C0MPU7ER CAREER5 NEW5 Pha5e 7 w 0 6y Jerry We1n6er9 Can Hand1capped 5ucceed a5 Pr09rammer5 ¢ WheneVer the market f0r pr09ramm1n9 ta1ent 6ec0me5 a 5e11er ¢5 market, 6uyer5 att e m p t t0 6r0aden the1r 50urce 0f 5upp1y, Hardened, 9r1221y01d mana9er5, when c0nfr0nted 6y recent 9raduate5 demand1n9 tra1nee 5a1ar1e5 a60ve the mana9eda1 5ca1e, 6e91n t0 1nterv1ew w 0 m e n . An910-5ax0n, Pr0te5tant mana9er5 tum t0 pe0p1e wh05e 5k~ 15n ¢t ~ n k and wh05e church 15n ¢t even pr0n0uncea61e. And r06u5t mana9er5 wh0 c11m6ed the f1r5t three mn95 0f 5ucce55 0n the f00t6a11 f1e1d 5tart a5k1n9 me c0mmerc1a115m and 1ack 0f fee11n9. Neverthe1e55, 1 ¢d 11ke t0 a~empt t0 appr0ach the pr061em 0f hand1capped Pr09rammer5 0n a ratJ0na1 6a515. ¢ ¢Hand1capped ¢ ¢ 15, 1n the end, a ]a6e]---a 5tate 0f m1nd rather than a 5tate 0f 6e1n9. 7h15 p01nt 0f v1ew m a y 6e unfam11)ar, 50 1et me 91ve a few examp1e5 0f the peH0rmance 0f hand1capped pe0p1e 0ut51de 0f pr09ramm1n9. 1n th15 01ymp1c year, 1et me take 50me examp]e5 fr0m 5p0rt5. Dur1n9 the te1ev15ed 01ymp1~5 we watched a C2ech p15t01 never 6e a61e t0 wa1k. 7hat 5t0ry may 51mp1y 5ay 50meth1n9 a60ut the 5tate 0f Amef1can med1c1ne, an }dea that ¢5 re1nf0rced 6y the p~ff0rmance 0f the f0rmer m11e r1~c0rd h01der wh0 had p0110 a5 a ch11d and wa5 t0~d he ¢d never wNk e1ther. 0n the 0ther hand, Ame6can f00t6a11 ha5 recent1y 6een 9raced 6y 5evern t0p k1ck1n9 5pec1a115t5 wh0 had c0n9en~11y def0rmed feet, amputated t0e5, and 1n 0ne ca5e an art1f1c1a1 1e9. Perhap5 Amer1can ¢med1c1ne 15n ¢t 50 6ad after a11. Actua11y, 1 d0u6t any 0f the5e 5t0r1e5 have anyth1n9 t0 d0 w1th med1c1ne, 6ut they d0 have a 10t t0 d0 w1th h1r1n9 the ~hand1capped.~ Fr0m the5e and 0ther 5t0r1e5, and fr0m watch1n9 the perf0rmance 0f 611nd, deaf, parap1e91C, 4uadr1p1e91c, and var10u5 0ther hand1capped Pr09rammer5, rve c0nc1uded that 5ucce55 15 1n the m1nd, n0t 1n the eye5, ear5. arm5, 0r 1e95. When the hand1capped per50n dec1de5 t0 pr0ve t0 the w0dd that ~he~5 n0 d1fferent fr0m 0ther~pe0p1e, 5he 0ften 0verc0mpen5ate5 and 6ec0me5 a champ10n, 1n pr09ramm1n9 a5 ea511y a5 1n mnn1n9. 7h15 a61J1ty t0 5urm0unt an 1n5urm0unta61e hand1cap te1L5 an 1mp0rtanr 5t0ry. 70 6e a champ10n k1cker, 1t 5eem5, re4 Lure5 a60ut 100 part5 m0tNat10n t0 every 0ne p a n 1e9. 