Computer Association of SIUE - Forums

It appears as if there are two internships available at AB (FREE BEER) and one at Mastercard, all for this summer as far as I can tell.

AB Jobs

Mastercard Job

I think these won't be up for very long, my friend tells me they may even come down later today.  So act fast if you're interested.

You're welcome!!!

~tfizzle

I know it's cute, it's playful, it's a joke; however, referring to computer science students as "computer nerds" propagates stereotypes that discourage prospective students from choosing the major.  A computer scientist is a professional and should have the respect for himself and his profession to act as such--especially when seeking employment from the fortune 500.

Medical students don't call themselves "health nerds".  Law students aren't "law dorks".  Accountancy students aren't "number geeks".  Why do we have to be "computer nerds"?

I changed it.  Sorry to offend anyone.  

At least I pissed someone off enough to have them register and post!!!

anything to get someone to register and post right Tyler  :-D

Brad Ty Nunnally
CAOS Vice-Pres.

Cliff, pull the pole out of your ass and lighten up.  Anyone that is proud of what they do will gladly call themselves a nerd, geek, or whatever other stereotype they want.  I've said it before and I'll say it again


geek is sheek.


Not all stereotypes are a bad thing, and this is far from it. People are TRYING to be stereotyped as geeks.  You referred to health students and lawyers.  Have you met Timski?  He's the really cool adjunct professor that teaches CS325 every other semester and owns a law firm in Collinsville.  I do beleive his exact quote was "Before I got my law degree I was a database dork, now I'm just a law nerd."  The stereotype of nerds is changing and it's our job to encourage that change, not be ashamed of it.  Someone calls me a nerd I look at them and say "..and the sky's blue, what's your point?"

I worked in computers for a while.  I was making quite a bit of money doing the computer thing.  People in computers suck, they take pride in the fact that they are computer "geeks".  It just doesn't meld with the rest of the world.  Folks involved with computers think they are special somehow.  Real engineers don't think that way, physicists don't think that way, doctors, lawyers, and CEO's don't think that way.  Everyone offers a service for pay; they know that what they offer helps the bottom line for whoever they work for.  Somehow computer folks think they are doing a favor by working for pay.  This is part of the reason I'm breaking off from the whole computer geek scene.  We just don't realize how foolish we are with our self importance.  There are various PHD's running around that don't understand why office keeps fucking up their document with it's auto correct.  Does that mean they're not intelligent people?  No.  Remember you are just someone who reasons with the unreasonable every day and you are used to it.  It doesn't make you smarter or better than anyone.

Somehow we take pride in being abnormal.  You are not abnormal, you are just fluent in a newer medium.  You are easy to replace.  Remember that.  Work harder than everyone else and you'll do fine; take solace that you are a computer "geek" and you're fucked.

Hey Oxnard,

Did you know that there is an actually pyscological disorder associated with docters alone. They get so full of themselves because they have had to go through so much school that they get a god-like mentallity. They think they can do anything and that they are better then those that are actually trained on how to do it.

Have you ever tried to tell any kind of scientist that they might be wrong? If you had, you might know that they will go to the end of the world, even making some stuff up, just to prove you wrong.

CEO's are convinced that since they are some big-shot that they can demand anything from anyone. Even if they don't work for them, which I can attest for through my own work experience.

So please, don't degrade us self-proclaimed computer geeks by saying we are worse then those mentioned above. Atleast we are able to accept who we are and live with it. We are not forced to shoce it down other peoples thoughts on a daily basis.

Thanks.



Brad Ty Nunnally
CAOS Vice-Pres.



"Those who are blessed with the most talent don't necessarily outperform everyone else. It's the people with follow-through who excel."
Mary Kay Ash

Oxnard, if computer geeks have an arrogant attitude about them (which we do) it is only because we've been programmed to be that way (pun intended).  It's kind of hard not to get an edge when you get a call at 2a.m. from someone that needs their computer fixed A.S.A.P because of some deadline or another and they're willing to pay whatever they want.  You say that other  professions don't have the same arrogant attitude..I say you are full of shit.  For some reason or another I have many friends in pharmacy, and I can tell you that they are just as arrogant about their skills as is everyone else.  Lawyers?  You know they are arrogant.  There is no altruistic profession, there are only altruistic people.  My father is a journalist, he's not impacting the world in any earth shattering way but he's damn good at what he does and he knows it.

Your last statement only leaves one thought in my head "well DUH!" what field dont' you have to work hard in or your fucked? "I'm a doctor so I can slack off.." yup and get hit with several multimillion dollar malpractice suits or how about "I'm a lawyer so I don't have to stay up all night preparing for a case"  yup only if you don't want any more clients.  We are self important in attitude just like everyone else.

That being said CS is a new science and is seen as "cutting edge" by a lot of people.  The population of self proclaimed geeks is sky rocketing and anyone that can run a windows installation is raising the geek flag and looking for respect.  There are a lot of wannabe's out there that can't get past CS140.

None of the guys I work with are arrogant or egotistical.  Most of the people I work with have a Masters' degree, double major, or PhD and write mathematical routines for CAD systems.  One might expect them to be a bunch of self-important ubergeeks, but they're not.

I do have a programmer friend who is so arrogant he claims to "walk on water."  He very well may, since he isn't out of school all that long and makes a six-figure income.  :-o

Quotewhat field dont' you have to work hard in or your F'd

3 words: Tenured college professor.  Many professors work hard anyway, but I can name at least one who puts no effort into his work.

There are just a few other professions where you can slack off like that; most of them involve working for the government.

Don't even get me started on the state of tenure in college universities.  It's absolutely disgusting.  One name:  Tom Wu.  The mans to stop wasting students money and....I'm gonna stop typing now before my blood starts boiling  :-x

Hey, come on, we don't have to name names.  I really don't think we need to upset anyone MDDarwin.

I'm tired of tip toeing through the tulips, maybe if the univeristy opens it's eyes and realize that some professors are so hated by their students, collegues, and EVERYONE IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSITY then they will realize that something needs to change.  The man needs to be gone!

I say this as I proudly wear my coodah is a whatah t-shirt.

The point is: Why do many people outside of computer science have a negative attitude toward cs and what can we do to change its image?  This was touched on in another topic (why there are few women in computer science).  The bottom line is that most people who don't call themselves "nerds" don't want to be associated with "nerds", especially women.

ModernDayDarwin brings up some good points.  However, I disagree with his assertion that "Anyone that is proud of what they do will gladly call themselves a nerd
, geek, or .... "  

When many people outside of computer science hear "nerd", they defer to the dictionary definition:
nerd
n. Slang
   1. A foolish, inept, or unattractive person.
   2. A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.

These traits are so undesirable--especially at the fortune 500 companies mentioned in the original post--that it seems unlikely that "anyone that is proud of what they do" would refer to himself as such.  Anyone proud of what he does would point out his strengths, not his ineptitudes.

When we say "nerd", are we using the dictionary definition?  If not, perhaps we should choose a different word.

And what I'm telling you is that the mental image of a scrawny little shy guy with buck teeth, a pocket protector, and slurred speech is out the window.  People are TRYING to attain the status of nerd and even lying in some cases to get there.  People shouldn't be ashamed of it, they should be PROUD of it.

The nerds of today are the millionaires of tomorrow with 22 year old arm candy and 6 cars.