Life Cycle of a Software "ENGINEER"

Disclaimer: The word MNC here refers to the companies that had their inception in India. Companies like Apple, Microsoft, Intel, SUN and any other company that falls under the same league is not to be treated as MNC here in this blog. The names of the Indian companies that you might see are only for the sake of an example. However there is no personal offence to Indian based companies or its management. My apologies if it might hurt anyones feelings. Advised not read below if you are an employee of the organization and are also in Love with it.

As I look back 6 years, I remember how the Electronics has overtaken the Computer engineering stream in India. Till then it was the dream of everyone in India to take up B.Tech in CS. But suddenly no one was opting for CS. For Good Or Bad, that change of wave helped me get a seat in Computer Science Engineering. Though not much acquainted with the field initially, I had a dream of what I would be doing in CS, very very vaguely. Infact I always wanted to do Mechanical Engineering and I was also ready with my own design of a car. But you never get what you wanted, thats life. So I was content with what I got.

But what I expected proved to be wrong. A computer science student in India, would hardly require to know how a computer works! True. I didn't know where and what a RAM is atleast till when I bought a PC. Somehow managed to learn some stuff. Owing to several factors, like my college environment and University curriculum, I have finally found out that a computer science engineer, do not have to design a new OS, he doesn't have to decide which is the best algorithm, he doesn't even need to come-up with a new Database of his own nor does he need to patent his ideas. All he needs is a clean record of B.Tech, and a good aggregate. But why does he need it? TO "GE(B" read in reverse)T a JOB in a MNC.

Is this just the start? Alarmingly NO. This is the end too. The computer science engineer actually takes the turn of his life into a SOFTWARE ENGINEER after he gets a job. Believe me I never knew the difference before but thats true. You are no more a computer science engineer. All that you would be doing is the same stuff as told in Software Engineering. One team designs, other team develops, then testing, maintainence etc. After starting with a mediocre salary range you will soon go to a lucrative package. But then whats new you would be doing? Till then you will be doing stuff all by yourself, and then later you will be supervising a team. In other words you will be paid for relaxing and putting pressure on your juniors. If it seems to be quite tempting to a non-CS student, dont get dejected for having chosen the wrong field. I bet anyone is capable of doing a Software job after the kind of training the companies give. But is this what Computer Science is? No. This is just Software Engineering.

Everyone who feels that India is booming in Computer Science, wake up. India is just taking up projects given by some other foreign companies and living on the crumbles that they are throwing. No Indian company has reached the standard of designing a new language though we boast of the best programmers we have. For Good I'm waiting for the day US will STOP OUTSOURCING. My intention is not to see INDs starving. But I want them to become self sufficient. I hope atleast in that situation the IT scenario in India might change.

Apart from all these, what really bothers me is that all the four years of Computer Science Engineering becomes waste. You are taught Principles of Programming, Object oriented programming, Theory of computation, Networking, Artificial Intelligence, Graphics, Operating systems and many other subjects. But you eventually leave them in thin air. All you learn is JAVA, .NET and SAP.

Benefits of a Software job:
1) Good Pay (white collared pay for a blue collared work) and if lucky enough might go abroad for on-site development. It can be Nigeria, Algeria, USA or even Pakistan and Iraq.
2) AC room and no field work. But it takes more than a sweat when you dont deliver the project on time to the client. More fun will be when he sues in the court of law.
3) Girls/Boys respectively. You get them easily. The opposite sex will easily be attracted to you either seeing your purse or due to the proximity to commute to the same company. I dont say that there will not be love, but I wont accept that it can be TRUE LOVE.
4) The best you would get is you will have all the skill that is required to be a good MBA in HR, as you will know how to get the work done by the staff. But unfortunately degree will not be awarded.

Adversities of a software job:
1) Declining eye sight, arthritis, spondylitis etc. Dont worry, your company cares for you and they have medical re-imbursement for it. So be prepared.
2) Anger, frustration, mental tensions, due to the pressure from superiors and clients.
3) As you loose touch with the real subjects in computer science, it will be impractical for you to go with the technology. For them technology means new trends like a new language or database or package or at the max a new platform that was required by the Client. But it would have released 5 years earlier, who knows?
4) Finally, you wont be what you are. You are no more a computer scientist. You are a software engineer.

