Idiocy, In All Her Splendor

I've been reading a website called FastCompany for a while now. It's given some interesting nuggets to ponder, especially media-related...but today's email carried a link to their Top Six Jobs That Won't Exist In 2016.

So...who's obsolete in ten years? Let's take a look-see:

Gatekeepers
TV schedulers, A&R guys, Wall Street researchers, cool hunters. As punishment, now it's our turn to ram stuff down your throats. Hope you like Bon Jovi!

I can dig this. The Reality-TV Backlash shall be great and terrible, the blood-letting expansive, etc. Next?

Bloggers
Pay someone to write snarky comments? Do you think we're getting paid for this?

Anyone who expects to paid for their opinion hasn't been around much. I'm amazed even I read my blog. Next?

Advertising creatives
Talented amateurs making ads for fun and posting them online seem to be better at your job than you are. Bonus: No more"whither the 30-second spot" whining.

Whoa whoa whoa. Back up the truck, scooter. This is 75% of what I do for a living. You mean to tell me I'll be out of work in ten years? My job will be done better by people who have no interest in putting a little real sweat into making commercials? This is like saying that blogs are a better source of news than the networks. While I grant you, the TV Networks need to be slapped because they've become an industry of whores and pitchmen...there is still a glint of professionalism here and there. There is still some tradition, and at least some devotion to being accurate. What's the proud blogging tradition? Two years? Do some homework. Advertising is finally getting smarter, and realizes the audience is, too. At least those of us who have a little job security see it. Now shut your piehole and go watch something deep and meaningful like American Idol. Just because most of the country doesn't appreciate quality, doesn't mean it's dead.

Anyway, next?

Auto mechanics
As cars run on software, the grease monkey will need a makeover.

??? How high were these guys when they wrote this? We won't have a use for Auto Mechanics? Next.

U.S. high-tech jobs
But software engineers can always get a job down at the garage.

The problem here is the number of people trying to get the same jobs...not that the jobs are becoming obsolete. Get a goddamn clue. Next?

Indian call-center operators
American customer service is rescued from oxymoron status as companies realize that being nice to the people with the money is the only way to win.

One can only hope.

I've calved off a big iceberg of my faith in these editors today. It's floating north.