[The Java Posse] Re: An open letter to women Java Posse listeners (and their coworkers) ...

[Dianne Marsh]

Hi all, There have been a lot of great posts on this topic.  Thank you for that!  I hope that the dialog continues. I agree that children should not be pushed toward software development.  They need to find their passions.  But I do think that the "fun" in our jobs isn't necessarily obvious.  How can we show them the endless possibilities that surround what we can do?  How do we explain if we do get bored, we can be energized by a new and interesting application domain, about which we need to know something in order to do our jobs effectively?  Or the new technologies that emerge?  How our jobs as software developers really encourage a lifetime of learning, not only because the industry moves quickly but also because there is a seemingly endless stream of applications screaming to be written, by our customers and/or our current or future employers?  Boring?  Only if you let it be.  What resonates with my 5 year old daughter is my interaction with customers.  She is fascinated by the idea that I have "customers".  She likes to hear what they do and how software helps them do their work.   The researchers seem to be saying that CS is too solitary for girls, that they crave the interaction. And of course customer contact is NOT what is taught in colleges (how could it be?) and it's not really how we talk about our profession either. I agree with other posters that Alice and KPL go a long way toward getting our kids interested in what we do.  At CodeMash, we've introduced "KidzMash" geared toward fun (computer-related) activities for kids at the conference.  It's been a huge hit, with parents and kids alike.  I want to expand it throughout the year, and I'm trying to figure out how best to do that. As for the "why do we care in light of shrinking demand": Is there shrinking demand?  Companies are still applying for H1B visas (http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/01/microsofts_h1b.html).  Jobs that went overseas in the last wave are coming back. We're seeing it locally, and evidently this piece on NPR discusses it as well (I haven't listened to it): http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100131296.  Will this be true 20 odd years from now, when our kids get out of college?  Why knows?  Heck, I graduated over 20 years ago, and people were predicting the demise of software development then. Having said all of that, my daughter changes her idea of "what she wants to be" frequently.  She's 5; she should.  One day it's an airplane pilot.  Another day she wants to be a teacher. It's all good.  I want her to be exposed to different professions. INCLUDING mine.  True story: I overheard a neighbor "talking her 5 year old out of being a doctor" by telling her that she would have to work long hours and not have time to spend with her children (yes, she was discussion hypothetical children with her 5 year old).  She quickly told her mom she would be a daycare worker (her mom's job).  Yes, seriously. That child is now 16. I have lost touch, so I don't know what she's doing.  But I hope that she's allowed to discover her passions without adult reasons for "why not". Dianne --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to javaposse@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to javaposse+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---