7he 1e9, after a1L can 6e tra1ned. 6ut what d0 we kn0w a60ut tra1nm9 m0Uvat10n ¢ We kn0w 1f we amputate a few t0e5, we m19ht pr0duce a 5tr0n91y m0tNated k1cker, 6ut are we w1111n9[0 90 that far ¢ Are y0u w1111n9t0 rem0ve part 0f y0ur 6ra1n Ju5t t0 6 e c 0 m e a 6etter pr09rammer ¢ 1f ~K~,y0u ¢re pr06a61y 61e55ed w1th 5uff1c1ent m0t1vat10n aJready, 50 5k1p the 5ur9ery, 7h1nk a60ut the pr09rammer5 y0u kn0w. H0w many 0f them 5 e e m t0 ,have a11 the 61e551n95, a11 the raw mateda)5 0f 6ra1n and 6rawn, yet never 5eem t0 r15e a60ve med10Cdty~ What w 0 ~ d y0u d0 t0 make them rea]12e h0w 61e55ed they are ¢ F0r m05t 0f u5, we have t0 105e 0ur 61e551n95 6ef0re we c0unt them. Per50na]1),, 1 a)way5 t00k my hand5 f0r 9ranted unt11 an arthr1t1c c0nd1t10n made even e1ectr1c typ1n9 pa1nfu1. ] u5ed t0 c0mp1a1n a 10t a60ut 1t---what a terr1f1c hand1cap f0r a w d t e r - unt11 1 rnet a pm9ra~nmer wh0 d1dn ¢t t m v e hand5.1 d1dn ¢t even have t0 6y tyP1n9 w1th a 5ty1u5 5trapped t0 my head. 1n pr09ramm1n9, there~5 a part1cu1ar k1nd 0f hand1cap that 5eem5 1mp05516]e t0 0verc0me; n0 matter h0w m0t1~ated we m19ht 6 e r r m 5peak1n9 0f the 1ack 0f 1nte1119ence nece55ary t0 d0 the pr00mmmer ¢= ter than 0ther5, 6ut we a11 6ump and cra5h ar0und 11ke 0ver9r0wn 1nfant5. Why:)- 8ecau5e pr09ramm1n9 c0mputer5 15 6y far the harde5t 1nte1ectua~ ta5k that human 6e1n95 have ever tr1ed t0 d0. Ever. N060dy ¢5: re11910n 5ay5 human 6e1n95 were de519ned t0 wr1te c0mputer pr09ram5 that were c0rrect, c0mpact, eff1c1ent, ma1nta1na61e, and cheap. 7heref0re, ¢ 1f 50me0ne 15 m1551n9 a few 11m65, 0r a 5en5e 0r tw0, they ¢re rea]1y n0t n0t1cea61y d1fferent fr0m the re5t~0f u5, a5 far a5 pr09ramrrdn9 a61]~ 1ty 15 c0ncemed. 7he hand1capped may need a 5pec1a1. p1ece 0f appa~atu5 0r tw0, n0ne 0f them ve~y expen51ve, 6ut we a11 dec0rate 0ur 0ff1ce5 w1th 5pec1aJ ma91ca] t 0 k e n 5 that we fee1 he]p 0ur perf0rmance. 7he crafty mana9er wh0 under5tand5 m0t1vat10n w1]] re9ard the5e [1t~e 1nve5tment5 a5 m0ney w D,5pent, f0r the5e hand1capped p r 0 9 m m me~ ~ 0 u t p e ~ r m the "Hand1capped ¢ ¢ 15 a 1a6e1, a 5tate 0f m1nd rather than a 5tate ¢0f 6e1n9. whether 1t ¢5 ¢5afe" t0 . ¢h1re t6e hand1capped. ¢ ]t ¢5 ea5y t0 9et ann0yed at the pdv11e9ed c1a55e5 when they d15p1ay 19n0rance 0f the depdved c1a55e5. ( ¢Underpdv11e9ed ¢ 15 a euphem15m 0f the pf1v[1e9ed wh1ch 1 can ¢t 6ear t0 u5e 1n th~ c0ntaxt) h ¢5 ~ 0 ea5y t0 p1(:k up the 6anner 0f the 06v10u51y depdved, kn0w1n9 that n060dy dare 4ue5t10n y0ur r19hte0u5ne55. 