OmegaMom

One of the great things about OmegaGranny is that she has leapt into the technology world, and often sends me links to stories or blog posts that she feels might be of interest to me.

One blogger that she forwards on to me occasionally is a guy named HalfBakedSigma.

HalfWittedSigma is a computer programmer who is in the process of getting a law degree so he can practice law.  He wants to practice law so he can get Big Bucks and become High Status.  One of his posts was a tirade about how programming is a dead-end job, that older programmers never get hired, that the swift pace of technology and the constant introduction of the new programming language de jour leads to programmers stalled in their careers because they can’t catch up, that programmers have no social status, and it’s just plain dumb to get a degree in computer science.

Knock me over with a feather.

Okay, here I am, a software dudette.  Yeah, I’ve got to admit, I don’t have a great deal of social status; I’m never going to be country club material.  I’m not sure it’s because of my profession, though, or more a matter of my personality.  I don’t give a hoot about having social status and prestige.  Just ain’t my style.

I don’t know what his definition of “old programmers” is, but it seems to be anyone over 40.  I am well over 40 (alas).  If we move to a big city, I’ll be able to get a job programming within a week.  I’ve done it before–all I have to do is contact the local tech temp company and send them my resume. 

The new programming languages shutting out older programmers is a bunch of hooey.  Anyone who can program well in one programming language can learn to program well in any new one, and can usually hit the ground running with a week’s worth of sitting at a computer and working his/her way through a Sams Teach Yourself book.  The only programming language I ever had a problem with was LISP.  (If you’re someone who is good with LISP, I don’t want to hear from you; you probably think in a totally alien fashion.)

“Dead-end job” is, like status and prestige, one of those things.  To advance in any career, you have to get into management.  You have to attend lots of meetings.  You have to start bossing other people around.  Most software folk I know are into software not because it’s going to lead to bigger and better things; they’re into software because they think it’s just pretty damned cool that someone is going to pay me to play with puzzles all day!!!  You’re getting paid to fiddle on the computer.  How cool is that?!

Anyway, I’ve been mulling this one over for a while, and have decided that I’m just not his target audience.  He seems to have a bone to pick.  He just isn’t happy working with computers.  This is cool!  Not everyone likes to do that!  But he’s making sweeping generalizations about an entire career choice based on his personal feelings about that career.  Piffle.

Then, this week, there was this lovely article in the New York Times, which just keyed right into my feelings about HalfEmptySigma’s point of view.  The article, written by a Harvard alumnus who interviews Harvard applicants as a service for Harvard, is a glowing look at today’s high school graduates.  Bright, talented, gifted, these kids are not guaranteed to get into Harvard, or any other Ivy League school.  Once this bothered him–but now he has come to realize that an Ivy League education is not necessary for success in life. 

Success in life can take many forms.  To some, “success” means bling on the fingers, the latest and greatest fancy cars, a private jet, mingling with the rich and famous on a regular basis.  To others, “success” means living a life of faith.  To many, “success” is just finding something you like to do as a career, building a family, loving people, having friends.  Of course, you can do it all, and end up being rich and famous, truly religious, and having a loving family and a career you love. 

To me, these days, success is having my dotter look at me when I’m dressing up and breathe, “Mommy!  You look beautiful!”  Or having OmegaDad laugh and bump heads with me and caress my nose with a finger when I admit that watching the dotter in her first recital costume was both my most happy and most sad event of the day.

Technorati: Success

Sorry for the lack of posts–I’ve been working on a deadline and very busy.  Also, my blogging brain is totally blank, which doesn’t help.

Do you recall those typical “I’m naked in the middle of the city” or “I’m about to take the final but I have no idea what it’s about” type of dreams?  I had one of those the other night, except it wasn’t about me–it was about the dotter.

I dreamed it was time for the recital…and we couldn’t find the place for the recital, and when we did, we didn’t have the dotter’s costume because we couldn’t find it, either, and I felt just horrible for her.

I woke up feeling dreadfully guilty.

Speaking of the recital and the costume, we got the costumes last night.  They are adorably cute.

Things are coming to a crescendo. 

Today is the dotter’s “graduation picture” day.  Yes, our preschool does a cap-and-gown picture for the kiddos who are about to go on to kindergarten in the fall.  Yes, I know it’s silly. 

But y’know what?  I love it.  And we’re going to get that picture, ya sure.

Then there’s the recital pictures on Saturday.  Then rehearsals on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Then the grand event itself on Saturday.

Goodness knows if we will survive.