Interesting what people have been saying about the US lagging in technology.
I have noticed that telecommunications is more expensive than in Australia where I have been living for some time. For example, one can purchase a phone card that allows one to call the US for the equivalent of about a quarter of a cent per minute. The cheapest phone cards I have found in the US, allow one to call Australia for about five times that rate. the Internet is more expensive, my sister in NYC pays something like $70 a months for basic broadband. I have access to broadband that is faster and about one third the cost. Are these rates roughly the same in other parts of the US ?

I can’t speak to the phone prices, but we’re paying about $47 a month for 5.5 Mb broadband here in Central Texas. I’ve heard of some lower priced/lower speed DSL offerings for around $30. These are just broadband prices. If cable TV were bundled in there, the prices would be quite a bit higher.

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Ian Welsh @ 55

The US is now clearly behind in almost every high tech industry that is not surveillance/military based. It’s a huge probelm, but most Americans don’t realize it.

Leading the world in the development of energy tech and lowering the cost of “per capita” energy use in America in not a priority. Instead “we are the cash cows” of the energy purveyors, whose sinterest and profits are more important than the evolution of America. We are a means to and end, their profit, and we pave the way for the continued profits of these corporations, in Iraq.

Ask yourself the question why????????

Would you “walk” a mile for a Camel Cigarette today? That is if you can breath? How about getting a “black eye” for a Tarrington Cancer Stick!!! Or, “I’m hung like a porno star see, I’m a Marlbor Man. Wait until the most manly of man’s parts begin to fall off!!! *iagra anyone.

The instillment of needs, and brainwashed minds……..

aliasofwestgate @ 47

They’ve been stifling innnovation at every turn. You can’t sell anything new here becuase no one takes the risks. The few who do? Sell to more than just the american market to actually make profit. Stifling science, creativity and dissent has pretty much thrown us back decades.

I’m thirty and can see that. I grew UP in the reagan/bush years. Came of age during clinton. We were lagging before, now we’ve been tossed far enough behind that catching up will take a long time. If we ever do in our lifetimes.

The US is now clearly behind in almost every high tech industry that is not surveillance/military based. It’s a huge probelm, but most Americans don’t realize it.

Leading the world in the development of energy tech and lowering the cost of “per capita” energy use in America in not a priority. Instead “we are the cash cows” of the energy purveyors, whose sinterest and profits are more important than the evolution of America. We are a means to and end, their profit, and we pave the way for the continued profits of these corporations, in Iraq.

Ask yourself the question why????????

Eric Gen @ 146

Thanks Ian!!! I really appreciate it!

1) I used to have a very good recruiter friend. Unfortunately, even being very established down here (Austin), he went under in the early 00’s after the bust. I spent most of my ‘career’ as a hired gun contractor/consultant, but even most of those jobs have gone checkbox. I’d love to reestablish this sort of contact, but haven’t had too much luck at it of late.

2) I’ve considered Canada, and looked a few times. BC seems to be where most of the action is, but I don’t know how much of that is because it’s near Seattle. What are your thoughts about that? Also, what are the other tech hotspots in Canada?

3) I’ve also considered the open source movement. I’d have to check if I’m actually allowed to do that with my current employer, a giant, multi-national heartless consulting corporation. Their intellectual property policy is pretty much that, if you blow your nose, they own everything on the Kleenex. They’re more than happy to use open source code, maybe they actually give something back somewhere, I haven’t seen it. I’ll have to check.

And, in response to your first response, I’m actually OK at sales, or sales support, with the caveat that I have to believe in the product or service. A lot of companies pay lip-service to this concept, but they don’t really seem to mean it. I find myself in a predicament at times, because I have to believe something is true to tell people that it’s true. It doesn’t mean that what I tell them is actually true, though that’s the intent (seems like your morality post questioned if intent was important), but I have to at least believe that it’s true. I’ll also usually tell them if I find out that it isn’t or is no longer true. I don’t actually find that this limits my ability to sell, but it seems to severely limit many companies desires to have me sell for them.

Thanks again for the responses!!!

I’m not sure where the tech hotspots are anymore, honestly. There used to be one around Ottawa but it got pretty gutted. Lower Mainland has one. I know Alberta is trying, but I’m not sure how well it’s doing. Greater Toronto probably has a fair number. Montreal might be worth checking into as well (many run in English, though if you’re going to live there you really need to learn french. But it’s cheap, and the food is amazing.)

Bonjour Ian!

Je parle un peu de Français. I had the good fortune to get to go to Paris 9 years in a row, so I started trying to learn the language. Haven’t been able to afford to go since 2002. Between the economy and the cost of gas, I don’t drive across town unless I have a specific and worthwhile reason to go.

I love French food! I’ll do some checking into Montreal. With global warming maybe I’d survive, since I tend to deal with triple-digit temperatures better than I cope with single-digits. :)

Merci beaucoup!

Ian Welsh @ 101

Money is going into speculation, not into productive investment.

So my long-held theory that our economic troubles are more due to lack of consumer spending than by lack of capital would seem to still be true, even with our government’s (massive) indebtedness?

I think Ian is referring to spending that increases the productive capacity of the economy, not spending that increases consumption of goods already out of the production line. Rising credit card indebtedness suggests consumption spending has not slacked off as much as disposable incomes and inflation rate suggest it should,.

Ian Welsh @ 145

Ran this past my friend the ex-tech recruiter, and here’s her thoughts:

Thanks Ian!!! I really appreciate it!

