Fear and loathing at the support desk
IT isn’t dead, says Dean Esmay, but the future may not be all that bright:
I just think the number of people needed to be dedicated to the field, and most traditional specialties within it, is going to continue a downward spiral for a while and then stabilize for the future at a much smaller number we than we see now. The only specialties that will matter much will be web programmers, database designers and engineers, and a small number of support specialists.
I don’t know anyone working in IT right now who isn’t either laid off or starting to get scared. And I think for good reason: it’s not a new and exotic and emerging field anymore. PCs especially aren’t. The field is mature, the general public is in ever less need of support, and the technology is doing more and more for itself.
Well, Dean’s met me, and I’m neither laid off nor starting to get scared. I do think he’s right about the field becoming more mature, but just as we get a handle on the old stuff, there’s new stuff to baffle us, and if it baffles us, God only knows what it does to actual users.
Even PC repair will be a busy field for some time: while it’s now generally cheaper to buy a new machine than to bring an old one back into now-obsolescent spec, it’s still a pain in the drain to move data from one machine to another, which means, O Techie, that Microsoft, responsible for much of said pain, is doing you a favor — quite unintentionally, of course.
Lisa Paul »
14 May 2009 · 2:34 pm
Geez, is he off base. At least in my experience, tech people will always be in demand. The more I learn about programming and computers just to keep my humble blog going, the more I realize I don’t know and the more help I need. As you pointed out, tech is advancing faster than even the professionals can keep a handle on. The rest of us just want to call an 800 number and have it all explained to us.
Donna B. »
14 May 2009 · 11:52 pm
My problem is I call the 800 number and find the person on the other end more clueless than I am. What’s the deal with that?
CGHill »
15 May 2009 · 7:01 am
In the future, this will be called the Circuit City Syndrome, after a former electronics retailer which sought to cut costs by sacking all its experienced staff and taking on newbies at a lower salary.