Web, jobs and the industry
Friday, 30. May 2008, 10:07:50
Per il lettore italiano, questo post può essere istruttivo:
http://blogs.ugidotnet.org/piyo/archive/2008/05/27/cercasi-tuttologo.aspx
E anche questo:
http://blogs.ugidotnet.org/piyo/archive/2008/05/23/come-farsi-assumere-da-amazon.aspx
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Today I was reading a job offer. Besides the fact they declared 35 years as maximum age (I don't really understand why it makes sense and why this is even allowed), the request was for a "Web 2.0 facilitator", meaning somebody who goes to companies management (aka the customers) to tell/teach them about how to implement "Web 2.0 technologies" and why that is cool. I would have applied for the job if I wasn't too old and if I knew what "Web 2.0 technologies" are, no mention the fact that I don't know why a company should move to "Web 2.0" when they haven't got "Web 1.0" yet. I guess the idea is quite simple. Marketing people work on slogans to create the "hype" about some "exotic/new/cool/must to have" gadget. Company management, that usually don't have a clue about technology, read those glamour magazines about successful business, which are full of fake articles and think you can't live the future without the above new gadget. Some companies are then trickled to invest ridiculous money in developing the Second Life company "stand" (or whatever else, just a realistic example), when the "hype" for Second Life is already fading away. After some time there will be other people wondering why the company invested so much money for so little or non-existent gain and then the Web itself will be proven useless and ultimately a fraud.
It seems simple but in real life you can't tell anybody, because they don't want to listen. Why? Because in the IT business, despite the implosion of the "new economy bubble", there are still way too many people who make big money on selling crap and act like the prophets of a "new age". On BOTH sides, even the customers WANT to be involved in that kind of nonsense, that somehow gives importance to the management roles (regardless the wasted money).
Somehow this can be also transferred on the consumer level. How many "gadgets" have been introduced during years, like the "tablet PC" or the announced "touch screen" in Windows 7? But if you look at things closer, we are doing the same things as 10 years ago, after having spent lots of money in buying new hardware and new software that included almost no actual innovation.
On the fun side, I don't know your countries but here in Italy there is an interesting trend about job offers. Besides the fact that they are for "consulting / temporary" contracts, so the company pays you way less than regular employment, you are also requested to be experienced/skilled in many and completely different areas, like system admin on Unix server and creative graphics, with Java programming in between. In this way you hire just one person, without having any obligation from a regular contract (like extra time, vacations, taxes), paying less (because you can fire any moment) and making him/her work in the place of 3 or 4 other people. The resulting production/service sucks? Who cares, it sucks everywhere.
http://blogs.ugidotnet.org/piyo/archive/2008/05/27/cercasi-tuttologo.aspx
E anche questo:
http://blogs.ugidotnet.org/piyo/archive/2008/05/23/come-farsi-assumere-da-amazon.aspx
----------------------
Today I was reading a job offer. Besides the fact they declared 35 years as maximum age (I don't really understand why it makes sense and why this is even allowed), the request was for a "Web 2.0 facilitator", meaning somebody who goes to companies management (aka the customers) to tell/teach them about how to implement "Web 2.0 technologies" and why that is cool. I would have applied for the job if I wasn't too old and if I knew what "Web 2.0 technologies" are, no mention the fact that I don't know why a company should move to "Web 2.0" when they haven't got "Web 1.0" yet. I guess the idea is quite simple. Marketing people work on slogans to create the "hype" about some "exotic/new/cool/must to have" gadget. Company management, that usually don't have a clue about technology, read those glamour magazines about successful business, which are full of fake articles and think you can't live the future without the above new gadget. Some companies are then trickled to invest ridiculous money in developing the Second Life company "stand" (or whatever else, just a realistic example), when the "hype" for Second Life is already fading away. After some time there will be other people wondering why the company invested so much money for so little or non-existent gain and then the Web itself will be proven useless and ultimately a fraud.
It seems simple but in real life you can't tell anybody, because they don't want to listen. Why? Because in the IT business, despite the implosion of the "new economy bubble", there are still way too many people who make big money on selling crap and act like the prophets of a "new age". On BOTH sides, even the customers WANT to be involved in that kind of nonsense, that somehow gives importance to the management roles (regardless the wasted money).
Somehow this can be also transferred on the consumer level. How many "gadgets" have been introduced during years, like the "tablet PC" or the announced "touch screen" in Windows 7? But if you look at things closer, we are doing the same things as 10 years ago, after having spent lots of money in buying new hardware and new software that included almost no actual innovation.
On the fun side, I don't know your countries but here in Italy there is an interesting trend about job offers. Besides the fact that they are for "consulting / temporary" contracts, so the company pays you way less than regular employment, you are also requested to be experienced/skilled in many and completely different areas, like system admin on Unix server and creative graphics, with Java programming in between. In this way you hire just one person, without having any obligation from a regular contract (like extra time, vacations, taxes), paying less (because you can fire any moment) and making him/her work in the place of 3 or 4 other people. The resulting production/service sucks? Who cares, it sucks everywhere.