1) I used to have a very good recruiter friend. Unfortunately, even being very established down here (Austin), he went under in the early 00’s after the bust. I spent most of my ‘career’ as a hired gun contractor/consultant, but even most of those jobs have gone checkbox. I’d love to reestablish this sort of contact, but haven’t had too much luck at it of late.

2) I’ve considered Canada, and looked a few times. BC seems to be where most of the action is, but I don’t know how much of that is because it’s near Seattle. What are your thoughts about that? Also, what are the other tech hotspots in Canada?

3) I’ve also considered the open source movement. I’d have to check if I’m actually allowed to do that with my current employer, a giant, multi-national heartless consulting corporation. Their intellectual property policy is pretty much that, if you blow your nose, they own everything on the Kleenex. They’re more than happy to use open source code, maybe they actually give something back somewhere, I haven’t seen it. I’ll have to check.

And, in response to your first response, I’m actually OK at sales, or sales support, with the caveat that I have to believe in the product or service. A lot of companies pay lip-service to this concept, but they don’t really seem to mean it. I find myself in a predicament at times, because I have to believe something is true to tell people that it’s true. It doesn’t mean that what I tell them is actually true, though that’s the intent (seems like your morality post questioned if intent was important), but I have to at least believe that it’s true. I’ll also usually tell them if I find out that it isn’t or is no longer true. I don’t actually find that this limits my ability to sell, but it seems to severely limit many companies desires to have me sell for them.

Thanks again for the responses!!!

I’m not sure where the tech hotspots are anymore, honestly. There used to be one around Ottawa but it got pretty gutted. Lower Mainland has one. I know Alberta is trying, but I’m not sure how well it’s doing. Greater Toronto probably has a fair number. Montreal might be worth checking into as well (many run in English, though if you’re going to live there you really need to learn french. But it’s cheap, and the food is amazing.)

Eric Gen @ 143

Hi Ian,

I’m an old techie. Where would you recommend going if I wanted to go somewhere else to do programming/tech work, though even more so, analysis and trouble shooting? It’s getting harder and harder to get hired here, though people often wonder how they got by without me before. I’ve hit that age where I’m not making what I made in 1990, much less in 2000.

It’s all buzz-word and checkbox now. No one seems to be interested in if you can think and learn, only if you have the appropriate boxes checked. Doesn’t bode well for the future, mine or the countries!

Ran this past my friend the ex-tech recruiter, and here’s her thoughts:

1. Find a good recruiter who’ll go to bat for you. (They are hard to find, but worth their weight in gold if you find one.)

2. Consider immigration. If the dollar exchange trends continue, I expect we’ll see a reverse brain drain up into Canada, and a concomitant tech boom from the talent transfer. Get in at the front of the wave.

3. Consider getting involved in open source projects, to hone new(er) skills, to build a porfiolio of projects that demo those skills, and to network with people in the industry who’d rather hire someone they’ve done open source development with and trust than hire through a classified ad. (Start with sourceforge.net)

Thanks Ian!!! I really appreciate it!

1) I used to have a very good recruiter friend. Unfortunately, even being very established down here (Austin), he went under in the early 00’s after the bust. I spent most of my ‘career’ as a hired gun contractor/consultant, but even most of those jobs have gone checkbox. I’d love to reestablish this sort of contact, but haven’t had too much luck at it of late.

2) I’ve considered Canada, and looked a few times. BC seems to be where most of the action is, but I don’t know how much of that is because it’s near Seattle. What are your thoughts about that? Also, what are the other tech hotspots in Canada?

3) I’ve also considered the open source movement. I’d have to check if I’m actually allowed to do that with my current employer, a giant, multi-national heartless consulting corporation. Their intellectual property policy is pretty much that, if you blow your nose, they own everything on the Kleenex. They’re more than happy to use open source code, maybe they actually give something back somewhere, I haven’t seen it. I’ll have to check.

And, in response to your first response, I’m actually OK at sales, or sales support, with the caveat that I have to believe in the product or service. A lot of companies pay lip-service to this concept, but they don’t really seem to mean it. I find myself in a predicament at times, because I have to believe something is true to tell people that it’s true. It doesn’t mean that what I tell them is actually true, though that’s the intent (seems like your morality post questioned if intent was important), but I have to at least believe that it’s true. I’ll also usually tell them if I find out that it isn’t or is no longer true. I don’t actually find that this limits my ability to sell, but it seems to severely limit many companies desires to have me sell for them.

Thanks again for the responses!!!

Ian Welsh @ 55

The US is now clearly behind in almost every high tech industry that is not surveillance/military based. It’s a huge probelm, but most Americans don’t realize it.

Hi Ian,

I’m an old techie. Where would you recommend going if I wanted to go somewhere else to do programming/tech work, though even more so, analysis and trouble shooting? It’s getting harder and harder to get hired here, though people often wonder how they got by without me before. I’ve hit that age where I’m not making what I made in 1990, much less in 2000.

It’s all buzz-word and checkbox now. No one seems to be interested in if you can think and learn, only if you have the appropriate boxes checked. Doesn’t bode well for the future, mine or the countries!

Ran this past my friend the ex-tech recruiter, and here’s her thoughts:

1. Find a good recruiter who’ll go to bat for you. (They are hard to find, but worth their weight in gold if you find one.)

2. Consider immigration. If the dollar exchange trends continue, I expect we’ll see a reverse brain drain up into Canada, and a concomitant tech boom from the talent transfer. Get in at the front of the wave.

3. Consider getting involved in open source projects, to hone new(er) skills, to build a porfiolio of projects that demo those skills, and to network with people in the industry who’d rather hire someone they’ve done open source development with and trust than hire through a classified ad. (Start with sourceforge.net)