From: egnr76@castle.ed.ac.uk (A Kashko)
Newsgroups: sci.research.careers
Subject: Re: Folks, can we all get along?
Date: 29 Jul 92 14:36:48 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University

In article <f4lmc7b@lynx.unm.edu > mwfolsom@hydra.unm.edu (Mike Folsom) writes:
 >I note the pain and anger.  I understand both of these feelings
 >because I've had 'em.  I figure most of those out there looking
 >for a job are lots like me.  Years ago they "signed-on" to a 
 >system that "promised" if they worked real hard, kept
 >there nose clean and to the old grindstone they would be ok.
 >During the course of the process they, like me, slowly fell in love 
 >with what they do, now they are starting to realize that their
 >dreams and hopes are dead meat. 

	My feelings exactly
 >
 >To reality -
 >
 >Frankly, things don't look good.  The promised shortage of positions 
 >hasn't materialized and probably never will.  Its pretty clear 
 >that the "system" has lied to us and everybody else and continues 
 >to do so.  For evidence of this see Science vol 256, pg. 172.  To add 
 >insult to injury we hear the screams from the "powers that be" 
 >about the need for even more students in science and not about the need 
 >for more jobs for scientists.  Prehaps this is the worst part of
 >the whole nasty mess.  By calling for even more bodies they deny that  
 >a shortage of jobs exist - they deny that we exists!  By carrying 
 >out this fraud they deny our pain - they act as if 
 >we're not even worth talking about!

	Its all a conspiracy by the lawyers, politicians and management types
Science is a largely working class activity. By encouraging people to
become scientists there is less competition in law, politics, etc, and
more people to push around. The bigger your empire the higher you get
promoted.
 >
 >An observation to prove my point -
 >
 >Has the wonderous Amer. Assoc. for the Advancement of Science and 
 >its "organ" - Science ever written about the lack of jobs in the
 >sciences?  They might do some "news" item but never a major article.
 >Its just something they don't want to talk of -
 >(And the same thing's true for those nice folks at NSF.)

	Why not (1) Write a letter to the editor asking why he
does not commision such articles.
(2) Research and write about 1,000 words and send it round the magazines
(one at a time with an SAE, saying if they hold on too long you will
submit it elsewhere) try TIME, LIFE, etc. Writing letters to many magazines
and journals may get the ball rolling. Try to time it in response to
some asinine but relevant politician's statement.

 >
 >Somehow the "social contract" has been changed and now we are in the 
 >process of dealing with the new reality of things.  
 >
 >So lets not jump down each others throat.  Seems to me that this
 >group could be helpful to many people by sharing our discoveries
 >about the job search process.  In another vein, and prehaps as 
 >importantly, it could serve as a tool to let others know that 
 >their ain't no shortage of scientists and they can't ignore the
 >fact that we exists.

	I fantasise that one day all the RA's in the UK find better
paid jobs and resign simultaneously. That WOULD bring things to a crashing
halt. 90% of research is done by contract research staff, and so is 
a significant fraction of teaching.
Newsgroups: sci.research.careers