-In the US, it's illegal to establish a maximum age limit for job applicants.
-The same is happening here where companies hire someone as a "consultant" so health insurance isn't covered, taxes aren't paid, etc.
-Because I am running a web site having NO experience on the tech side (or any other side, for that matter) of what I am doing, I have spoken to several "experts" about what I should do with CultureSurfer.com. My experience is, like yours, that a lot of what is out there is hype, doesn't make sense.
-I've also found that the "experts" in web tech tend to be self-proclaimed deities (obviously not including you
-The whole Web 2.0 thing is, as far as I can understand, simply the idea of sticking to the most updated internet trends.
-Most tech people understand only a small niche of what there is to understand about the web, although they would have you think otherwise. For example, how many web page designers are there out there who understand BOTH design and how to build a really user-friendly site?
Wow, that felt good to get off my chest!
By CultureSurfer, # 1. June 2008, 14:27:21
The main problem with the Internet is that after many years nobody has found a working business model. The best they could do was to copy the existing media business models, like TV (Pay per View, Advertisements, etc) and this goes both for the services provided and the network infrastructure. Following the same line, you know about the "network neutrality" discussion. It comes from Internet providers that want to cut away their own areas from the Web and sell services on them to their customers, then allowing only limited information exchange with other closed areas via the Internet.
The Internet is about people communicating. Web 2.0 actually is about tools that allow you to contribute your contents on the web without any tech knowledge, like a blog, image albums or Youtube. It isn't anything new, the same things were already present before but they were not for the larger "public".
About the "experts" that try to sell you crap as gold, that is not true only in the IT, it is in every business. You go to the mechanics for having your car checked and they will try to charge you for some broken thing that isn't broken and so on.
One important thing to consider is the IT business is an ecosystem with different kind of creatures. There are very few with a broad vision and understanding. Many are either very specialized techies with "tunnel vision" or marketing and selling people who just look for chances of career and money, no matter what it takes.
I don't know, I am being disappointed about things lately...
If things seem hard in USA, in Italy we are swimming in a pool of poop. A very ancient and rotten poop.
Somehow I guess it is my fault, not being able to find my own niche. That is even more depressing.
By LorenzoCelsi, # 1. June 2008, 15:01:57
Sorry Lorenzo because I know you are being serious but this is very funny the way you put it. Hey, I had to start a web site to find my own niche &(after YEARS of trying to fit in somewhere, with something and someone) I still haven't made any money doing this. More accurately, I didn't find my niche but rather created it. You may have to do the same.
By CultureSurfer, # 1. June 2008, 18:37:20
By LorenzoCelsi, # 1. June 2008, 18:50:52
Are there no good opportunities to do web work there, or are you looking to do something else?
By CultureSurfer, # 1. June 2008, 19:36:48
Actually from my resume you see I've spent most time in managing developing teams on medium/big Web projects, that nowadays are few and difficult to get if you don't know the right people in the right places.
Above this all, there are too many people for the job and they would do anything for working.
On a side note: 1kg of basic bread costs over 3 euros, 4.65 US dollars. Speaking of the above poop.
By LorenzoCelsi, # 2. June 2008, 07:04:02
By CultureSurfer, # 2. June 2008, 12:51:16
People save money not spending, when they can. I don't own a car, only a scooter I bought about 10 years ago.
The only advantage we have got is the "almost free" public health care.
By LorenzoCelsi, # 2. June 2008, 13:13:14
By CultureSurfer, # 2. June 2008, 17:14:16
By LorenzoCelsi, # 2. June 2008, 17:22:20
By CultureSurfer, # 2. June 2008, 17:28:04
I guess the south is cheaper.
If you want to live down there...
By LorenzoCelsi, # 2. June 2008, 17:43:00
sounds like a global problem.
And boooo on the age cap. Shouldn't the focus be on finding someone competent vs someone in a certain age range?
By late bloom, # 6. June 2008, 21:17:30
About the age cap... competent people are needed when they can make a difference, when you can sell quality at a reasonable price.
Instead when the whole business is just about lowering the costs you just need the job done compressing the main expenses that in IT are basically people earnings.
Younger people cost less and are easier to manage.
The IT business is made by marketing/selling people on one side and the customers on the other side, both don't care, don't like and don't know about technology. Those who like and know about technology are in between but they are considered only as brute force, like a machinery.
Then honestly my own personal problem is I don't have the right skills for today's business either the academic titles.
By LorenzoCelsi, # 7. June 2008, 07:52:55
By CultureSurfer, # 7. June 2008, 13:00:20
It doesn't look that easy.
Besides... right now I am not even sure I can do the job any more.
By LorenzoCelsi, # 7. June 2008, 14:26:21
Viva Italia!
By ubuntulistener, # 23. June 2008, 18:54:58