overwritten there is no way we can tell what someone has checked out. The computer system is actually better from a privacy point of view than the old system using paper cards in each book. This is because with the older paper based system the card numbers are stamped on a card which remains with the book until it is removed from the collection. Therefore, at my library at least the computers seem to be more anonomous than the old way. Of course I believe we also have a policy that we cannot release borrower information without a warrant anyways.
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I'm currently in my fourth year of college and I often feel some of the same feelings about my chosen career field and I'm not even out in the real world yet. I have often thought of going to cooking school and perhaps opening a small restaurant. If I wasn't so far along in school I probably would. I think there is just something about a job such as cooking where in my opinion you are providing something that people need and enjoy. Not that I wouldn't love working on computers, but I just think sometimes that my life would be better focused on providing a more essential need.
At the library where I work something similar to this happens. The only information that our computer system keeps on a patron is what items they have checked out and what fines they owe. Once they return the book or stop using a public internet station the item is checked in, removed from their record and we have no way of knowing what they have out. Now I guess someone could look at the backup tapes but we only keep a 3 week cycle of those anyways so after those are overwritten there is no way we can tell what someone has checked out. The computer system is actually better from a privacy point of view than the old system using paper cards in each book. This is because with the older paper based system the card numbers are stamped on a card which remains with the book until it is removed from the collection. Therefore, at my library at least the computers seem to be more anonomous than the old way. Of course I believe we also have a policy that we cannot release borrower information without a warrant anyways.
Well I work at a library so it seems like my reading list changes depending on the books that get checked in when I work, but here it is for now:
Dragonlance Chronicles (I read this one a few years ago and keep meaning to reread it)
The Tale of Genji (working on this one now... its two volumes and really slow reading but I hope to get it done by the end of summer)
Thinking In C++ (trying to refresh my brain for class next fall)
Redwall (my girlfriend recommended this series so I'm trying it out to see what I think)
The Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket (another recommendation by my girlfriend)
The Professional Chef (trying to expand my skills beyond computers)