code_swarm: Software project visualization

You need to see this. Ph.D. student Michael Ogawa at UC Davis has created an "organic information visualization" called code_swarm which animates contributions to a software project through time. Documents and source code fly in, hover around the developer's name, and gradually fade to black as commits become more rare. The soundtrack adds to the effect. Examples include Eclipse, Python, PostgreSQL, and Apache. (Thanks, Stephan.)

Huge demand for CS graduates

There is no doubt that interest in computer science has been dropping over the years from its peak in the 1990s. The statistics show that fewer incoming freshmen are interested in CS, but the question is why? After the dot-com bust and news of jobs going overseas, many parents have steered their kids away from tech-related majors. Unfortunately these parents are hindering their kids from entering one of the hottest job markets around:

"Nationwide, there are more jobs in the U.S. in computing than there ever have been, even at the height of the dot-com craze. The 10-year count for growth in new jobs is that there will be 1.4 million net new jobs over a 10-year period. That’s the hottest growth area of any area at all in the science and engineering fields."
- Jeffrey Vitter, dean of the College of Science at Purdue University

Not only is the job market hot, but it is very enjoyable field to work in. Just a few months ago, Money Magazine rated software engineering as the best job in America. And former students that I have spoken with almost always enjoy their careers in the technology field. It’s been a very long time since I heard from a student who couldn’t find work.

So please, parents and students: If you have any interest in CS at all, give it a shot. It’s not the easiest major, and it’s certainly not for everyone, but it may provide you a very rewarding career for years to come.

For more resources, see The Computer Science job outlook: Myths and Truths and the new ACM Computing Careers website.

Software Engineering: Best Job in America

Money Magazine has listed software engineering as the number one Best Job in America. Even with the threat of off-shoring jobs, a computer science degree isn’t looking so bad after all. In fact, of the top 10 jobs listed, 4 of them could be obtained by someone with a CS degree. Having been both a software engineer and now a college professor (number two on the list), I can attest that both jobs are very rewarding.