If you want to get a job, get a life

[larry]

Computer geeks beware: your days are over. A “charm academy” is being created for IT students in response to employer complaints that too many lack basic social and business skills.

http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_an...cle2518124.ece

[Zippy]

Computer geeks beware: your days are over. A “charm academy” is being created for IT students in response to employer complaints that too many lack basic social and business skills.

http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_an...cle2518124.ece

I'm bored with this stereotyping bollox.
- I don't know any IT nerds.
- I'm not that great at multitasking
- If you want empathic - go somewhere else

'Soft skills' have been taught on any half-way decent CS degree for that last 10 years at least.
Almost everyone I have worked with over the past few years has been normal.

And I hate the f*kin' IT Crowd.

[DodgyAgent]

T

Computer geeks beware: your days are over. A “charm academy” is being created for IT students in response to employer complaints that too many lack basic social and business skills.

http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_an...cle2518124.ece

I too read this, and I am so disappointed that you beat me to it.

[dotnetter]

I have to agree, I've worked with too many social misfits in my time.

I'd still rather go down the pub with them than most agents tho

[Bagpuss]

And I hate the f*kin' IT Crowd.

But you resemble Moss when you get angry

[Zippy]

But you resemble Moss when you get angry

Bad kitty!

[HarryPearce]

Pitac

The Times' article is as geekish as its subject, but that is no surprise. What is more true is what was pointed out in a report on Computational Science http://www.nitrd.gov/pitac/reports/20050609_computational/computational.pdf to the US President (the empasis is mine)

The universality of computational science is its intellectual strength. It is
also its political weakness. Because all research domains benefit from
computational science but none is solely defined by it, the discipline has
historically lacked the cohesive, well-organized community of advocates found
in other disciplines. As a result, the United States risks losing its leadership
and opportunities to more nimble international competitors. We are now at a
pivotal point, with generation-long consequences for scientific leadership,
economic competitiveness, and national security if we fail to act with vision
and commitment. We must undertake a new, large-scale, long-term
partnership among government, academia, and industry to ensure that the
United States possesses the computational science expertise and resources to
assure continuing leadership, prosperity, and security in the 21st century.

In very few orgnisations is computing science capable of organising itself into a cohesive political body. Instead it is a disorganised set of individuals at the bottom of the food chain often reliant upon crumbs being dropped down from the high table populated by those with MBAs. That is why many of us are in fact geeks, defined on the wiki as

Aperson who has chosen concentration rather than conformity; one who pursues skill (especially technical skill) and imagination, not mainstream social acceptance. Geeks usually have a strong case of neophilia (a love of novelty and new things). Most geeks are adept with computers and treat "hacker" as a term of respect, but not all are hackers themselves — and some who actually are hackers normally call themselves geeks anyway, because they regard "hacker" as a label that should be bestowed by others rather than self-assumed.

A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest. This definition is very broad, and allows for mathematics geeks, engineering geeks, sci-fi geeks, computer geeks, various science geeks, movie and film geeks (cinephile), comics geeks, theatre geeks, history geeks, gamer geeks, music geeks, art geeks, SCA geeks, literature geeks, anime and manga geeks (otaku).

I suspect future historians will see some form of guild arising out of the current mess that will be capable of organising "the geeks" into some form that wcan yeild political clout within orgainsiations but not for a century or so. We are too down in the dirt enjoying the technology to enage with the rest of the world to achieve what we could achieve if but we stood on the shoulder of the giants with MBAs while wearing very sharp stillettos!

[VectraMan]

If I had any friends they'd find this very funny.

[Clippy]

The Telegraph have also jumped on the band wagon:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/mai...cigeeks125.xml

[shoes]

Never worked with a stereo typical 'geek' (star trek fan, poor personal hygiene, can't be near them too long due to the smell) who was actually any good at their job. They thought they were, but they were not. They simply spent all their time on it ('this weekend I installed linux at home/went to my amateur radio club') and weren't any use to anyone.

Contractors need to be good at their jobs to last. Therefore, contractors are not typical geeks. Geeks are always permie, and they should consider themselves lucky to have that.

So this geek bashing is targetted at the wrong forum.