Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!samsung!munnari.oz.au!manuel!ccadfa!ghm
From: ghm@ccadfa.adfa.oz.au (Geoff Miller)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Future of Computer Jobs
Message-ID: <2271@ccadfa.adfa.oz.au>
Date: 13 Feb 91 23:47:57 GMT
References: <9102131606.AA12900@world.std.com>
Organization: Computer Centre, University College, UNSW, ADFA, Canberra, Australia
Lines: 26

DAVISM@ATSUVAX1.BITNET ("Michael N. Davis") writes:

[much abbreviated]
>...With such friendly smart systems will
>there be a need for system managers, systems analysts, programmer analysts,
>operations staff, etc. in the general market place?

>In trying to sort this out, I see computer jobs in the future shifting
>into three areas: network management, training/support, and software
>development companies.

I think there will be a growing market for what I would call "Information
Engineers".  This discipline will involve elements of programming, systems
analysis and all the other computing skills, so people with computing
training and experience will have a head start.  However, Information
Engineering is not just writing computer programs, but it is much more about
how information is used within an organisation, who needs access to what,
and generally about how to add value to the information resources which
an organisation already has.

I agree that the traditional computing jobs will retreat into specialised
niches or disappear altogether (as is already happening with computer
operators), but as this happens other possibilities open up.

Geoff Miller  (ghm@cc.adfa.oz.au)
Computer Centre, Australian Defence Force Academy