Dilbert

If you haven't seen today's Dilbert cartoon, you really should take a
look.

Reminds me of a dance recently attended by all ages adults when one of
the senior ladies was talking to her partner about computers when one
of the younger males present asked her what seniors could possibly
know about computers. She responded saying words to the effect "Listen
sonny I was implementing computer systems before you were born!".

It is difficult for over 60 year old, knowledgable computer types to
find employment, in the computer field. I suspect that younger folks
are a little bit intimidated by them.

Alvin E. Toda...

It's called ageism. We get no respect. Not that we may
have gotten much in our younger years. Somehow the
facts may not be what everyone wants to know. It's more
political.

Ron Peterson...

I think that there are frequently other factors in place that result in
discrimination against older employees. Often employers may want to
reduce their medical insurance costs, or reduce the amount of high pay
staff. Supervisors don't like to have knowlegeable employees who may
challenge their leadership and its nice to have employees with little
seniority who won't rock the boat.

Ron Peterson...

Jim Higgins...

In my case I was my own Dilbert. I was called back to a fast paced, 3rd
Shift job in molding (plastic injection). Completely new to me and vastly
different from making car and SUV headliners. Most of the people in molding
were in the 25-45 range. I lasted 9 hours and 25 minutes before I had my
epiphany-I didn't have to put up with that fast paced, high pressure
environment. I am 64 with the usual hypertension, cholesterol and near
glaucoma (all being treated). There was no possible way I could compete
without doing serious damage if I kept that up. One hour and 25 minutes
into the next day's shift (started at 11:00 P.M.) I quit and started
application for Social Security. I was able to do this because I had
medical and prescription coverage as retired military (without that coverage
I would have been dogmeat).

The company I worked for didn't care what the effect on us was, they just
wanted gears for the machine and all of us were disposable.

Alvin E. Toda...

It's amazing that we often don't think about how
important health insurance is untill we are at risk for
losing it. You might have looked for something easier
like security. A friend does this at the airport for
home security. It's the easiest job he's ever done he
says.

I remember a talk by Grace Hopper where she said that the Navy found a
bug in one of the early relay based computers. (It was a grasshopper).

California Poppy...

It is Admiral Grace Hopper and the insect was a moth...hense the term
"bug" for computer glitches.

Harry Thompson...

The story was, it was a moth. The Annals of the History of Computing even
reproduced the log page with the moth taped in it.