I'm writing this editorial in the predawn hours before a C++ Standards meeting begins in Tokyo. It is my fourth visit to this pleasant city in the past two years. Yesterday, Tom Plum, my wife Tana, and I joined the holiday throngs at the Senso-ji temple in Asakusa. We shopped for pearls in Ginza, and just plain enjoyed walking in the fine weather. Two days earlier, we were watching sunsets across the Pacific from Tom's lanai on the Big Island of Hawaii. For all that I complain about the cost of travel — in time, money, and energy — it is rich with such pleasant moments.
One of the perks of my chosen profession is that I have at least some say in where and when I make these trips. In the past year alone, I have been to Tokyo (twice), Austin, Copenhagen, Monterey, Kona, Annapolis, and Nashua. The year before was similar, and next looks to be even busier. Upwards of half these trips also involve some sort of family vacation.
The computing profession supports a small army of people like me — yuppie nomads who travel from meeting to meeting, conference to conference. We pay our way by developing standards, giving talks, keeping the sprawling branches of a corporation in closer communication. If the expense account doesn't pay for all those flights and hotel rooms, then the extra earning power we've managed to achieve does so. It's often a stressful existence, but not enough to command much sympathy from those less fortunate. Many people work just as hard, with nowhere near the rewards.
And that's the thought that inspired this particular reflection. For all that the computer industry still flourishes, more and more of us are becoming victims of downsizing, consolidation, or simple cost cutting. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems harder than ever for the bright up-and-coming to make that transition from salaried commuter to jet-setting "experts." It's hard to remain smug about my own good fortune when I see the barriers rising for my younger friends, and the next generation of my own family members.
The pendulum swings both ways, though the period may sometimes seem painfully long. I'm confident that our industry is basically strong, and that it values the contributions of individuals. How it compensates those contributors is a matter for continuous negotiations, a powerful force for restoring and maintaining balance. Meanwhile, the sun is coming up, and I have another meeting to prepare for.
P.J. Plauger
Senior Editor