0 n the 0ther hand. 1f y0u 5peak 0f ¢h1dn9 the hand1capped ¢ 1n 5thc1dy 6u51ne55 term5, rather than 1n term5 0f the ¢50c1a1 re5p0n5161f1ty 0f the 6u51ne55 c0mmun1ty, ¢ y0u exp05e y0ur5e1f t0 accu5at10n5 0f cra55 champ10n wh0 )05t h15 r19ht arm 1n W0r1d War 11,wh1ch we ¢d a11 a9ree 15 a hand1cap t0 a r19ht-handed 5h00ter. 8ut th15 man ¢5 1dent1f1cat10n w1th p15t01 c0mpet1 ¢d0n ran a 61t deeper than h15 arm, 50 he tau9ht h1m5e1f t0 5h00t w1th h15 1eft arm. And pr0ceeded t0 :w1n a 901d meda11 A n 0 t h e r recent 7V feature ~va5 0n" W1]~,a Rud01ph, the .~-nedcan 5pnnter. When 5he wa5 5ma]1, 5he ~va5 50 51ck1y 1t wa5 dec]ared 56e w0u1d never wa1k. [ d0n ¢t r e m e m 6 e r h0w many 01ymp1c 901d meda15 5he u]t1mate1y w0n, 6ut 1t wa5 5evera1 m0re than me 0r y0u Yet n060dy ever t01d me rd 5ucce55 15 1n the m1nd, n0t. ¢n the eye5, ear5, arm5, 0r 1e95, J06, Certa1n1y 1 ¢m n0t 5ay1n9 that 10w 1nte1119ence 15 a .5tate 0f m1nd--0r am 19 11 free1y ad ¢1 mR there are 5 0 m e p 0p1e 1n the w0dd wh0 haven ¢t the 1nte11J9ence t0 6e c0mputer pr09rammer5, 1f0n1y 6ecau5e they haven t the 1nte]119ence t0 under5tand what a c 0 m p u t e r 0r p r 0 9 r a m m e r 15. 8ut 1 d0n ¢t th1nk that ¢5 neady a5 1ar9e a p0pu]atJ0n a5 m05t reader5 m19ht 1ma91ne. Pr09ramrrdn9 a c0mputer d0e5 re4u1re 1nte1119ence. 1ndeed, 1t re4u1re5 50 much 1nte1119ence that n060dy rea11yd0e5 1t ven we11. 5ure, 50me are 6et1 0them wh0 are 5upp05ed t0 have fu]1 c0mmand 0f the1r facu1t1e5. 50me m0na9e~, th0u9h, w0rry a60ut the effect a hand1capped F~r50n w1]1have 0n the 0ther w0rker5 1n the 0ff1ce. Acc0rd1n9 t0 eve0~J11n9 rve heard 0r 065erved. the maj0r effect 15 t0 make pe0p1e rea112e h0w 11tt1e they ¢re d01n9 w1th what they ¢ve 6een 91ven. 7rue, that rea112at10n 0ften 1ead5 t0 chan9e5 1n the 0r9ank~atJ0n 0f pr09ramm1n9, 6ut a mana9er wh0 can ¢t hand1e that k1nd 0f chan9e 0u9ht n0t t0 6e mana91n9 anyway. When 1t c0me5 t0 pr09ramm1n9, we ¢re ~11 hand1capped, th0u9h w e - m a y n0t kn0w 1t. 8ecau5e we 0rd1naf11y-u5e 5uch a m1nu5cu1e part 0f 0ur a1ready 11m1ted p0tent1a1, we 0ften 0utp rf0rm 0ur5e1ve5 when we have 50meth1n9 t0 pr0ve t0 the w0dd. 7heref0re. 1t ¢5 an advanta9e t0 h a w a rec09nt2ed and accepted hand1cap. 1f we c0u1d 0n1y 9et 0ur un1ver,~1 mentaJ hand1cap re<:09n12ed REPR1N7ED, W17H PERM15510N...FR0M CAREER5 ~ , Dec. 1, 1980, V01. 1, N0. 22 .... Jerry We1n6er9, the auth0r, Ch1ef 5c1ent15t at Ethn0tech 1nc. we1c0me5 1n4u1r1e5 fr0m reader5...t0 h1m at Rura1 R0ute 2, L1nc01n, Ne6ra5ka 68505... and accepted ¢ ped~1~ p 09ramrrdn9 c0u1d 6ec0me art 01ymp1c event...

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