U.S. Geek Shortage Is National Security Risk

[kpete]

Source: Wired

Darpa: U.S. Geek Shortage Is National Security Risk

Sure, we’re all plugged in and online 24/7. But fewer American kids are growing up to be bona fide computer geeks. And that poses a serious security risk for the country, according to the Defense Department.

The Pentagon’s far-out research arm Darpa is soliciting proposals for initiatives that would attract teens to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), with an emphasis on computing. According to the Computer Research Association, computer science enrollment dropped 43 percent between 2003 and 2006.

Darpa’s worried that America’s “ability to compete in the increasingly internationalized stage will be hindered without college graduates with the ability to understand and innovate cutting edge technologies in the decades to come…. Finding the right people with increasingly specialized talent is becoming more difficult and will continue to add risk to a wide range of DoD systems that include software development.”

The agency doesn’t offer specifics on what kinds of activities might boost computing’s appeal to teens, but they want programs to include career days, mentoring, lab tours and counseling.

Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/01/darpa-us-geek-shortage-is-a-national-security-risk/#ixzz0ciDlmt5Q


Read more: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/01/darpa-us-geek-shortage-is-a-national-security-risk/

[Lance_Boyle]

1. Hah! This is absurd. End H1B and witness the geek revival.

There are plenty of American geeks. Many are not working in geek fields at present because those jobs are staffed by cheap-labor H1Bs, or have moved overseas to where the H1Bs don't need H1Bs to do those formerly American jobs. Not enough college students in tech courses? Because they're not dumb - they know the jobs won't go to them when they graduate. Unless they move to India.

In short, whoever wrote this nonsense can go fuck himself, or contract a cheap-labor H1B to do it for him.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. That makes sense. Email the author.

[Mithreal]

9. It makes too much sense. Gonna have to come up with a "uniquely American" fix

where corporations have their cake and eat it too.

[timeforpeace]

24. Geeks heard the message and refuse to work for the evil corporations.

[Mithreal]

29. When corporations are mentioned in a derogatory way,

it is generally in reference to the ones that show no loyalty to country or community.

[timeforpeace]

41. It's all just too nuanced, huh? Who's got the guide book?

[Mithreal]

43. You're killing me but I forgive you. Do you mean DU for Dummies?

Send me an email and I will give you a PO Box to send the check.

[susanwy]

15. +1

A few years back I was at a conference and they had a speaker for a session cancel. At the last minute they brought an executive from an India company in and he proceeded to tell us how wonderful his programmers were and how they could do the job for 1/3 the cost of American programmers with better project management and QA/QC. We all just sat there staring at each other in disbelief. Did the speaker realize this guy was preaching to the very same programmers who would loose their jobs when companies hired his firm? Sadly, some of the execs in the audience were, of course, thrilled.

Do we need more geeks? Absolutely, but what good does the education and experience do if no one will hire you?

edited: sp error

[bergie321]

37. Exactly

Why would a bright kid want to spend a small fortune getting a computer science degree and then having to compete for jobs with H1B workers who are driving down wages when they can just get an MBA and go to work on Wall Street?

[bemildred]

3. Maybe good paying career jobs in that area would "attract teens" to the area? nt

[Warpy]

4. There is no shortage of geeks in the US

There is only a shortage of geeks in their early 20s who will work cheap.

[AnneD]

13. Just like Nurses....

there is no shortage of them, just a shortage of those willing to work bedside, in unsafe positions for peanuts. :hide:

[Harry Monroe]

26. So, we've got plenty of carnival workers in this line of work?

From the Merrimam-Webster Dictionary:

Main Entry: Geek.
Pronunciation: \ˈgēk\
Function: noun
Etymology: probably from English dial. geek, geck fool, from Low German geck, from Middle Low German
Date: 1914
1 : a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake

[Mithreal]

5. Free undergrad and graduate training in these disciplines.

It's called an investment. If other nations can do it, so can we.

I wonder why enrollment dropped? I get the feeling that people running this country are idiots. And will there be jobs for these people when they graduate or will we still be importing all our cheap labor?

[leveymg]

6. The "science gap" has been a perennial worry since Sputnik.

[Mithreal]

7. The "employment gap" is the new perennial worry for the middle class.

[leveymg]

14. Tell me about it . . .

[LeftyMom]

8. Enrollments dropped because nobody was hiring in those fields.

If people want to spend tens of thousands of dollars to train for unemployment, they major in Philosophy or English.

[Crowman1979]

10. I think the Pentagon's prevelance of RW christian fundamentalist whack-jobs....

...is another reason many computer geeks don't want to work for them. Plus how many fanatical evangelicals do you know who are highly skilled in computers?

Creationism and high tech don't mix.

[Harry Monroe]

11. More Circuses should take care of the problem!!

From the Merrimam-Webster Dictionary:

Main Entry: Geek.
Pronunciation: \ˈgēk\
Function: noun
Etymology: probably from English dial. geek, geck fool, from Low German geck, from Middle Low German
Date: 1914
1 : a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake

Really, a shortage of carnival performers who bite the heads off of live chickens constitutes a security risk in this country?

[Mithreal]

18. You just earned your place on the Watch List, buddy

[Harry Monroe]

25. What'd I do? I just quoted from a dictionary. I did not make this up!!

That is the first definition of a "geek" in every dictionary I consulted!! Don't blame me, blame Merriam-Webster!!

[Mithreal]

31. Cheeky too.

Better get to the airport an extra hour early next time.

[caseymoz]

12. Maybe it isn't a good idea to load college graduates with massive student-loan debt.

Which has been our policy since that damn Vietnam War created such antagonism toward colleges and college students.

