My first contact with the Programmer's Guild was at the bottom point of the dotcom bust.
I was in the midst of a long and frustrating job search at a time when many talented programmers were looking for work. An email, mass mailed to a networking group I was a part of, was aimed at recruiting people who just might to use "foreigners" as a scapegoat for the frustration of unemployment.
I was troubled by the tone of the email-- that foreigners (in this case Indians) were the cause of all of the problems and that we Americans should join together to oppose "them". I particularly didn't think attacks on fellow workers was appropriate in a group whose purpose was for people to support each other.
Instead of joining in and attacking foreigners, I decided to be productive. I retooled my career-- learning new skills and making new contacts. Since then I have been able to increase my salary to a bit higher than 50% more than its highest point during the dotcom boom.
I now work in a good job with coworkers from America and from England, India and China who I respect and enjoy working with.
Yet the Programmers Guild is still using an angry anti-foreigner message to rally programmers against the great foreign menace.
The problems I have with the Programmers Guild are below the fold.
Read More