Microsoft Security Makes "Worst Jobs" List

Stony Stevenson asks, rhetorically, "What do whale-feces researchers, hazmat divers, and employees of Microsoft's Security Response Center have in common? They all made Popular Science magazine's 2007 list of the absolute worst jobs in science." Quoting: "The MSRC ranked near the middle as the sixth-worst job in this year's list.. 'We did rate the Microsoft security researcher as less-bad than the people who prepare the carcasses for dissection in biology laboratories,' Moyer said. Moyer didn't have to think long when asked whether he'd rather have the number 10-ranked whale research job. 'Whale feces or working at Microsoft? I would probably be the whale feces researcher,' he said. 'Salt air and whale flatulence; what could go wrong?'" Here's the Popular Mechanics list all on one page.

Re:Odd...

[ozmanjusri]

What do they actually do?

Dissect a bloated carcass.

No, sorry. That was the whale guys, wasn't it?

Re:Odd...

[MadUndergrad]

On the contrary, I'd expect it to be one of the best jobs ever; you don't have to do anything.

Re:Odd...

[BlackSabbath]

Take your pick:

- Sell fresh exploits on the open market.
- Resign and start their own bulk-email service companies.

Umm... wait a minute...

[commisaro]

Plus, to most hackers, crippling Microsoft is the geek equivalent of taking down the Death Star

Umm... is there a NON-geek equivalent to "taking down the Death Star"? I would have thought that particular analogy wouldn't transfer into non-geek realms...

Re:Uh....

[ozmanjusri]

So why on earth would anyone be sterilizing an endangered species?

I just wanted them to get some practice before they did mine.

Re:Uh....

[Anonymous Coward]

in some regions they are overpopulated. http://www.american.edu/TED/elephbot.htm [american.edu]

i also love how that page is titled "dicks"

close...

[SeaFox]

Dissect a bloated carcass.
No, sorry. That was the whale guys, wasn't it?

No, that was the biology lab preparers.
The Microsoft guys deal with shit, and are in over their heads.

Oh, wait. THAT was the whale guys!

Re:Odd...

[revengebomber]

But the health plan is terrible. It doesn't even cover flying chairs.

Mike Rowe

[Tracy Reed]

Maybe Mike Rowe of "Dirty Jobs" on the Discovery Channel can spend a day working at MS. It might top the time he had to wade through 3 feet of bat shit. I understand Ballmer goes bat shit all the time over there at MS. Of course, they might not let a fellow named Mike Rowe into their facilities after someone pulled this cute little trick. [cnn.com]

Re:I call whaleshit

[smooth wombat]

How about Proctologist or as they are currently known (in the PC world) colorectal surgeons.

They're the ones who work for the TSA who allow you to get on a plane, right?.

Taking Down The Death Star?

[Odin_Tiger]

Plus, to most hackers, crippling Microsoft is the geek equivalent of taking down the Death Star,

Really? I'd think it's more like kicking an evil, rabid puppy. I mean, sure, it is an evil little bastard and probably deserves to be kicked...but it's still kicking a puppy, and it's still not something to be especially proud of.

Re:I call whaleshit

[BForrester]

I'm actually employed as an Olympic Drug Tester for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics; I don't understand why we have such a poor rating. The job is actually going quite well! The cocaine is still a bit harsh, but the speed is to die for, and the marijuana is smoo-ooth, baby.