Geek Shortage a National Security Concern
Geek Shortage a National Security Concern
Posted 01/15/2010 at 1:45pm
| by Bart Salisbury
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Being geek may not be cool, but it has become important enough to a national security concern. In particular, the upcoming shortage of American geeks has the Defense Department concerned that a ‘geek-gap’ will emerge that will pose a distinct national security risk for the U.S. Bottom line: pocket protectors are vital for the front lines in a cyber-conflict.
This might seem counter-intuitive, given more and more of us are immersed in technology. But the Pentagon wants real, honest-to-goodness, bona fide geeks, not geek-wannabes. Were talking here people with computer science degrees, who are capable of working the cutting edge and beyond.
According to DARPA, the Defense Departments research cabal, the “ability to compete in the increasingly internationalized stage will be hindered without college graduates with the ability to understand and innovate cutting edge technologies in the decades to come...Finding the right people with increasingly specialized talent is becoming more difficult and will continue to add risk to a wide range of DoD [Department of Defense] systems that include software development.”
The Defense Department is now on the hunt for a ‘few good geeks’ to supplement the machismo of the regular services. DARPA has started programs, targeted a middle and high schools students, to convince them there is a future in being geek.
Image Credit: Blueju38/Flickr
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nadako
January 19, 2010 at 7:54pm
Real time interactive and simulation programing. That is where all the
geeks are at! I goto digipen institute of technology and making a
simple software is so freakin easy now making something in 3d and be
interactive that takes a whole nother geek. Are school is not like any
other school that teaches java for their BS degree but we stay in C,
C++, Lua, and yes assembly. we use assembly to tweek are code and make
it run faster. So in terms we make games that look great and do more
then someone else's game that runs slower on the same computer we are
running. This school trains us geeks like we are in boot camp. So if
they are looking for true geeks they need to come to digipen. PS help
us out with some scholarships its expensive as hell to go to this
school and rent.
savagecat
January 18, 2010 at 4:44pm
There is no shortage of quality people. There is however a shortage of quality companies to work for.
geodescent
January 17, 2010 at 1:09pm
Either I'm missing the point or the 28 previous posters are, and I don't mean to come off rude. The initial writeup gave me the impression that the national security "crisis" is over the lack of geeks. Geeks are not people who "like computers" or reverse engeineer or program.
The problem is the lack of people who can actually create a chip that does something useful. The kind of geek who writes a blog on how to create a connector for something and actually posts an electrical/engineering schematic for how to do it using an actual soldering tool.
These are the types of geeks that are lacking in today's overly outsourced, hire anyone who "knows computers" off the street to answer phone calls or write COBOL all day for peanuts society.
But that's just the bitterness and apathy in me. I got an IT degree (even worse!) and have grown to hate computers as a profession because of the fact that you are treated as a disposable, cheap commodity. I am going back to school to do something I can be proud of, and it won'teven remotely involve computers except using one to do my job.
Dow
January 16, 2010 at 5:17pm
I'd blame the junk in our water (lead, weak amounts of Mercury, Chlorine, etc) for it, im a minor but id like to get into things like that i just dont think I can due to my age (and WOW is not my type of game same as MMO's im mainly Strategy and FPS's) even though im knowledgable about computers.
immersive
January 16, 2010 at 11:58am
Wow first time I have seen flaming on MAXIMUMPC.COM
Maybe I do not read the comments enuf?
Glycerin
January 16, 2010 at 9:25am
I consider myself a geek. I'm definitely getting my ass back into school to get a CS degree. Hope it works out though, as i'm currently A+ Certified at the moment and can't find work..
Windows Securit...
January 15, 2010 at 5:11pm
Securing the U.S. infrastructure is childs play to a Geek like me
I'm the son of Satan and the Grandson of Adolf Hitler
At age 35, I did what Albert Einstein failed to do his entire life, discovered what Gravity was and sent a message into the past to secure my future
You cannot afford my services so don't even try
You are doomed without me as I laugh at your destruction Hahahahhahahhaha
You deserve what you get for all your lies and deceptions
Your so stupid you think I'm making this up!
I will lead the New World Order out of Chaos! Without You!
Goodbye
nekollx
January 15, 2010 at 5:14pm
*hugs*
I love you, you crazy old hoot.
