http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7143417.stm

I know I don't get paid enough for my help here on the forums

But seriously, during my recent stint as a sales support person at a local computer store, I saw this happen many times:

Techie comes in work uniform, ready to pick up order. Techie discusses other options and says "That's what we really need, but the boss would never approve it". The techie, knowing what is needed, is told no because the boss thinks it's too expensive/unnecessary/etc... As long as the computer loads and the user can start IE and Word, the boss is happy... No matter how hard the techie has to work to keep it going...

I feel for the techie. I'm in my third year in college and trying to find a suitable summer internship program that could go with my Network Engineering major is driving me nuts! Computer skills are really undervalued, usually overlooked by most businesses here. In every internship program I come across, it's always "Must be adept in MS Word and MS Excel, with a pleasing personality. Able to interact with customers."!!!

I do run my own computer business. Of course everyone wants free tech advise and help. I have learned to not tell people how to do things on their computers. It is the way i make my money. I am not in business to sit around and do nothing so i stay busy finding other things to do besides the computers. I do not go into long sessions of computer troubleshooting because i can't afford it. It's far easier to wipe a drive and reinstall windows and the customers are happy because i got them their computer back in 2 days instead of a week. I make more money selling hardware than doing tech work so that's where i concentrate my labours. 75% of my work is tedious replacement of cdrom drives, memory, and video cards. But it pays the bills and supports me. I am not too idealistic about computers because they have become appliances to most households and that the way people treat them. It makes me a living so i'm happy that i get to do what i like to do.

Who knows maybe i'll be the next NewEgg someday.

SRX660

Hi, Madduncle here, ( i'm a newbie to the site). This thread caught my eye because I play games on a couple of
sites based in the UK, 3IABWL.com dedicated to darting, 3inabed.com, thier forum and KING.com a multi-gaming
site. King.com's programs run smoothly most of the time, it's a gambling as well as free play site, but it does have a
few bugs, nothing major I believe. 3IABWL, stands for "3 in a bed world league", and it has about 16 to 18 patches.
It's a stand alone program which you connect to without using a browser. The site has been having alot of difficulties
with runtime errors, connecting with other players when challenging for a match, the wrong persons name on the
dart room scoreboard, error messages most of the time on your desktop after leaving, just to name a few.
There have been numerous complaints about the problems and, yes you guessed it, the ADMIN seems like it could
care less as long as the people keep showing up. I guess that's part of the UK's "undervalue" of the technological
knowledge.
I'm self taught with "a little help from my friends", in building and upgrading PC's, wireless networking and
trouble shooting simple programs and hardware, have done some regediting and BIO's upgrading and the such.
There are 8 people in my household, 6 computers and nobody else here has a clue. Computer Knowledge is very
much "undervalued", especially for those that have had a formal education. I was a machinist by trade with a
2 yr trade school education with an emphesis on math and numerical progrming which has treated me well but,
also was a wannabe TECH.

Skills of the the genuine Techie have been undermined by the 'wannabe' that talk a good tale but have little of no practical experience and knowledge... too many unskilled play actors ripping people off and losing the whole industry credibility.

You must have heard the cry, well I thought..... it was ... last time it was....

Its even harder for girls. I've fought with guys over things I knew I was right about but they just couldnt accept that I knew what I was talking about because Im a girl and girls cant know about computers/electronics.

I remember one time I was arguing with my sisters bf and he told me he was going to build a brand new pc from scratch for $200. I told him that was wasnt logical even if you got the cheapest of everything (and even so you wouldnt end up with a very good pc after all). Only after did I show him the price of a core2duo processor, did he stop arguing with me. Wouldnt admit that I was right though and his reasoning.. because I was a girl

I agree with Dyamond. It has been a common stereotype that girls are not the techy type and should stick to Home Economics or some other "girly" occupations. Even my mom says I shouldn't be learning malware removal because it is too complex and wastes too much time. I've just proven that I am able to do it (if I'm willing to work), and it is a worthwhile effort for me.

Well, back to the subject, I have to nod my head when people say that techies are not rewarded as they should. I mean, in my opinion, their work is actually among the most tiring and difficult. Logically speaking, they should get a much higher recognition. Sadly, society always undermine those who work the toughest and denies them of their effort.

This post has been edited by Ltangelic: Oct 31 2008, 03:14 AM

Well, I'm glad *someone* appreciates us!

These companies obviously don't.

Personally, as a person who is a self-taught techie, but also a chemist, so maybe a psuedo-independent view. I think a part of the lack of respect comes out of what is a backlash STILL against the collapse of the tech bubble. I think the image of technology was greatly diminished both by the crash and some of the ludicrous claims that people made at that time. You had techies who were running off their mouths saying this fad or that fad would be the next best thing since sliced bread. When it didn't pan out some companies lost a good amount of money, damaging the view of techs.
This was exacerbated by slick snake-oil salesmen who knew just-enough tech jargon to sound like they knew what they are talking about. Chemists have this, the everything natural is good everything synthetic is bad people, they know just enough science to sound like they know something, unless you actually know chemistry then you realize how many of their claims are ludicrous. I actually had an argument with a guy who said because aspartame and barbiturates have similar formulas (yes formulas not even structures, just similar numbers of carbons, nitrogens, hydrogens and oxygens) that they act the same in the brain. Note: I do believe there may be some validity to the aspartame claims and have met people who DID know what they are talking about who are anti-aspartame, but most do not.

OK, back on track, secondly and unfortunately, techies are viewed as a service position, not a production position. Who fixes the lighting and plumbing the systems engineers, who fixes the network, the network engineers, who fixes the computers, the computer engineer. To the board room, these positions are all viewed as more or less the same type of thing. Part of the reason for this, is the fact that technology has become so ubiquitous it has become an appliance now, which cheapens its image, turning it into a support position.

Oh good grief! That's just stupid!!