Blogs Fringe

Via Michael – why do people get upset when they are told that blogging is fringe, that only maybe 50,000 to 100,000 are actually writing anything on the internet semi-regularly? Having a hobby is good. Not everyone is cut out for the rough and tumble of stamp collecting or toothpick bridge building. Blogs are no different.

Oh…you thought it made you important and a mover and shaker? Oh, dear.

Java based fear

sofa slouch java

I think I ran out of coffee and forgot to pick any up. Too late now. What’ll I do in 8 hours, bleary, facing nothing but tea? Will I go to work early to get an extra mug in? If you like your boss but you go in early only because you ran out of coffee at home and not to get a start on that report…do you tell him? Can you make a pot of tea with nine bags?

Fewer Studying Computer Science

This New York Times article is interesting – apparently computer science students are losing interest:

The Computing Research Association’s annual survey of more than 200 universities in the United States and Canada found that undergraduate enrollments in computer science and computer engineering programs were down 23 percent this year.

It could just mean that fewer feel they need the degree to get into the game but I buy this argument:

Enrollments are down at the best computer science schools, where the potential stars of technology’s future are groomed. Professors say there is less enthusiasm for the discipline among students, and they worry it may be more than a lingering disenchantment after the dot-com bubble burst.

Having gone through one economic down-turn in my trade and acting when I saw another on the horizon meant two big dislocations for me and my family. If I knew that there were other countries gearing up to provide my services to the globe for a fraction of the cost, why would I dedicate my life to that trade? Better to study Arabic.