[SI-LIST] Re: PLEASE QUIT THIS STUFF and GET TECHNICAL AGAIN!

  • From: Robert Kezer <Robert.Kezer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "'alexh1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <alexh1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>,silist <si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 14:43:40 -0500


-----Original Message-----
From: Alex Horvath [mailto:alexh1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 2:14 PM
To: silist
Subject: [SI-LIST] Re: [OT] Offshore engineering


I think some here may be exaggerating the capability of the engineering
talent offshore. I have worked with over a dozen individuals on temporary
work visas. They were paid very low wages but were placed in the company by
recruitment firms specializing in temporary offshore engineering talent. In
general they had very good academic skills but virtually no practical
experience. In most cases we had to redo most of what they did and in at
least 2 cases the managers said he would not use that source again and was
very disappointed in skills of these individuals. 
 
Technologies like software, layout and consumer product design can be
mastered offshore but cutting edge skills like signal integrity won't be
mastered as easily. I think the lesson here is to keep your skills at a high
level. Of course many managers seem to believe that engineering talent is a
commodity and can be interchanged at will with no consequences. Those
companies will suffer or fail. I have seen it happen on numerous occasions.
Scott McMorrow <scott@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Aubrey,
Eventually your only defense is to work for yourself, or for a company 
that honors individuals and their contribution. Just because you're 
paranoid about companies out sourcing engineering jobs to other 
countries, doesn't mean you're delusional. But, until we engineers quit 
being loners, subject to splitting and triangulation by management, and 
band together for our common good, we are destined to see a huge "brain 
drain" offshore. Eventually a person has to stand up and be counted and 
say, "I'm sorry, I will not train my replacement," whether they be local 
or off shore talent, and then move on to a place where your skills are 
appreciated.

Just remember what I once heard from a consultant friend:

When you work for a company, you have the illusion of security.
When you work for yourself, you have the illusion of freedom.

The question is, what illusion would you like to live your life as an 
engineer under? Personally, I choose the illusion of freedom. I then 
have to deal with the reality of having a bastard for a boss.

scott




Aubrey_Sparkman@xxxxxxxx wrote:

>Like Robert, I have usually been a free-market person. And Patrick's
>comments on helping others get started sound good. Patrick also makes the
>good point of exporting jobs to the extend of loosing that skill in the
home
>country, no matter whether the home country is US, France, or other. So,
>what's the right thing to do?
>I fully support collaboration where both parties grow and learn together.
>But I have a problem with being asked to train my replacement in a
>developing country. As far as I can tell, my only defense is to keep
>learning and stay on the bleeding edge. What other options do I have?
>
>Aubrey Sparkman 
>
>
> 
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Robert Sefton [mailto:rsefton@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>>Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 10:24 AM
>>To: si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>Subject: [SI-LIST] Re: [OT] Offshore engineering
>>
>>
>>I enthusiastically agree that this is a relevant and very interesting
>>topic. I wish more people would chime in because I don't have a good
>>feel yet for where the majority stands on it. There was a 
>>long thread on
>>this same topic on the [pcdlist] several weeks ago, and the PCB layout
>>community is downright scared about the offshore trend in 
>>that industry.
>>
>>My opinion: I have almost blind faith in the free market as 
>>the ultimate
>>equalizer. In the long term the market will decide the most efficient
>>model for each phase of product development, and it may be 
>>that the most
>>efficient model right now is cheap foreign engineers. Could 
>>be a painful
>>next couple of decades for engineers in the U.S., but I also 
>>have almost
>>blind faith that the U.S. has the closest thing on this 
>>planet to a true
>>free market and will always rise to the top eventually. I say let the
>>market rule.
>>
>>Robert
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>From: "Zabinski, Patrick J." 
>>To: 
>>Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 5:22 AM
>>Subject: [SI-LIST] Re: [OT] Offshore engineering
>>
>>
>> 
>>
>>>Martin,
>>>
>>>Although not necessarily a technical topic, I do believe
>>>the topic is relevant to this forum (albeit we should
>>>constrain such discussions to a minimum).
>>>
>>> 
>>>
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>>
>
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-- 
Scott McMorrow
Teraspeed Consulting Group LLC
2926 SE Yamhill St.
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 239-5536
http://www.teraspeed.com




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  • » [SI-LIST] Re: PLEASE QUIT THIS STUFF and GET TECHNICAL AGAIN!