Are Engineers Wired to be Ungrateful?

Today, there are millions of programmers worldwide. But Jean Bartik was the first. She passed away on March 23, 2011. She was 86. Jean was one of the first computer programmersshe belonged to the first group of programmers for the ENIAC computerthe first electronic computer in the world. Jean was 1 of the 6 women programmers who gave birth to the software industry. By programming the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer (ENIAC), they created the software industry which now provides work to millions of programmers worldwide. But Jean Bartik received her first award only in 2008 and the ENIAC programmers, recognition for their contribution in 1997!

Why are they not remembered or recalled, which brings one to the most common accusations against techiesengineers are basically ungrateful with low EQ (emotional quotient) as they work on and with machines most of the time. Another common accusation is that we are basically disrespectful and dont recognize achievers in our industry unless they have loads of money like Bill Gates. So let us examine if we are wired to be ungrateful or if we are just ignorant of our history of technology and its importance.

Insulation

Many of us are obsessed with technology and work. Why else would techies alone get labeled geek and nerd? When asked about this, many agree that geeks or nerds and techies in general are extremely intelligent but also add that they are labeled so because of their preoccupation with their subject or work. In his movie Kattrathu Thamizh, director-writer Ram claimed that India is being divided into twonamely, technical India and non-technical India. According to him, the end result of this is 2-fold. It is leading many to pursue engineering, especially software and BPO segments even though they arent really interested in it. The second is the insulation of people who live in technical India. These people dont have a life beyond work or studies and dont seem to be interested in the broader world or its issues. They care only about their job and their family. They rarely have an opinion about social problems and societal issues, let alone get involved in them. Many agree with this and feel techies are insulated from their neighbourhood and society as a whole.

Lack of Passion

Most techies I talked to were open about them being in the field for the money only. Many are actually surprised that there can be another reason to even get into the field, especially passion for the field! Govind, a software executive from Bengaluru said, What passion? I could care less about all that. Im in this field only for the money. As far as Im concerned everything else is a non-issue. Govind is not alone. Money is leading many to pursue engineering even though they arent really interested in it because belonging to technical India offers money and status. As a result, technical India is expanding its borders and displacing other Indians. Increase in income has created a sharp increase in rent, essential commodities, real estate prices, etc that is displacing people as many cannot afford the cost today as opposed to a decade ago, especially those in education, agriculture, etc. Increasingly natives of an area, especially the new urban areas who have lived there for generations are being displaced due to the salary divide which is causing deep resentment.

Lack of Individuality

Techies lack individuality. That seems to be the common opinion among several people. Most software engineers I interacted with said they found it distasteful and unprofessional if someone talked about politics in their homes or in public place! When I asked why, many said there was no point in debating or talking about issues which they cannot resolve and asked me what is the point of being aware of it in the first place! Many claimed they preferred to read magazines that were entertainment oriented rather than issue based. When asked if they were always like this, they said they were not but only since college as others dont do it too. This suggests a herd mentality and is surprising in techies whose subject revolves around logic! Also, most in technical India are too scared to voice their opinion in a public forum if they have an opinion at all. Do they have any visions and long-term goals? This threw up some interesting answers. Most of them dont really have any vision or long-term goals. What about their mission statements? Well, most are just right sounding so they can get the job. So, they dont wish to invent X or discover Y or start Zwell, not really for the majority. A job raise or a better job at a top company would be more than enough! This left me surprised.

Inability to Communicate

In a TV show, most didnt even know how to introduce themselves and were made fun of by the audiencealmost 99% of them were either software engineers or engineering students. It is amazing how when there is a discussion about communication problems, techies, the very people who actually are involved in creating communication gadgets and applications find that making an introduction is extremely hard for most of them. Almost all of them made it sound like a recitation of their bio-data minus their date of birth. This could tie up to the lack of individuality problem though they seem to be completely unaware of it.

Time to Give Back

So, this is what most of technical India is like and yes, we do respect money and did forget the pioneers (many do not even know about Jean Bartik and the other 5 women programmers) who created the software industry. Okay, so we may be mass manufacturing techies but we are not wired to be ungrateful or forgetful because of our working in technology. In fact, I would say the surge in middle class India thanks to its engineers has some downside but it is no reason to lose hope. There are some exceptionsthose who are exceptional like the school children and college goers who are passionate about technology and are already holding product patents. Then there are engineering entrepreneurs whose aim is to start a tech company which changes the face of their locality or nation by providing services that eases the common persons burden or helps keep Indians informed of their local politicians actions or fulfill a social need that is an answer to the social problem. Others have got themselves involved in local NGOs. As for the majority of us, well, it is time we knew our tech history and got involved in countrys efforts to resolve its problems and get out of the comfort zone that is Technical India and bridge the divide between the two and rethink our life and goals. It is important we do it if not just for ourselves but at least so that our children can be proud citizens of India.