Code 4 Bill
Found this at Techtree.com - India. Apparently there is a current program in India, and only India, that is attempting to find the top college tech students in their final and pre-final (equilivent to senior and junior respectively) and give them the chance to work with Bill Gates Technical Assistence team for a year. It is called Code 4 Bill… ah how sweet….
Sheila Gulati, director - developer and platform evangelism, Microsoft India, says, “Currently, India is the only country where Code 4 Bill has been launched. Based on how the contest pans out here, we are open to evaluating whether it makes sense to replicate Code 4 Bill in other countries.”
That is all well and good and I understand that this is world economy and that India is a emerging technological nation, but why is the Code 4 Bill program getting tested in India. Why not in the US, Ireland, Australia, Japan, Spain, Italy, Turkey, etc.
I have been, and will continue too be, critical of Microsoft’s habit of annexation and duplication instead of innovation, but it bothers me even more that when a US based company goes looking for undiscovered talent they go off shore FIRST. Who knows, the best coder in college at the moment may be a Montana State, Denver Technical, Swannee, Florida Atlantic, Vermont Tech, or any number of other small or rarely noticed US schools. That same situation could exist in Ireland, Australia,…etc.
I understand that Microsoft may have picked India first because it is a emerging technological powerhouse, that there is a existing nature of innovation there, as well as a numerous and cheap labor force, but it seems that you should give the home team a try before going to the international free agent market.
Some may say that the US students already have more chances, etc to get noticed and already have sufficient opportunities, and that is probably true, but that alone does not mean there should not be a shot for the locals first. Microsoft, like it or not, did not develop in India, China, Japan, etc. The nature and habits of American free enterprise, the American spirit of innovation, the leadership of the American technology industries at the time allowed Microsoft to rise to where it is today. America / Americans invented the PC market. America / Americans invented the PC software market. Sure Adobe is German based, and other nations and nationals have done ALOT of great software development, but there is no Adobe, etc without IBM, Microsoft and Apple (all US based, founded, developed, and fostered companies). I am simply asking that American’s be given a shot to be the innovators within the PC software market before the development rushes offshore. If off shore developers are better, no problem, but I believe in giving the US a equal shot to compete.
Simply, with a global economy where the US has to compete globally, why not let the next generation of American workers have the same shot as the international worker.
hey man keep it cool. I think you are blowing up this issue. Just a event that brings out the talent in the Indian people will not damage the established fact that US dominates the PC, S/W H/W market. Iam surprised to see people pissed off because another country is taking footsteps towards techological innovation.
I feel US will keep on churning new innovators and no matter how many code 4 bills come thru, theres always ur own bill coding on his PC…Chill
Comment by
ravi — 2/15/2006 @ 7:59 am
I am far from blowing up. I am simply asking for fair and equal competition.
As I said numerous times in the post I am fine with people from other nations ( Ireland, Spain, Austrailia, German, Japan, etc) winning. I am even fine with a Indian winning.
What I am against is the fact that Indians alone get a shot. I think there is undeveloped software, and hardware, talent in LOTS of nations. I think Microsoft should get, hire, and nuture that talent. My issue is the sole selection of India to get the shot. As I said, I understand why as India is a burgeoning super power and Microsoft wants a great foothold. Understood, but I think everyone should get a shot at the job.
Comment by
admin — 2/15/2006 @ 10:31 am