Re: Desirability of C++

["Tarjei T. Jensen" <tarjei.jensen@kvaerner.com>]

Marin D. Condic wrote :
>I don't know about hiring C++ programmers from experience. I know there
>is a general shortage of good technical people, so C++ programmers must
>be hard to get too. I *do* know that finding qualified Ada programmers
>can be very difficult. I'm still looking for some in different locations
>and I'm not being battered by resumes.


If I were hiring Ada programmers I would try to structure my efforts and plan
ahead.

I would try to make sure that students which are trained in Ada would know
about my company. The strategy would be to hire some out of university and make
sure that all the rest knew that I might want to hire them later when they had
aquired more experience. The idea is to get them to look up your company web
site and look for an Ada job when they are fed up with C/C++ etc. "When you
want or need to get a life, look us up!"

If I owned the company I would offer students prizes if they contributed useful
software to the Ada community. The idea would be to organize small/medium
projects which universities could use and then offer prizes for the best entry.
Prizes could be a small grant/computer hardware or some other desirables.
Perhaps also a contribution to the university, department or library. This
would depend on their situation. In some parts of the world, just getting used
PCs would do wonders. Some would be very happy if they got books for their
libraries.

For private persons I might do deals like: You want to go to tri-ada? If you
get me a quality Ada library which allow us to import/export data to
spreadsheets and dbase/access I'll pay travel and hotel for you. And if you are
poor, some spending money as well.

Sure I would be spending some money, but compared to the potential productivity
gains it would give if I could get the people I want it would be a pittance.
And perhaps also tax deductible.

If I knew of other companies which also would be looking for Ada programmers I
would contact them and see if there was any possibility of a joint recruitment
drive. The more companies, the more likely one would be able to "innoculate"
the students against C++. "This is what you want to be doing in a few years".


Lastly, a message from the campaign for mor technical Ada articles: You want
Ada programmers? Write those articles in Dr. Dobbs and get Ada noticed. If
there is an occational Ada related article in Dr. Dobbs then a lot of the FUD
we are used to would go away.

The point is that we want to be able to say: Ada a dying language???? Just last
year there were <number here> articles in Dr Dobbs about Ada projects.

Greetings,