Preachy about geeks–again.
Enrollment in computer science programs is down across the country. After hearing this story on NPR last night, I couldn’t help but have a second of selfish glee.
Of course, any good feelings about this were quickly crushed when I heard the news that many students applying for college regard computer science as a quick trip to a job in a back room sitting in front of a computer all day, breathing stale air and eating junk food.
It seems embarrassing to have to say this, but computing isn’t an end in itself. Computing is a way to connect our ideas of logic to the rest of our lives. Computer science and computer engineering are useless to anybody else unless they’re related to our lives in meaningful ways.
I’d go as far to say that a large number of computer scientists, as translators between technology and people, actually need to be more socially aware than your average person. Having a strong background in logic, mathematics, organization and computational theory is important, but it’s lazy to think that it’s the whole picture.
Even more important are those qualities the aforementioned reluctant students think is lacking in computer geeks: social skills, perspective and the ability to communicate effectively, pleasantly and tactfully to others. What’s actually needed are people who have sufficient awareness and enough social perspective to understand how technology can fit into our lives and then apply all that knowledge in interesting ways.
We have enough hardcore, ivory-tower, Dr. Strangelove-like computer geeks. They’re important, but we also need computer scientists that are people people.
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