The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 4 (of 5)

Offshoring

Have you guys heard about this whole offshoring trend?

Will there be any jobs for Americans in the software industry?

Software Engineer
Wednesday, February 4, 2004

I guess you're one of the few hundred who are now to Joel on Software this week?

Offshoring has been debated here for at least 18 months, predating a lot of the popular media discussion. Those who consider offshoring to be the mark of moronic corporate jerks have won all the arguments.

Returning you to your regular programming
Wednesday, February 4, 2004

Offshoring?
Haven't heard of it, no. Can you fill us in?

j b
Wednesday, February 4, 2004

It seems that executive managers at many companies are considering or are actively sending jobs to India and China to take advantage of cheaper labor costs. Do you think this will have a negative impact on the job market?

Software Engineer
Wednesday, February 4, 2004

Assuming this is a troll: Dude, we're all tuckered out. Nobody has it in them to talk about this anymore. You're six months too late. Sorry.

(If this isn't a troll: maybe you would get a better response if you started a topic on something more recent, like those new "personal computer" things they have now or that cool extension they just added to the C programming language.)

Wednesday, February 4, 2004

*yawn*

Wednesday, February 4, 2004

<quote>I guess you're one of the few hundred who are now to Joel on Software this week?</quote>

I've noticed a huge jump in the number of posts this week. I'm curious - does anyone know what happened in the last week? Joel gets mentioned on slashdot every now and then, and it's never gotten this much traffic before, so it can't be that.

Perhaps Google started returning the forums more prominiently in search results?

burninator
Wednesday, February 4, 2004

'What I want Offshoring to be'

Dear God, or reasonable facsimile thereof

Please make offshoring a yacht moored off Phuket with satellite connections and sufficient female company to assuage my homesickness for rain and Marmite.

Thankyou,

Simon Lucy
Wednesday, February 4, 2004

I'm guessing this is a troll, but it does point out that this board needs a new boogeyman, people are actually beginning to talk about (gasp) programming.

Hopefully all the newbies will be the brunt of our letting off steam so Clay Shirkey's prediction can come true, and we can finally put the "Bold Topics" method of staving off the inevitible implosion to the test.

(Clay Shirkey's Article http://www.shirky.com/writings/group_enemy.html)

I have noticed that Joel stopped putting a "Discuss this Article" link at the bottom of every post. Presumably he doesn't want to advertise this forum more than need be... it's already pretty busy.

www.MarkTAW.com
Wednesday, February 4, 2004

Software Engineer, I think you're a journalist writing a story on this topic and looking for ideas to use.

As a journalist, you're way out of touch. You're also condescending.

Go find another topic. Your editor won't like your story.

Wednesday, February 4, 2004

Just as a bit of history on offshoring -- it really isn't a new thing. I remember a John Dvorak PC Magazine article from about 10 years ago talking about how Microsoft was developing the MFC to better utilize the hoardes of Indian programmers (as there has been a programming industry there for quite some time), the idea being that the more you componentize/objectify your app, the more you can partition it, therefore the more you can offshore. I found his comment absurdly tinfoil hatish at the time...

Dennis Forbes
Wednesday, February 4, 2004

High fives to the original poster. I keep thinking this topic has expired but you know, it just gets funnier every time we go through it.

Has anyone here seen the movie Groundhog Day?

Six more weeks of winter folks!

Dennis Atkins
Wednesday, February 4, 2004

Hey, it's morning again.

Friday, February 6, 2004