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Where My Ladies At, Yo?

Yo, dog…  Where my ladies at?  Got me a grip a cash an’ a HP blade.  I’m a IT professional!  But where my womens at, yo?

I’ve decided to convert this blog to attract the hip hop community.  Especially those from the IT industry.  How am I doing so far?  No, really, I’m just wondering where the fine ladies are at in the IT industry.  Coders, network admins, dbo’s, project managers.  There’s only one for every four men.  That’s right, about 25%.  Check out the links below.

http://www.cioinsight.com/c/a/Past-News/Numbers-Show-Big-Decline-of-Women-in-IT/

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,39352947,00.htm

 

I have my own theories about the disparity in numbers…  To me, the ideal IT employee nests in the server room amongst the network cables, routers, and modems.  He beds down with a blade under his pillow – an HP server blade that is.  Occasionally – usually on a full moon – he emerges to shower, change his crusty socks and underwear, and prowl for chicks at the all-night gaming bar.  He writes a staggering mountain of code, making dark hackers look like kiddie scripters.  In past lives, I was that foul-smelling geek – so I know.

Now,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Show me a girl who wants to live like that.  Sure, I’ve seen lots of nice professional women in the IT industry.  They wear nice professional suits, and make their hair up in nice professional styles.  They’re nice.  Professional.  But they don’t “live” for the bits.  In my 25+ years in the biz, I’ve never seen a true geek chick – one who codes until her eyes run and sleeps under her monitor.  (Yes, I’ve actually bunked under my computer desk, and so have some of my friends.)

Once an IT department gets a few guys like that, they don’t the respect the “nice professional” types.  I’m sorry for the crude characterization (and maybe I’m dead wrong), but passion for the bits still sells, not professionalism.

 

Peace Out,
–newshirt

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Internal vs. External IT Support

There has been a lot written in the past few years about outsourcing technical support and SaaS (software as a service). It is not an easy choice for a company to make. On one hand, dumping all of your IT issues on someone else may save a few dollars and headaches.  On the other hand, you do not always have control over the type of support your company receives–costing you more in the long run.

While many companies are using SaaS, many other companies do not. It is easy to get caught up in the latest trends, but trends are just that, and they are not always permanent. I have had the priviledge to work with a lot of major U.S. companies and while I can not say whether outsourcing is a true fad or not, I can tell you, imperically, that 75% of my contacts keep everything in-house. So do not be swayed by all of the tech media and exposure of recent trends. There is a place for both internal and external IT support. I guess it all comes down to cash flow: which one can I afford right now, and which one will be better in the long run?

 

–Warren