RE: World's Cheapest Consultants

["Nathan M. Andelin" <nandelin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: "John Earl" <john.earl@powertechgroup.com>
> The folks that are working in these code warehouses have
> usually mastered a mature technology and have developed
> ways to mass produce code quickly with a quality that equals
> or exceeds what you can buy from a US based coder.

John,

Code shops in India and other countries won't be limiting their skill sets
to "mature technology" for long, if at all.  Based on several years
experience with foreign exchange students, and many associates from foreign
countries, I believe these people generally have a hunger for knowledge that
exceeds our own.

In addition to your suggestion that US programmers update their skills,  I'd
like to see more programmers negotiate agreements with their employers to
retain an interest in the intellectual property rights of their creations,
as well as retain a relationship with their company's customers.

That way, if the upper echelons of management decide to ax the US coder in
favor of a relationship with a foreign firm, the US coder (along with his
peers) have a basis of earning a living independent of their capricious
employers.

Nathan M. Andelin
www.relational-data.com