Link Details

Misleading title

How so? Not so quick perhaps?

You meant: Quick Advice For Imported and Outsourced Software Engineering Contractors (Primarily From India) From an US Point of View.

It might have some valid points, but the article is incredibly pompous and borderline demeaning. Typically American, I guess.

I'm going on my experiences. The reputation derives from what is dished out to us. Don't like it? Change it. Break the mold.

That's exactly what I'm trying to do.

I *am* American.

Please quit propagating the stereotype that you list in your 1st point.

p.s. great "bio"....who writes their own bio, on their own website, in 3rd-person (even going so far as to quote yourself)?

I read your blog with positive attitude (tried), of course from US point of view. Fantastic, I feel sorry for you.
From Indian Point of View, it is extremely condescending.
I could summarize you entire article into few lines
“We (US) are rich bitches - most civilized, awesomely handsome with super cool accent and fantastic attitude. Oh yeah, and our culture values are excellence, speed, innovations, even opinions. We don’t give a shit about your culture, or at least the fact that you guys are humans. We will pay you nickels while we make millions (actually you guys are freaking lucky for getting those nickels), but we expect you to behave and work like an American dude. ”

I believe, you strive for excellence in every part of your life. 70-80% of Indian population can’t even get to purified drinking water. Why do you think they would give a shit about “excellence, speed, innovations & opinions”

I am sorry to say this; your post is more offending than help any Indian Contractor. I know you are self-absorbing, but I hope you would realize that for your own sanity someday.

Ram
India – A Third world country

Ram,

I have never been to India, so I don't know how "third world" it is. All I know is that if you want to break out of the third world lifestyle, you have to think like someone who won't settle for it. America was founded by people who wouldn't settle for it. They wanted something new, their own land, their own lifestyle, with no tyrannical oppression. They demanded it, and fought for it.

You can complain if you like, or you can help yourself. What I'm hearing you say is, "You have no idea, it's hard." That's probably true, it probably is hard, and no, I have no idea. But if you want to live like an American, start trying to think like one. You won't get far by pooh poohing excellence, performance, innovation, and expression. If you want to keep declaring yourself "third world", keep doing what you're doing.

Jon

lmao @ ravuribabu's comment

I find it ironic that most of whatever demeaning comments I made, I made against Americans as being essentially "self-absorbed bastards", yet Indians are the ones who are getting offended by it. *grin* .. Case in point, these are the individuals who won't get far with Amercans.

Typical American arrogance. Wake up, the world is changing. We won't suck-up for you that long.

eabarquez, I can only hope you're right!!

404 not found.

Yes, not only did he submit his own blog (lol), but this "Software Developer" evidently can't a) submit the proper link, or b) correct the issue from his end (if there was a problem with the DZone system).

Additionally, it looks like every other link he's ever submitted here, save for 1, has been for his own blog (guess nobody else reads his blog to submit them for him?), and the cumulative number of upvotes vs. downvotes for his submissions looks to be roughly 1:1.

Funnier still is the fact that 84% of his upvotes given have been for his own submissions.

How's DZone working out for free self-promotion?

I couldn't agree more. Though its a sad fact about how stereotype models Indian engineers are, I can bet that just like every thing evolves, Indians too will evolve into extroverts as Americans are and will get out of their shell pretty soon.

Stimpy, good attempt. :) There must be two reasons (add more) why you invested so much of your energy, effort, sweat, blood, passion, zeal, whole-heartedness in writing the blog article:
1) An Indian software company paid you to educate their employee programmers (who are willing to learn - however hard way!)
2) You are releasing a product (publishing a book, etc) in next 2 months, and doing the groundwork to get your name ahead in front of as many IT people as possible. :)) You succeeded to a certain extent, I concur.
3) add more... (I agree with you when you say 'I find it ironic that most of whatever demeaning comments I made, I made against Americans')

Why make demeaning comments against Americans too, by the way? Anyway, what goes around comes around. So, as long as you take the responsibility, that's fine with us. We will read your blog. All your good intentions are appreciated, stimpy. Keep it up.

Here's my reason: The first time I got to work with Indian contractors, they were lined up on tables, and I developed a strong bond with all of them. They came to me every day asking for advice. When I left the company, they all huddled around my cubicle for five minutes to wish me well.

Years later, what other memories I have are partly of interesting success stories but more so of absolutely awful horror stories of mediocrity. The consistency of mediocrity differs from one cultural origin to the next, but I am generally irritated that some people are even choosing this career path to begin with.

I appreciate your kind response, stimpy.

People are people everywhere, and you be what you want to be, stimpy. It takes only one person to change. When stimpy stands firm on his values and principles, there is no other choice for the rest of the world but to gather around stimpy for then you would be a hero for them to follow. In that case, it even goes beyond being a 'magnetic personality'. :)

Best wishes, and best regards,
Great acquaintenance with you,
Abhay Bakshi
P.S. I'm convinced over last 10 years that DZone, just like a couple of others, is a community of people who are success oriented.

It's an unsolicited advice, I suppose. Thank you for your concern, but no thanks. And one more thing, incompetence is universal and it is not only limited to Indians. I'm sure there are plenty of bad American programmers out there who also produces bad output.

It's an unsolicited advice, I suppose. Thank you for your concern, but no thanks. And one more thing, incompetence is universal and it is not only limited to Indians. I'm sure there are plenty of bad American programmers out there who also produces bad output.

I am not Indian myself (I'm actually Asian), but I have worked with American clients before with an outsourcing company. And my experience with these American clients so far is that most of them has this arrogant-I-am-better-than-you attitude towards non-American programmers. But it doesn't mean that because I've had that experience in the past that I can make a general assumption that all Americans are self-absorbed and arrogant bastards. I am better than that.

Most Asians (Chinese, Japanese, etc) I've worked with are actually quite different than the experiences I've had with folks from India. Same is true of Russians and a few other cultures.

Every culture is indeed different.

My first impression is how lucky we are that the dollar is so low that we only take clients from Europe and Asia anymore, then we don't need to deal with your types ;)

That said ofcause with a smile on the lips. Our outsourcing experience (as the receiving part) is quite different from the one you mention.

In general we get very little of the "cultural crap", our contacts in USA are all talkative, responsive and happy to get their projects implemented, no matter which part of the world is doing them.

Indian working culture is very different from American working culture (again which are both different from eg. Scandinavian working culture which is my "native"). Our experience is that you do not achieve results by trying to enforce your culture on others. Instead, try to embrace and see how it can work to your advantage in getting good results. I think most cultures have a proverb around observing what others do when you come to a new place. According to your blog, an exception are the Americans :)

Hiring process is a problem in India - like everywhere else. I have worked with incompetent on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. You run into them, you replace them with someone better, while learning from your bad experience. I have earlier blogged about hiring "freshers", see here: http://tanesha.net/blojsom/blog/default/uncategorized/India-Outsourcing-vs-India-Education

Cheers,
Soren
,