Tatiana Andronache

Many positions in IT call for

I had come to believe that the cubicle would go down memory lane with the same reputation as shackles did. But higher authorities on the matter figure the cubicle will be glamorous again before it makes an exit. Whether it is heading that way is debatable. But today the cubicle is like it always has been: small, cramped, dingy.

Much (although not necessarily enough) has been said about IT professionals coming of age. Ironically, in an industry rightly accused (so far) of ageism, we now have to contemplate a new twist on the problem: code is aging too. There are not only pockets, but pillars of code written decades ago that still do a good job. But fewer and fewer people know what that code does and how to manage it.

With predictable regularity, a new one will come along. Just like its predecessor, it will trumpet that it can get your system in shape, easily and quickly. The models look great. Testimonials abound. The guru is basically saying:

Calling the helpdesk has become either an odyssey or drama, depending on how serious, urgent or frustrating your problem is. Even in this age of self-help and online everything, most people still like to get quick help from a fellow human. But judging by the proliferation of automated systems that pick up helpdesk calls, one may say the helpdesk call has become a dehumanizing experience.

In the knowledge-based economy the work paradigm of

At this time of the year, the media chases women issues. Among other things, there usually is an outcry about the lack of women in IT: their absence in boardrooms is notorious, there are few of them in the IT trenches, and even fewer enrolled in technical colleges and universities.

For thousands of years our ancestors lived in caves