More and more people are starting to use computers that never have before. These people are nearly computer illiterate and VERY frightened of the thing.
People see commercials showing EVERYONE else has a computer, so they get one. They don't NEED one. (Really, does the average grandma NEED a computer... no she can email with something like WebTV or go to the library; she uses a PENCIL to balance her checkbook; she plays cards with other ladies, etc.) Then they get this thing they don't understand. When it doesn't behave as expected, they have to call SOMEONE.
Language barriers add to the frustration, but aren't the only problem. When Grandma calls Sears because her Kenmore washing machine isn't working, the person asks her some basic questions in terms Grandma understands. Computer help desks just don't seem to be that way.
I have teenagers. They need me more now then when they were infants. They have after school activities & don't yet DRIVE.
When my kids were little, I'd work my 9-5, pick the kids up from day care, and spend time with them until they went to bed (like 9 pm). IF I needed to put in more work hours, I'd do it from my home office. I wasn't asking anyone else to pick up my slack. I was just doing my OT later.
Now that they are on sports teams, or going to the movies with friends, 9-5 doesn't work. Now it's 7-3 with OT as needed.
I've learned to be VERY productive during my working hours to reduce the need for OT. I don't spend much time chatting with the office gang, because they aren't my social life any more.
Both my kids had hiccups inutero!... may not have bothered them, but it sure bothered me!! On the other hand my husband thought it was the funniest thing watching my stomache spasm.
I don't know what world these people live in, but I live pretty close to Albany.
Traffic: city like jams at rush hour; and watch out for those ice storms... quite fun on raised highways.
Jobs: government, SUNY or fastfood
Affordable Housing: mild compared to "downstate", but it is NY!! Aren't too many single income households. (I pay for Pataki's house... make that mansion).
Stablity: all of NY (and the tri-state area) have been rocked by Sept 11. There are still quite a few people out of work; and a bunch of those that have jobs are moving north driving up real estate prices. As others have pointed out, IBM has single handedly affected jobless rates up and down the Hudson Valley. So another 1 company town doesn't look good to me.
I'll give you good schools, but our school taxes are pretty high.
CAPITAL LETTERS are used places besides the beginning of a sentence. Like "i".
If you want to get beyond the $36K job, you need to be able to write a decent paragraph.
If you left Ithica and went to, say a SUNY school, the tuition would be considerably less and there are CS degrees to be had.
There's also college work experience; part time work; co-op experience; good paying summer jobs.
I went to a SUNY school. I have a BA in comp sci. I know "how" to program, therefore, can pick up any language. I learned how to design, how to analize a project, how to work in a team. I also was exposed to art, music, literature, public speaking, effective communications and on and on.
I suggest you take a course here and there, to broaden your knowledge base. As others have pointed out, a well rounded individual is much more marketable.
I work for a rather large computer company that has spent mega$$ standardizing our "desktops" on Windows. Because I have to be able to communcicate/share files with people in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Standardization allows me to create a document and KNOW that others can read it. It allows us to email each other. We need standard "office" apps.
We allow room in our desktop for individual deviations. We allow dual boot with Linux.
The young geeks are willing to work 60-70-80 hours per week and the mature folks with a life aren't... yada yada yada... But don't we have Labor Laws in the US (at least) that are supposed to prevent employers from demanding such hours?
I read my local paper EVERYday. I like to see if anyone *I* know is in print (Police Beat, Weddings, Obits, etc.). So to me the paper is great for the near home stuff. As stated a million times over, the national and international news is covered quite well on the web.
BUT HEY, belive it or not, there are people out there that don't sit in front of a computer all day. Think of your Mom (or some other non-wired friend... you know you have one).
I have kids and I encourage them to READ things in print: news papers, magazines, BOOKS, etc. The printed word is not something we should let go of. I see this as helping with grammer and spelling and all the other stuff web posters seem to forget about.
What's all this talk of "geek chicks". To truely be a geek male/female doesn't come into it. You want someone to hack kernal code... there is no "female touch". There is a "computer touch". You want a nice user interface, there is no "female touch". There is a "human touch".
An OS does what it does. Geeks care, end users don't. The user app does what it does. Geeks don't care, end users do. No male/female difference here either.
So what the computer industry needs are PEOPLE that can make the OS sing, AND (other) PEOPLE that can make apps work for everyone from my grandmother to the geek next door.
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Girls love 'em too!
Lego put out a pink set a few years back that didn't do all that well. Not because girls don't play with them, but Legos are non-gender-specific.
When you throw in a good dose of primary colors you add artistic value. Or suggest a "blue only ______" this adds mathmatical (sorting) skills.
In my state (NY) you are assigned a voting location based on your address. That said, he would only get 1 vote.
More and more people are starting to use computers that never have before. These people are nearly computer illiterate and VERY frightened of the thing.
