The following snippet is excerpted from an article entitled "Digits: Gambits and Gadgets In the World of Technology" which appeared in The Wall Street Journal, 22.Apr.1999.

PRURIENT PROGRAMMERS: Bonnie Halper, a recruiter for New York's hypercompetitive Internet industry, knew she would have to go to outrageous lengths to snare top software talent. She didn't, however, think that would include hanging out in strip bars.

"When these guys are all together, for some reason they end up at topless joints," Ms. Halper says. "They talk about computer networking and work, but their eyes are focused on the women." Ms. Halper was most recently dragged to New York Dolls, a city institution, and has begged off other excursions to places such as Flashdancers. "I give out a lot of cards," when visiting the clubs, she says.

A 29-year-old programmer who spoke on condition of anonymity explains the fascination with strip bars in his male-dominated profession: "There's a lot of stress and a lot of weird hours involved with being a programmer," he says. "Going to a strip joint is an easy way to see a couple of women you would never have time to meet. It also doesn't matter that you don't have social skills."

Copyright © 1999 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

An Update in 2002

Given the state of the economy in 2002, this is probably much less useful.

First, it is much easier to find talent.

Second, programmers have less money to be . . . ah . . . giving away.

The Wall Street Journal  (22.Apr.1999) , "Digits: Gambits and Gadgets In the World of Technology":   The full article from which this snippet is extracted.   (interactive.wsj.com/archive/retrieve.cgi?id=SB924727893147255917.djm)  

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