Again, Conservative Asshole Policies are screwing us.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Indeed. We could have bought a house years ago but for that debt.

[Mithreal]

19. Absolutely

[Chicago dyke]

20. feature, not a bug, my friend.

teaching creationism instead of science, funding charter schools over public schools, and encouraging the growth of fundie style home "schooling" isn't helping, i'm sure. i work with teens, and some days i despair at what they are not being taught in schools.

but they sure do know all about the latest American Idol star and sports figure stats. sigh.

[Mithreal]

21. No one could have foreseen our dire circumstances

screwed indeed

[denverbill]

17. Ptt. I'm sure China will sell us advanced missile defense systems, etc.

And they will be 1/2 the price of the union made American stuff too.

The important thing is the corporate profits and CEO salaries are maximized. What's good for multinational corporations and their highest level employees is all that matters.

[Mithreal]

22. Can already get them at Sam's Club, ask for Wally

[yellowcanine]

23. I thought this must be an Onion article - can't believe it is the real deal.

[DBoon]

27. "what kinds of activities might boost computing’s appeal to teens"

how about a contest to see who can get past a porn filter the quickest?

:hide:

[Mithreal]

33. Too easy, but I like how you think

[DBoon]

34. hacking contests like they have at Defcon might work

Seriously.

Someone should set up a scholarship fund for intelligent high-school misfits to participate.

[LongTomH]

28. Get a login at wired.com and COMMENT!!!!

If this is really important to you: The author needs more feedback (i.e. tell him he's so full of shit the whites of his eyes are turning brown!).

[LongTomH]

44. Maybe I could have put that a bit more delicately!

"So full of shit that the whites of his eyes are turning brown." is wellll........a bit confrontational. I would still recommend giving this guy - and others on Wired.com - some feedback.

[FarCenter]

30. "Geek" is a perjorative label

Wired is a clueless magazine for posers.

[Odin2005]

36. Not anymore.

I'm a proud geek. :)

[FarCenter]

38. It is just as bad as "techie" or "propeller head" -- especially when used

condescendingly by PHBs and marketing suits.

[izquierdista]

32. Career days? mentoring? lab tours? counseling?

And then comes the ass-fucking with the student loan that takes 20 years to pay off. You want people? Pay to educate them.

[Odin2005]

35. BS, there is no shortage of geeks.

something like 90% of us Aspies are unemployed, hire some of us you nitwits.

[Mithreal]

40. But a lot of you are experienced. Have to pay more for that.

[Matariki]

39. gee - perhaps if we were better about funding education at all levels...

cutting education funding is a National Security Risk.

[anonymous171]

42. That's because there aren't any jobs for (American) geeks. nt

[Hekate]

45. My husband's City College classes are now dying for lack of enrollment ...

He teaches in the Computer Information Systems dept of the Business Division.
:-(

Hekate

[slampoet]

46. Check out the Comments on the original story, The Geeks RIP IT TO SHREDS.

#
Posted by: GeekyDad | 01/15/10 | 10:11 am

Besides misplaced middle and high school accolades, the longer-term decline can be attributed to a serious lack of opportunity. Not that there are no jobs, they are in the wrong places and offer little job security or advancement. Why? 1) off-shore out-sourcing which sends jobs away, 2) low pay so that the $100K college education cannot be repaid, and 3) no advancement potential or job security - you are the top techie so long as your skills are needed here but we will hire someone new who knows the new stuff because they are cheaper.

By the way, many of those programmers from the 1960’s - 2000 were philosophy, history and music majors. Something about learning the art of thinking first then technical skills versus tech skills alone.
#
Posted by: subsider34 | 01/15/10 | 10:19 am

Interesting that they didn’t include MIS in those statistics.
#
Posted by: vulturetx | 01/15/10 | 10:19 am

IT is a dead end in the US except for the hardware layer or the cutting edge (1%). Because everything in between gets outsourced. Just look at Dell and compare it to a decade ago.

/but beyond the Bull Shit Dreams of pro sports that our schools propagate, our math and science programs are seriously under par. And if DARPA can jumpstart them again, then go for it.
#
Posted by: jonathanpeterson | 01/15/10 | 11:13 am

GeekyDad and vulturetx have it exactly right.

I’m 43, with a degree in software engineering and enjoy what I do for a living. But I wouldn’t encourage my 12 year old son to major in CS or similar because interesting, new project development jobs are the first to disappear in a down economy and non-cutting edge skills are easily offshored and new hires are cheaper than retraining outdated workers.

Why get a 4 year degree for a career with a 15 year shelflife?
#
Posted by: slave138 | 01/15/10 | 11:17 am

If it’s a national security issue, then the government needs to stop giving contracts to companies who use foreign IT subcontractors at any of their subsidiaries (because let’s face it, the companies are not afraid to play the game where one part of the company has the contract but another part offers the service and a smaller part of that one is subcontracted out to cheap foreign help).
#
Posted by: bediger | 01/15/10 | 12:40 pm

There’s a bigger “crisis” here in that not only is IT a dead end (offshoring, low status, no real career paths), but that the same is true in almost any engineering or technical sort of field. Some of this is side effects of Pentagon and/or other agency policy (aerospace industry gutted repeatedly since 1970).

As others have noted, you can’t in good conscience guide your kids into any technical field at all: they’ll get undersold and be underappreciated.

I’m trying to get my kids to end up in some kind of “Intellectual Property” law, personally. Now there’s an edifice that’s going to need continual, expensive propping up over the next 75 to 100 years.
#



And that is just a few in a row from the beginning. There are DOZENS of scathing stories here.