Why We Do What We Do

ENT, Feb 26, 2001 by Al Gillen

Many of us in the computer industry are passionate about our work. We find a computer to be much more than a piece of equipment that provides a means to an end. Chances are good that you enjoy a little quiet time with a computer when you can learn something new, test out something you've been wanting to try, or simply clean up your desktop. The intellectual challenge is like working on a crossword puzzle, trying to solve a complex set of interconnected questions.

This is not so for my wife. She is a professional graphic designer, who also spends her days staring into a monitor. She views computers as cold tools that merely allow humans to distance themselves from one another. When she logs off at the end of the workday, she's done with computers until the next day.

There are times when my wife just can't figure me out. One Saturday evening in the comfortable confines of my living room, I had spread my stuff out across the sofa while dry wood burned brightly in the fireplace. Through the window, I could see my kids gleefully running around in the falling snow as I sat there, immersed in three distinct computer-related projects

On the coffee table in front of me was an IBM ThinkPad about 45 minutes into the process of installing Whistler Professional. In my home office at the opposite end of the house, my latest computer, a Dell OptiPlex running Windows 2000 Server, was busy copying several gigabytes of data files from another OptiPlex/Windows 2000 Server. Once done, the new machine will be promoted to domain controller, replacing the older OptiPlex. The retired box will be rebuilt with Linux as a test machine for a night class on Unix and Linux administration that I'm taking. There never seems to be enough time to try many of the new software products that enter the market each year, which is why many of us find ourselves trying new things out on a Saturday night. I am not telling this story for sympathy. Quite the opposite. I am fortunate to be able to do something that I really enjoy on a Saturday evening. And rest assured, I also live a healthy and stimulating personal life outside the computer industry.

The question that others sometimes ask me is why do people in the computer industry spend so much time with computers. Many of us get home from work and fire up the home system, then surf, tinker, and, well, waste away the evening.

I have a couple of different answers. There are three key motivators that make me invest such large chunks of my free time into rebuilding systems and trying out beta software. The first motivator is to have first-hand experience with new products that are entering the market. The hands-on experience is quite helpful for an analyst since we have to predict how successful a product might or might not be.

The second key motivator is the education that comes from tinkering with new products and testing out technologies. This is something many of us value highly for our personal careers. The trick in this industry is to expand one's skill set at a rate faster than new technology emerges. This translates to employment insurance. The individuals with the broadest set of skills will best be able to take on new responsibilities when new positions or jobs become available.

Back in 1996, usage of the Web was emerging as a general-use medium. I took the initiative to learn HTML before it was fashionable to do so, and proceeded to build a Web site for the publication that I was running. I still remember the shock and uncertainty when I walked into the CEO's office and asked for permission to take our Web site live. Before long I was on various management committees designed to oversee the company's Inter net operations.

The third reason is that much of this stuff is just plan fun for us in the computer industry. My wife doesn't understand why I like to play with computers after work, but she has no problem understanding why she likes to do artistic things such as photography, painting, or making clothes after a day spent doing commercial graphic design.

Are we so different from the people that work in other industries? I would argue that we're not. We just like to tinker with computers. And that's what really matters: You like what you're doing. -- Al Gillen is research manager for system software at IDC (www.idc.com) and former editor in chief of ENT. Contact him at agillen@idc.com.