Posts tagged Business
Poll: What Do Information Technology Professionals Wear To Work?
Mar 3rd
Today, our Information Thought of the Day (ITTOD) is a poll subject.
I find that most Information Technology (IT) organizations are either very formal or completely informal in their dress attire. I, also, find that most corporations that are IT based tend to be internally consistent, meaning that they generally have about the same dress code. I am getting ready to write a series of posts about what Information Technology Professionals should wear to work. Hence today’s poll topic. I am trying to get a feel for how your organizations dress.
Which of the three photos looks like the way that your organization dresses?
A. 
B.
C.
D. 
Loading ...I will be sure to share the results. Feel free to add a comment below to add other thoughts that should have shown up on the list.
Do you like polls as a daily topic? Do you have a recommended one for another week? Please let me know.
That is my Information Technology Thought of the Day (ITTOD) for March 3, 2010 ©Scott Coughlin.
Image credits: livelyricism, Dilbert.com, firehow.com, lovetoknow.com, zimbio.com
High School Classes For Budding ITs
Feb 24th
If you are lucky enough to know that you want to be an Information Technology Professional while still in High School, I think that there are some classes that you should make sure get added to your schedule. It is never too early to start preparing for your career in this world. Rest assured that none of my recommendations will in any way, shape, or form lock you into the IT field… they are all transferrable for many career paths.
I recommend that you consider taking electives, extras, or seek after school programs that teach you the following:
- Math. Like it or not, IT is a math based field and the earlier that you become comfortable with this the better. I especially think that statistics and probability really become more useful the longer that you are in the field.
- Keyboarding. This used to be called touch typing. Today’s computers are keyboard controlled, therefore the faster and more accurately that you can input, the more that you will get done. Shoot for 100 WPM at this age and you will receive dividends for your entire life.
- Business. Too many ITs lack a fundamental grasp of the fact that they are service providers to enable the generation of profit or continuation of a value proposition. If you did not understand that statement… take more business courses!
- Foreign Language. Computers don’t speak your primary language… the more adapt you are add thinking in one language and speaking in another, the better that you will become at translating for them. Learning any foreign language will help program your brain to live in computer’s worlds.
- Programming. If you are lucky enough to go to a school with a Computer Science class, computer club, or Programming course…by all means take it. It takes 10,000 hours of activity to become an expert in any field. The earlier that you start, the faster that it will happen for you. Get familiar, get comfortable, and get proficient with hardware and software.
- Tech Ed. Speaking of hardware, the IT field is full of people who have never gotten their hands dirty of better yet, cut on the insides of a computer case. Learn to tinker with hardware… build a computer… heck, take word shop, but become comfortable with the physical parts of information systems, electronics, and wiring and you will have a real leg up “in the real world”.
From my experience, this set is a great starting point. It will keep you busy, engaged, and on a path destined for success. They are, of course, just my recommendations, thoughts, and opinions. As they say, your mileage may vary. Oh, they also say that the High School years will be some of your most fun and memorable in your life… it is true. Don’t waste them! Have fun and stay out of trouble!
I am sure that you have many recommendations of your own and thoughts on this topic. Please share them via the comments below. I will be sure to update this post to reflect any trends that develop there.
That is my Information Technology Thought of the Day (ITTOD) for February 24, 2010 by Scott Coughlin.
Image credit: The Louisiana School
Sex(.com) on Sale
Mar 7th
Posted by Scott Coughlin in Business of IT
2 comments
On Sundays I offer comments on some of the most interesting information technology stories that I have found on the web that week. Please feel free to join in the discussion or suggest other stories.
Today’s tale is all about how the virtual world of the Internet continues to become more and more similar to our “real world”. I am sure that all of you can look out your car windows on the way to work and see that the housing market, though improving, continues to be in the doldrums here in the USA. It is sad, but most homes around me are now suddenly worth 10-25% less than they were just two years ago. Do you think that the online world is immune from this? Think that there is still scarcity in the virtual real estate market? Think again and read this story…
CNBC – Things Aren’t Worth What They Used To Be
There was so much written about this topic that there is no single news story to cover all bases. I recommend that you review Google News’ aggregation site for this topic. You can find all angles, opinions, and levels of engagement there.
For those of you who are not aware, registering a new domain name can cost as little as about $10 from a reputable registrar. The fact that people pay so much at auction for “good ones” is really no different than having a good location in the real estate market. Domains like pizza.com, sales.com, and news.com have all gone for small fortunes, but were once bought by speculators at less than $20. That is surely a bubble waiting to burst and when sex(.com) gets cheap you know that we are near the bottom of the cycle!
I firmly believe that our virtual world will continue to evolve, ever faster, to completely mimic our real world and eventually become indistinguishable. This story and its topic are just one more sign that this belief is a true one.
What do you think about this topic? Do you agree or disagree with me? Do you have a recommended news story for next week? Please share your ideas below.
That is my Information Technology Thought of the Day (ITTOD) for March 7, 2010 by Scott Coughlin.
Image Credit: Philadelphia Reflections