Re: someone noticed 90 percent indians posting on asktom.oracle.com

"quarkman" <quarkman_at_myrealbox.com> wrote in message news:oprtsaz2pxzkogxn_at_haydn...

> A certain university in a certain Victorian city is right now offering
> classes to produce OCP DBAs (don't scream). Likewise, a certain TAFE in a
> certain harbour-side city, is also churning them out. Shocking, isn't it?

I'm aware of one of them. No, not at all shocking. But I'll scream loud and clear if any of those ever dares nail an "upgrade" course to anyone taking the course now. Or comes out implying one is not certified unless one takes a new course for every new release. That is not solving the problem, that is changing the flies.

Let's not forget the TAFE one is highly suss dues to its direct links with commercial training providers. But I guess something is better than nothing. I'll be much happier hiring someone with a TAFE qualification than some highly suss "exam-cram" org!

>
> The masses will always be with us. We're talking IT professionals here!
>

But that is PRECISELY part of the problem! The UK society was told in the 70's they had to become IT-aware and "professional" in order to be able to "compete". Look where it's got them! Same is happening now in Australia and a bit all over the world. We cannot have IT-aware and professional societies and be elitist regarding IT-knowledge. It doesn't work. Either it is a fundamental of education and available to everyone or it is an elitist tertiary training like so many others. It can't be both.

>
> Which some might say isn't a "problem" in the first place.
>

Agreed.

>
> I take the point. But when the posts contain references to 'cheap' and
> 'mediocre' and in the same breath mentions 'Indians', the association is
> suggestive (and there's been more than one post from particular regulars
> here making the same connection).

Unless you're refering to Jithead, it ain't me. But that one is for a very specific reason: nothing to do with his claimed origin. :)

Yes, I agree some have been in very bad taste. Nothing we can do about it other than point it out, I'm afraid. It's not a nice situation and I fear it will only get worse. Many people feel threatened and react badly.

>
> I don't think it's as widespread as you claim (50 years of GATT and WTO
> have got to count for something).

Well, they have counted for nothing: GATT and WTO are the first ones to admit they failed in major western economies like USA, UK and most of EEC. I wonder why?

> And yes, it's always a bad idea. Look at
> the Europeans with their massive farm subsidies: they bank-roll mostly
> extremely wealthy farmers to over-produce expensive food (so the poor old
> European consumer gets clobbered), the surpluses then get exported around
> the world (with yet more export subsidies), thus clobbering the poor old
> African farmers who'd quite like to sell their runner beans if they could
> only get a look-in, and everyone ends up poorer (except the wealthy
> farmers). It's abysmal.

Agreed it is abysmal. Yet, who do you think is behind these subsidies? There is an entire "market" behind it. And it isn't about to change because it is abysmal, believe me. Too much moolah involved.

> But this is really getting wildly off topic, so I'll stop now. But read
> 'The Economist' -it's extremely well writen, a good newspaper in its own
> right, often very funny, and makes the case better than I ever could
> practically every week.

My first read at the coffee shop in North Sydney, 7:00 am! Usually takes me through the week too. But I must admit there is one Java book and a Maths hisdtory book that are currently higher priority. :( There is no end to this continuous learning thing, is there? Darn, I love this industry!
:D

--
Cheers
Nuno Souto
wizofoz2k_at_yahoo.com.au.nospam