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6-The Canadian Champion, Fniday, JuIy 31, 1998 *OPINION Box 248, 191 Main St. E., Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Fax: 878-4943 Classified: 875-3300 Ian Oliver Publisher Neil Oliver Associate Publisher Bil Begin General Manager Rob Kelly Editor Karen Crss Circulation Manager Teri Casas Office Manager Tim Cotes Production Manager rhe Canadian Champion, pub9isled everY I UcsddYa[W dSturddy st 191 Min S. Et Milton, Ont., L9T 4N9 (Box 248), is one of The Metroland Prîtin,, Publinhing & Ditributing Ltd. group ot suburban compunien which includes: Aax / Pickering News Advertiser; Aliton Heraid/Courier; Brrie Advance; Brampton Guardian; Burlingtori Pont; City Parent; Colingwood / Wasaga Connection; East York Mirror; Etobicoke Guardian; Georgetown lndependent/ Acton Free Press; Kingston This Week; Lindsuy This Week; Markhum Economist & Sun; Midland I Penetunguishefle Mirror; Missinnauga News; Newmarket I Aurora Era Banner; Northumberland News; North York Mirror; Oakville Beaver; Oritia Todsy; Oshtawa I Whtby I ClaringonI Port Perry Ttis Week; Peterbor- oughi This Week; Richmond HilI/ThornhillI Vaughan Liberal; Scarborough Mirror; Ubndge I Stouftville Tribune; Today's Seniors. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, ln the event utsa typogrstihicai error, tht portion nf the advertising onace occupied by thre erroneous item, together wth a reasonable alowance for signature, wiII nos bu churged for, but thre balance of thre udvertisemtent will be paid tor t tire applicable rate. The pub- irer reserves te rigit to categorize advertisenients or decline. Where are ail the nerds ? It defies the law of supply and demand. It' s been that way for 17 years, with no end in sight. There just aren't enough techies 10 fil tech jobs. Why? Thse prevaiing theory is that most techies are nerds, and there jtast aren't enough nerds to go around. There are 200,000 jobs begging for someone who understands what a "server/client impIe- menter" or a "UNIX administrator" means. Starting pay is $50,000 and up. Employment should grow fromn 1.5 million jobs to 2.6 million in tise next eight years. For those with proven computer skills, head- hunters are at the door daily, offering 20 per cent and 30 per cent raises if they will change compa- nies. More tisai any other industry, information technology lets kids make their mark at an early age. Ah, but surely supply will catch up with demausd and by tise time our kids are ready to look for a job, tisere will be a glut. Wrong. t will be a long, long time before there can be a glut, for several 'Tor tho reanons. First, computer tecisni- cuans are needed by virtually every medium and large- sized business, and even many of ties maller compa- nies. More than 1 million computer tecisnicians are employed by non-lech com- panies, from convenience store flrms 10 oil exploration companies. So tecis compa- nies now have 10 compete with a huge and growing body of non-tecis firmns for tise talent. Second, a new tecis product is developed every ueven mrinutes. TechnologY is expanding 30 per cent every year, so everylhing you learn is obso- lete witiin about five years. There is, and will continue 10 be, a need for people trained in tise newesl technologies. Witis this rosy picture, kids must be cdimbing over eacis otiser 10 gel mbt computer science pro- grams in iigi s shool and college. Parents are doing their part - every parent I know is encouraging tiseir child 10 embrace computers, love them, leam liseir every nuance. Yet the number of kids earning bachelor degrees in computer science or electrical engi- neering has dropped 40 per cent in the last 10 years. Why? A survey out of the University of Califomnia at Berkeley is quite telling. They interviewed kids at differen9t grade levels and asked them what they wauted to be. Tise top choice of third graders was to be a teacher. Sixtis graders wanted 1 with prove» wanted 10 be entertaîners and 12tis graders offered "I don't know" as a career choice mout oflen (wilh medicine coming in a dis- tant second). Computer careers were ranked near tise bottom of tise lisI aI every grade level. Why are computer jobs so far down on tise list? Because these kids think of computer tecisnicians as geeks