I just do not like the concept of offshoring period. My first exposure to it was in the early '80s when IBM "offshored" thousands of jobs from its birthplace in Endicott, NY to Charlotte, NC. The impact on the economy in the Binghamton-Endicott-Johnson City NY area has been devastating. Just over 20 months ago, IBM sold their last owned facility in Endicott to a group who feared an offshore company would buy it and shut it down. The only legacy IBM has left in its birthplace is dangerous groundwater contamination:

http://www.pressconnects.com/special/endicottspill/

I make this analogy because it all comes down to the basic issue of corporate responsibility vs bottom line profits. By moving jobs and closing facilities, we erode the tax base that is used to pay for community services, schools, etc. Corporations are abandoning their societal obligations, plain and simple.

As Americans, we want things as cheaply as possible, yet complain when jobs move offshore to make this happen and we complain when the quality goes down. We demand more and more government services, yet we whine when taxes have to go up. We cannot continue to have it both ways.

I make this analogy because offshoring is slowly destroying the fabric of American society, reducing our standard of living (which some will say was inevitable), and making it increasingly difficult to support a family on one income (remember those days?).

What we as IT professionals need to do is shift our focus to skill sets that cannot be offshored. I am lucky in one sense because I spent 12 years as a Federal Employee and have non-competitive reinstatement rights. If worse came to worse, that I could use these rights to go back to work as a Contracting Officer (procurement) or as an IT Specialist. I also passed the CPA Exam back in '95, so auditing (which cannot be offshored) is an option as well. In fact, that is why I am preparing to sit for the CISA exam in June. I would rather do this than go back to the Government, but it is important I keep my options open, as we all must do.

Finally, there is no need for you to use profanity in your posting. This is unacceptable and further example of how we erode our own personal standards (and a failure of your societal obligations). There is nothing worse than taking my kids to a public event and hearing the "younger generation" (yes I am now an old codger:-) ) saying "F*** this" or being on the cell phone telling someone to bring their "S***" over. My kids then ask me what those words are. The worst example was when I took my kids to Cirque de Soleil last year. During intermission, the couple in front of us took out their self made erotic photos and started looking at them in plain site of everybody around. It was quite a challenge keeping my 5 year old's eyes diverted.

Just my 2.5 cents worth.

That is part of the problem of society: what is or is not acceptable; or what should or should not be acceptable.

I know that language, and the use of it, changes over time. But, and this is a CAPITAL BUT, any web site/blog that represents the public point of view of a PROFESSIONAL (IT or otherwise), should not use profanity. It is a mirror of the person posting it.

Blogs can be a wonderful marketing tool (whether that is the intention or not), so you have to be careful.

For this reason, and I am sorry if it is so 'old school', I would never hire a customer facing employee/consultant that:

1. Use Profanity in writing or verbal conversation. 2. Has visible tattoos; 3. Has visible body piercings other than the ears, and even then it must be conservative when in front of a customer.

and guess what? This has been upheld as acceptable and non-discriminatory by the courts.

now my 3.5 cents worth:-)

Peace