... no she can email with something like WebTV or go to the library; she uses a PENCIL to balance her checkbook; she plays cards with other ladies, etc.) Then they get this thing they don't understand. When it doesn't behave as expected, they have to call SOMEONE.
People see commercials showing EVERYONE else has a computer, so they get one. They don't NEED one. (Really, does the average grandma NEED a computer
Language barriers add to the frustration, but aren't the only problem. When Grandma calls Sears because her Kenmore washing machine isn't working, the person asks her some basic questions in terms Grandma understands. Computer help desks just don't seem to be that way.
I have teenagers. They need me more now then when they were infants. They have after school activities & don't yet DRIVE.
When my kids were little, I'd work my 9-5, pick the kids up from day care, and spend time with them until they went to bed (like 9 pm). IF I needed to put in more work hours, I'd do it from my home office. I wasn't asking anyone else to pick up my slack. I was just doing my OT later.
Now that they are on sports teams, or going to the movies with friends, 9-5 doesn't work. Now it's 7-3 with OT as needed.
I've learned to be VERY productive during my working hours to reduce the need for OT. I don't spend much time chatting with the office gang, because they aren't my social life any more.
Weekly sales: buy a local Sunday newspaper ... they're STUFFED with grocery store fliers!
Both my kids had hiccups inutero! ... may not have bothered them, but it sure bothered me!! On the other hand my husband thought it was the funniest thing watching my stomache spasm.
There's NYC;
Upstate (just after the welcome to the big apple sign on the Deegon, aka Rt87)
Jersey
and the rest of the world!
I don't know what world these people live in, but I live pretty close to Albany.
... quite fun on raised highways.
... make that mansion).
Traffic: city like jams at rush hour; and watch out for those ice storms
Jobs: government, SUNY or fastfood
Affordable Housing: mild compared to "downstate", but it is NY!! Aren't too many single income households. (I pay for Pataki's house
Stablity: all of NY (and the tri-state area) have been rocked by Sept 11. There are still quite a few people out of work; and a bunch of those that have jobs are moving north driving up real estate prices. As others have pointed out, IBM has single handedly affected jobless rates up and down the Hudson Valley. So another 1 company town doesn't look good to me.
I'll give you good schools, but our school taxes are pretty high.
A couple things for YOU to think about.
CAPITAL LETTERS are used places besides the beginning of a sentence. Like "i".
If you want to get beyond the $36K job, you need to be able to write a decent paragraph.
If you left Ithica and went to, say a SUNY school, the tuition would be considerably less and there are CS degrees to be had.
There's also college work experience; part time work; co-op experience; good paying summer jobs.
I went to a SUNY school. I have a BA in comp sci. I know "how" to program, therefore, can pick up any language. I learned how to design, how to analize a project, how to work in a team. I also was exposed to art, music, literature, public speaking, effective communications and on and on.
I suggest you take a course here and there, to broaden your knowledge base. As others have pointed out, a well rounded individual is much more marketable.
I work for a rather large computer company that has spent mega$$ standardizing our "desktops" on Windows. Because I have to be able to communcicate/share files with people in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Standardization allows me to create a document and KNOW that others can read it. It allows us to email each other. We need standard "office" apps.
We allow room in our desktop for individual deviations. We allow dual boot with Linux.
The young geeks are willing to work 60-70-80 hours per week and the mature folks with a life aren't ... yada yada yada ... But don't we have Labor Laws in the US (at least) that are supposed to prevent employers from demanding such hours?
Sorry guy, a S/390 is about the size of a washing machine now, and it's air cooled. You'll have to keep the furnace.
3. This patch breaks functionality with a whole bunch of software.
Isn't that gonna get M$ is MORE trouble with their anti-monopoly suit? They're hurting the little guy (again).
Here's a link to Colin Powell and Larry Ellison donating 1,100 of these machines to the Dallas Independent School District.
I read my local paper EVERYday. I like to see if anyone *I* know is in print (Police Beat, Weddings, Obits, etc.). So to me the paper is great for the near home stuff. As stated a million times over, the national and international news is covered quite well on the web.
... you know you have one).
BUT HEY, belive it or not, there are people out there that don't sit in front of a computer all day. Think of your Mom (or some other non-wired friend
I have kids and I encourage them to READ things in print: news papers, magazines, BOOKS, etc. The printed word is not something we should let go of. I see this as helping with grammer and spelling and all the other stuff web posters seem to forget about.
What's all this talk of "geek chicks". To truely be a geek male/female doesn't come into it. You want someone to hack kernal code ... there is no "female touch". There is a "computer touch". You want a nice user interface, there is no "female touch". There is a "human touch".
An OS does what it does. Geeks care, end users don't. The user app does what it does. Geeks don't care, end users do. No male/female difference here either.
So what the computer industry needs are PEOPLE that can make the OS sing, AND (other) PEOPLE that can make apps work for everyone from my grandmother to the geek next door.