Quality matters. The CS graduates from my school could design a clean OS, much less API. To bad that quality doesn't matter much to management.

A Programmer Codes. An Engineer Designs. Which do you want to be? The theory that CS teaches is mostly and directly translatable to Software Engineering.

And on a tangent, anyone with the intelligence to get a CS degree should instead be focused on getting a couple bachelors then MIS or MBA. Twice the pay for half the work.

The Stern report assumes that how we do things doesn't change, which is fundamentally incorrect. We constantly change. fivethirtyeight.com has had a few backwards-looking comprehensive stat reports that show we do adapt and that this type of report is bogus.

Climate change is happening and will continue to happen. Society isn't going to abandon oil so researchers need to quit having that fantasy. What are REAL ways that society will agree to change? The simplest is to quit building below anticipated sea levels (probably by adjusting insurance rates... put a cap of CPI-U+5% yearly increase to make it politically palatable). Focus on that - it's an area of society and economics that has a decent chance of actually being changed.

All I see is "the world is ending!" without any realistic measurements provided. Show me what it's going to cost at each point, and when. The simplest, lowest cost adaptation is simply to build above future sea levels. The lowest cost food change is crop switching and genetic manipulation. The simplest - and probably only - long term solution is reducing population numbers.

Yea, that's almost as crazy at the NSA hacking and tracking pretty much everything and everyone. Oh wait...

As usual, the ACM totters between cluelessness and a corporate stooge.

CS population is a social issue. To be blunt, the USA views STEM as low class. "nerd" and "geek" are 4 letter slurs coming from most people.

Women are taught to be more in tune with social issues so shy away. Later on, 75% of STEM graduates leave the field.

It's worse in Canada and some European countries. After working several years there, I'll never willingly go back. If you're in tech then you're an untouchable lower social rung.

I disagree. As usual, they miss the measurement of "quality" and instead dumb it down to "quantity". Playing Candy Crush 5 minutes a day is not the same as playing the Xbox until 4am.

Green is a big fat liar. "The Best" account for less than 10k a year - across all disciplines. Cut all other visas then give these people green cards then citizenship.

75% of STEM workers leave the field due to substandard conditions. There isn't a recruiting problem, there is a retention problem.

The only differences I've seen the last 20 years are:
1. VMs
2. Average developer skill getting worse

I believe that a far more productive idea would be to apply strong electroshock therapy to managers that insist on unreasonable due dates since that is the single greatest cause of software bugs (cutting corners to meet an arbitrary date).

75% of STEM workers leave their field. There isn't a recruiting or training shortage, there's a retention issue.

Why?

2 simple reasons:
1. STEM workers are paid less than other disciplines that require similar intelligence, skills, and experience.
2. STEM workers are pushed to lower social levels. In some places I've seen them regarded lower than the janitorial staff.

Interfacing is typically 4x the complexity with less return.

Oracle ERP is the most flexible for custom configuration and programming. It took me only a week to get productive with a PLSQL book (many years ago).

The basis of the issue seems to be lack of standardized business processes. What you face isn't a technical issue, but a functional issue of business process re-engineering for the company. The other is a good change management process.

The other issue that I see is Atlanta because it's probably the most in demand of skilled ERP developers in the USA right now. Try other cities for your development teams. I can think of a couple dozen cities where I can find skilled software engineers with 10+ years experience in the $100k range - they are typically 4x to 10x more effective than new hires.

Not so much of a leap since Verizon and Comcast have admitted to such.

Wouldn't a simple tracert show the route (and any differences)?

Sounds like a double oxymoron to me.

Show me an area with a high minimum wage and I'll show you an area with a large illegal labor force making less.

I travel all around the country and that's a very constant result. If you want to increase wages then 1) invest in education, and 2) change Free Trade to Fair Trade.