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Biceps
January 15, 2010 at 4:01pm
As someone who has fired more than one Ivy League grad for being a total f***ing moron, I have to agree that there has been a real brain-drain in the US over the past decade. My GF's old roommate graduated from UC Berkeley and (really) could barely spell her own name. When you get your B.S. or B.A. it is supposed to mean something more than, "Daddy paid $200K for this pretty piece of paper".
A solid diet of 5 hours of the boob-toob per day, combined with a steadily degrading public-school system has produced adults whose heads aren't good for much more than keeping their ears from banging together. Top it off with FOX news and a Big Mac and TAA-DAA!... you can see how we got where we are.
Geeks are awesome. I can't claim geekage, and have always aspired to be one, but have had to content myself with just being a run-of-the-mill dork.
Taz0
January 16, 2010 at 3:27am
Try looking from someone who DOESN'T have a CS degree, but instead someone who has a passion for computers. Someone who's profession AND hobby are computers. Those are the real geeks. A CS degree is just a piece of really expensive toilet paper that proves you know so little about computers you actually think what they teach in academia is relevant to real life (only in CS).
snapple00
January 16, 2010 at 7:49am
Right.
Because those who go into CS never have a passion for computers?
Missed your chance at college I presume?
Taz0
January 17, 2010 at 8:53am
Those that stay in CS don't really have a passion for computers. If they really had a passion, they'd know something by the time they'd get to Uni, and know that what they teach there is academic bull. Fortunately for me, I had 5 years of industry experience before starting my degree, so I actually knew that they were wasting my time (that and all my co-workers telling me that getting a CS degree was their biggest waste of time and money in their careers), so I quickly switch to a different degree.
The industry here recognizes the uselessness of a piece of paper saying you are supposed to know something. In a job interview here, at least in software development, they will never ask you if you have a degree or any kind of certification. Instead, they will either give you a professional test or just assess your professionalism from the interview itself. Only when you want to become a manager (i.e. higher up than a team leader) must you have a degree (but not necessarily a CS degree) for administrative reasons.
snapple00
January 17, 2010 at 9:57am
I guess we will have to agree to disagree. At Texas A&M, I don't know anyone who thought their CS degree was a waste of time. All my friends got really good jobs that they certainly couldn't get without the degree.
I suppose for simple programming jobs, a CS degree would be a huge waste of time. But in any real job, they are definitely going to require you to have a degree. Cisco, Pariveda, IBM etc. And they probably won't interview you unless you have a BS in something at least, unless you have a ton of experience. But then again, you can get hired right out of college with a BS without the experience.
Everyone knows that a college degree isn't an experience degree. What companies think a BS is a waste of time?
LVmonkey
January 17, 2010 at 6:58am
I'd actually have to agree. My College course in programming sucked balls and did nothing to promote my passion at the time. Instead it was aimed at getting me hired to program at a bank on mainframes (in COBOL) maintaining old code. I believe payment was in cheetoes... if you could afford them within the first year of employment there.
I found all the interesting stuff on my own. In my first year, the college was teaching C and showing peeps the basic loop structure while i had to play on my own to investigate reverse engineering, backpacking and a few other tricks. My network class was bearly talking about the ISO layers and was about as complicated as it got. I was starting to play with OC'ing when that was a black art. I still remember the first watercooling units being made, custom, from aquarium parts, though I didn't go that far then, but the readings and experiments on the bottlenecks where interesting.
I could not be exempted from any of my classes and the job prospects where limited. Starting wages were slightly higher then working at a grocery store... Cert's are certainly NOT worth it. And most of what they teach is outdated or useless (I mean really... MS certs? Cisco maybe... and the "ethical hacker" cert? yeah... right...)
Now, after about 10 years, I have little interest in working computers in a professional manor. I'm still interested in playing with them for my own purposes but there is very little reason for me to want to be treated poorly in the IT feild, as most are. I can't think of anyone I know that has it good in an IT field. Not one person. Not even extented friend circles. I cannot in good faith suggest that route for anyone i know and like.
So, aside from the work I do now, I'm moving away from the IT field entirely to something completely different. It just doesn't pay to be a geek nowadays. Everyone wants canned IT. Nothing really new, original or even well managed. Most management see's their IT department as something like a dog on a very short leash (and paid poorly for their labours).
snapple00
January 17, 2010 at 10:03am
Thats odd. A CS degree isn't a programming degree. They teach you the basics, and expect you to learn the rest and apply it yourself.
I'm guessing you didn't go into CS? I know a ton of people that have it good in the software development field. But I've never met anyone that simply works at the IT department of some other company. I could imagine that would suck.