and nerds. In fact, tisey drew piclures of com- puter tecisnicians with buck teetis, glasses. isair going in every direction, pant legs rolled up, wearing socks tisaI didn't match. Even kids who enrol n computer science pro- gramns oflen drop out. Tise typical reason is, "Tie money is good, but tise otiser students are really weird and I don't wanltishe soitary exis- tence of a computer techiician." In tise final analysis, tise computer sciences have an image problem. There are tons of jobs, good jobs. We need to explore what a nerd real- ly is. We need 10 help our kids prepare for careers in tise information technology era, with- ouI turning them mbt unisappy people in tise I'm sure glad it's ail over Lt' s not tisaI 1 like incurring wrath and loathing, it's junt tisat some tisingu about tise recent World Cup need to be said. Ethnic celebrations in Toronto and other major Ontario cities happened after every game. Enough, already. Wisen il' s over, okay, celebrate, close down streets, have some fun. However when Italy or Brazil knocks off Andorra or Ivory Coast, keep it at home. Italians have the CHIN picnic, there is Caribana, there are Highland games. the Renaissance Festival and Caravan with its multi- ple national and ethnic pavillons. At least at one time these World Cup celebra- lions were rare and spontaneous. Now, a bunch of young drunks hop int a car with fuzzy dice. grab the obligatory national flag, and close down streets. Because the majority of people want 10 appear etisnically sensitive and tolerant nobody does anything about it. Closing down roads on a regular basis is ridiculous. Take it to a park. Try driving around dnsnk in June because the Blue Jays squeaked ouI a win and rightly you'd find yuurself in tise slammer. On top of tisat, soccer is a stupid game. You can point 10 tise fact that tisese fantastic athletes use only their feet and skulls. Hands, which posseus abilities that separate humans from lower forms of life and can perform tise mosl subtle skilîs a human is capable of, are nol allowed in soccer. Makes you wonder wiso invented the game and why. Most of a human being's potential skill is not allowed 10 be expressed in a soccer game. There are other problems but they at least can Reaume with a Ik View be fixed. In soccer only tise referee han access 10 tise dock. Goals are rare but penalty shots are taken so close 10 tise front of a huge gaping nier tisaI tise distance can be meanured comfortably in centimeters. Tise offside rule incorporates a floating line and is reminiscent of hockey in tise 1920s, before tise forward pans wan allowed. Offside is enforced very loosely, so loosely tisaI perisaps il shouldn't exisl. Perisaps tise worst part of soccer lu tisaI a goal is so immeasurably valuable. There is no bal- ance between offence and defence. Soccer is tise antitisesis of banketisaîl, where a banket is so val- ueless tisaI scoring itself is not an interesting an how a play develops. A third concern with soccer is hooliganisln. Soccer fans will tell you there is mucis subtlety in a soccer gaine. It is too bad tisere is no subîle- ly aniong many soccer fans. Not everything about soccer is bad. I was pleased 10 see mucis lesu of tise fake injury pos- turing tisaI used 10 plague tise World Cup. Guys used t0 lie on tise field writhing in pain, trying tW draw penalties. Nnw, more often tise referee lets tise gamne continue. Players fearing embarrans- ment and potentially leaving their tearo short don't go down so fast. I also like tise fact tisaI soccer han no commer- cial timeouts. It's a problem with Norths American sports tisaI really bugs me. Go 10 an NFL gaine and tise players spend most of their lime standing around while tise TV audience watches commercials. NHL gaines stop entirely for severai miinutes each period so TV sponsors can flog tiseir widgets. Major League Banebal han enougis natoural breaks 10 accommodate TV but they now adomn stadiums with advertiuing, even 10 tise point. of isaving rolating adverising signs behind home plate. itise end il makes you wanl 10 simply forget professional sports and jusl follow a local teami. comiputer skiWs, head- huntens are at-the door daily, offerlng 20 Per cenit and 30 per cent raises if tbey chanige companime? a TUIE CANADIAN CI IAMPION à