Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

internetworkers - Re: [internetworkers] textile workers of the future?

internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Greg Cox <glcox AT pobox.com>
  • To: INW <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] textile workers of the future?
  • Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2003 12:35:56 -0500 (EST)

> > The key for individuals in my opinion is to become one of the
> > top experts in the world in a particular technology.
>
> The problem with this is that, almost by definition, there can only be
> so many "top" experts in the world on a given technology. If everyone is
> a "top expert" on something, then you can move "top expertness" offshore
> too.
>
> So how does one become a "top expert" when all the jobs needed to gain
> the "top expertness" experience is offshore?


I can't verify the authenticity of the quote, but this thread is reminding
me of a letter I saved off a list a few years back:


"... simply moderate giftedness has been made worthless by the printing
press and radio and television and satellites and all that. A moderately
gifted person who would have been a community treasure a thousand years
ago has to give up, has to go into some other line of work, since modern
communications put him or her into daily competition with nothing but
world's champions.

The entire planet can get along nicely now with maybe a dozen champion
performers in each area of human giftedness. A moderately gifted person
has to keep his or her gifts all bottled up until, in a manner of
speaking, he or she gets drunk at a wedding and tapdances on the coffee
table like Fred Astaire or Ginger Robers. We have a name for him or her.
We call him or her an 'exhibitionist.'

How do we reward such an exhibitionist? We say to him or her the next
morning, 'Wow! were you ever drunk last night!'"
-- Kurt Vonnegut, "Bluebeard"




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page