Now tell me. I wanted to know which among them is the best choice. TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Satyam, HCL? Actually ..... i've been placed (recruited)....;)

PS:- Dont forget to leave your comments. You wont be cursed anyway.

If GOD appeared before me...

I woke up when everyone slept. I had the wildest dream ever and was perspirating. I was yelling aloud, but I hardly could hear my own voice. My small trembling hands touched my Mom's hand, and she opened her eyes. I think I was 3 and 1/2 years old or may be even 4. I said "Mom, I am afraid!". Startled, she looked at me trying to understand my low and incoherent words. Instead of spanking me which she did ever since I grew up, she kissed my forehead and asked me "What happened dear?". I re-collected the story, she told me, about the eerie Rag-Picker (boochi) who came with a big bag to abduct me if I didn't eat my dinner. I added, "I could see him right beside me near the bed". My mom smiled at me and said, "dont worry, do you see the pciture of GOD there on the wall? He will be watching all the time. Pray to him and he will kick the boochi out of the house". My heartbeat almost stopped. Till then I was thinking it was only the rag-picker who was watching. I obeyed her instantly and joined my hands together and bowed my head without even trying to uderstand what it meant. I was taught to do this probably right since my birth. This is my first encounter with this person....."GOD".

I never tried to understand what kind of a person he was. Is he there to protect or instil fear or punish or to kill? He was never with me. Everyone even among my friends in school used to say, "Dont ever tell a LIE, God will punish you". It was hard on me to remember so many names Krishna, Allah, Jesus, Rama, Guru nanak (yes I believed he was god too) etc. I thought why are they so many to watch me when I tried to steal a cookie from the kitchen or buy an ice-cream.

It was the time of my first standard exams. My Dad asked me to pray to GOD and I would perform well in exams. I recited all that I could and set off to school. To my amusement the results came and I topped. For the first time, I could feel the power of GOD. From then I inculcated this new habit of praying before my exams. In my Sixth standard we all went to tirupathi. After we reached there I was told by my sis, who was taunting at me, that I would be tonsured soon. My heart sank. I went to my mom and confirmed the news. I broke into tears and pleaded please dont shave my hair. She told me seriously "Your Dad has decided to offer your hair to GOD. If we dont obey GOD, he will punish you". I felt who the heck is this person is GOD, Who takes money, animals, coconuts and unfortunatey hair too. Tears rolled my eyes thinking of all my friends and girls in my class, who would be calling me names. But I could'nt express my anguish. Not that I couldn't, if I would, GOD will punish me.

It was my 8th standard exams and I haven't studied anything for the finals. But I followed my Dad's advice and prayed to god and set off to school. Amazingly, I FAILED. This was the time I first questioned myself. Does GOD really exist. Right since my childhood, I've heard a lot about this virtual person among us from various sources. But the truth is I have mis-interpreted the name of that virtual person. It is not GOD, it is BELIEF. The reason behind my good grade in my earlier classes was effort and the reason for failure is lack of effort. I felt as if I was enlightened. But the belief that grew in me didn't die so soon. Though I was trying to be agnostic, I couldn't as the fear inside me dominated. I feared for the aftermath of ignoring GOD. Of course I was studying well from later on as I now understood whats the driving force and secret of success. I did pretty well in my acads. This slightly boosted my confidence level to become OVER-CONFIDENCE.

As a result, I didn't perform well in my IIT entrance as well as EAMCET. Also I was down with typhoid for over a month right before exams. Me questioning the existence of GOD being the reason for all this seemed stupid to me. I covered up saying to myself that my ill-health being the reason for all this. That seemed like a good reason to many. But thats just an excuse. So I dropped the plan of me being an atheist completely. But still questioned his existence to myself on many occasions. But still continued to pray to him only before my exams and before my results. I won many things in my life and I continued to loose many things too. Still I sway with my idea of being an atheist. But seriously, I would like to be strong minded.

I came to USA, the land of oppurtunities. Land of Uncle Sam. It is ruled by just two things "DOLLAR KING AND THE SEX QUEEN". But this country has stolen my confidence. All I do in my life is think of my scintillating past. I dont have my friends or my family here. All the loved ones are away from me. God is still watching. God is watching all of us. God is watching everyone in this world....Sielently, Stagnant, Stinking

If God Appeared before me now......