LVmonkey
January 18, 2010 at 6:21am
I went to Humber in Toronto, years ago mind you... still most my issues with IT stemed from the after math. I have many a friend with more traditional CS degrees including my father, and they seem to not be doing much better with it all.
I do currently work in an IT feild but its very vanilla. Either way, i don't think its a shortage of good geeks but a lack of promise in the current economy for geeks was my main point. Most do not have much to look forward to. Business rules IT like it does the accounting staff.
jdfskitz
January 17, 2010 at 8:24am
Its funny Cause my College *Credit* Teacher doesn't do what the principle and everything say to do xD
he acts like he does, then after he is clear, he will send us to maximumpc.com and let us do whatever we want as soon as he finishes his schpeel.
not only that but he uses the Socratic Method, Dont know what that is? look it up lol
I'm not sure if this really counts because hes only college Credit but whatever, hes my favorite teacher that I have ever had.
He Tells us to go on newegg, maximumpc, and tomshardware in the mornings and research stuff ourself every monday xD
snapple00
January 17, 2010 at 10:05am
In the remedial high school classes, you are not expected to be able to even do so much as count. Those kids have no future, that is why he lets you do whatever you want. At least make you happy for a little while.
jdfskitz
January 18, 2010 at 12:50pm
-.-
Trying to make me feel a deep hole?
Trying to make me mad?
well.. you did so.. Good Job!
I don't know why I would have no life.............
Straight A's, every single one of my teachers Favorite student... I work so flipping hard...
but I guess it's nothing compared to you..
I have a good feeling that you are one of those people who got C's in school and you were okay with it. I have a feeling that you aren't even graduated, so why don't you go back to your hole and cry.
jdfskitz
January 15, 2010 at 2:37pm
Read my biography and you'll know what I do :P
We do need more geeks! >.< (its actually fun :))
no i'm not one of those people who sit playing halo all day -.- I don't play games.. but I love computers!!!
I'm at this site almost every day :P
even though I know this is only news, oh well... I wanted to say something :)
johnny3144
January 15, 2010 at 3:28pm
i think you lack the Computer Science degree part. you fit more into the wanna-be part, like most of us.
nekollx
January 15, 2010 at 2:42pm
Lets see you registered today just to post in this blog to tell us how geek you are...
Nope you just lost 3 geek points.
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
jdfskitz
January 15, 2010 at 9:15pm
-.-'
I code in html, php, javascript, c++, java, and python
I code the OpenGL and Glut library while at the same time I am taking a college class for computers.
Second of all, I have came here every day for the last 6 months. I just thought it was time to create an account, and yes I saw this post and thought I should post something on it!
Yes I know i'm not geek enough it was a joke imbisults -.-'
cout << "back off" << endl;
result:
01000010
01000001
01000011
01001011
01001111
01000110
01000110
I'm not only into computers, and by the time i'm 21 I will probably be caught up with the rest of you
snapple00
January 15, 2010 at 3:02pm
Hes trying to boost his self esteem now that he just gave up WoW.
nekollx
January 15, 2010 at 2:22pm
Do we have enough Nerds and Dorks though?
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
DasHellMutt
January 15, 2010 at 3:01pm
Yes, there are plenty. But they're all off playing WOW somewhere rather than doing anything worthwhile. All so they can iritate me with their banter the next day at the office. I swear people really need to get a life and do something better with their time than playing all these damn MMOs they keep dumping on the market.
LVmonkey
January 18, 2010 at 4:29am
i dunno. they could be watching reality tv like the rest of the peeps in the world... shudder...
To0nces
January 28, 2010 at 2:12pm
I'm going to have to agree with you. People will sit there and say things like "Lol what a loser, he plays WoW!" but really, given what the majority of other US citizens do with their free time, how does WoW make you a loser? Yeah you're right, all the cool people spend their time watching American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance.
praetor_alpha
January 15, 2010 at 2:12pm
When looking for a job last year in software development, nearly every other listing was for some government agency or contractor that required American citizenship and a security clearance of some sort. No Indians (as in from India) allowed.
snapple00
January 16, 2010 at 7:52am
Well obviously you would have to be a U.S citizen to work for the U.S govn't. (Most if not all jobs)
If you were looking at entry level jobs, you would see that the security clearance is usually the lowest one that they appoint to you if everything checks out. Nothing special here.
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