Digigirlz and technical leadership
This Friday sees the first Digigirlz day in the UK. I'll be getting involved and probably presenting on the day, which I always look forward to. Right now, I have a work experience student in the lab who is working with XNA Game Studio (seems to be enjoying it - it's hard to tell as his grasp of maths is well beyond mine). I endeavoured to teach him about AI (for pathfinding and the like) but he seems to prefer 3D modelling.
Anyway, I think that initiatives like this are very important and I feel pleased to be involved. It concerns me that technology should lose mindshare of students (of any sex).
And besides, what is a career in technology now? Technology is not about programming, or hardware when it begins to impact upon a business, or needs to be represented at the board, or a project simply needs to be on time. It requires coaching skills, operational excellence, communication skills, financial awareness, and cross-domain interests. And it is everywhere.
I find it analagous to an economics degree - a general purpose understanding of economics will assist with many jobs, but if you want to be an accountant then you need more specialist knowledge in chosen areas of speciality. Unfortunately, most technology degrees (undergraduate at least) are specialised from the start (3D programming, Wireless networking) and so I wonder how many 'generalists' with leadership qualities are lost to other subjects. If that is the case (and OK, I'm extrapolating my own extrapolations...) then what are the repercussions? Does it mean that technology ends up being represented at board level by someone who doesn't fundamentally understand technology but can communicate and understand the P&L.
I don't know - but I worry.
Come on kids - as the Boo Radleys once said.
