Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site gymble.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!umcp-cs!gymble!beth
From: beth@gymble.UUCP (Beth Katz)
Newsgroups: net.social
Subject: Re: Work Ethic
Message-ID: <154@gymble.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 24-May-85 10:13:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: gymble.154
Posted: Fri May 24 10:13:35 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 25-May-85 09:19:11 EDT
References: <686@udenva.UUCP> <1557@hao.UUCP>
Reply-To: beth@gymble.UUCP (Beth Katz)
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Maryland, Laboratory for Parallel Computation, C.P., MD
Lines: 31

Greg Woods writes:
> . . . If you don't like your job, find one you do like. It's ridiculous to
>spend 40+ hours a week doing something you don't like, when there are plenty
>of enjoyable things to do for which you can be paid. I think people that stick
>with jobs they hate are doing it to satisfy some inner psychological need
>(like, they believe jobs have to be bad and they get to be right about that,
>and about how the world has "screwed them over", by sticking with a job they 
>hate). I have little sympathy for such people. If you aren't *qualified* to
>do what you like, then *get* qualified. Go back to school. Do what it takes
>to get a job you like or don't complain about the job you have.

For many of us, Greg's comments are very good.  We have opportunities to
find something we like to do that also pays fairly well.  However, for a
great many people in this world, the things they do to put food on the
table are not things they would like to be doing. Very often, people don't
have a chance to work at something they enjoy.  They MAY be given a choice
of several jobs that aren't fun, but the one they choose may only be the
least boring, distasteful, or degrading.  I agree that if they have an
opportunity to do something they like, they should grab that brass ring,
but few of us have those opportunities.

Another aspect of this topic is the mass of students in computer science
programs.  How many of them really enjoy computer science? How many of
them just see it as a means of making money?  I know that other fields
have had similar problems, but it doesn't look like we've come close to
flooding the job market.  A few years down the road, I wonder how many
of these people will be complaining about their jobs?

				Beth Katz
				Univ. of Maryland - CS Dept.
				{seismo,allegra}!umcp-cs!beth