Top techies will put computers before Cupid
silicon.com reveals that 75 per cent of UK IT chiefs would cancel a romantic Valentine's dinner if they were needed in the office...One IT boss says his wife may carry out 'St Valentine's Day Massacre' on his best suits and shirts...
The UK's IT workers may be faced with one of the trickiest decisions of their working lives tomorrow - whether to put their relationships ahead of their careers.
Research released today by silicon.com, a leading UK web site for senior IT and business decision-makers and a property of CNET Networks UK, has revealed that the vast majority of senior IT bosses, at some of the UK's largest firms, would put romance on hold if a crisis came up at the office.
And while the image of the average IT worker, fed by stereotypes such as those in new Channel 4 sit-com 'The IT Crowd', suggests some techies would do well to find a partner in the first place, the truth is that the nature of their jobs actually makes keeping the partner they already have a far bigger challenge.
One respondent told silicon.com he would probably return from work to find his "best shirts and suits cut-up lying in a pile on the lawn, and the locks changed to my house" but he said work would have to take precedence over a romantic dinner with his wife.
Another told silicon.com this can make working in IT a lonely business but sadly switching off the mobile phone and BlackBerry, even for one day of the year, simply isn't an option.
Will Sturgeon, managing editor of silicon.com, whose readers took part in the survey, said: "I really don't envy anybody faced with cancelling their Valentine's Day dinner but you have to admire the commitment.
"There is very little we do nowadays that isn't reliant upon IT in one way or another and sadly that means for some people their career has become a 24/7 lifestyle choice. But try explaining that to your partner when they're sat at home watching TV on their own all night while making you up a bed on the sofa."
However, there were some bosses who said there's no way they would risk the wrath of their other half - whatever came up at the office. One IT boss told silicon.com: "Dedication to duty is one thing. The cost of divorce is another entirely."
Unfortunately the risk of something going wrong at the office may even increase around Valentine's Day with many computer antivirus companies warning about the threat posed by emails which purport to be online Valentine's Day cards from a secret admirer.
Note to Editor
About silicon.com
silicon.com (www.silicon.com) is the leading UK website for senior IT and business decision-makers seeking to assess and understand how technology will drive their business forward. Delivering comprehensive daily news, expert analysis and commentary, whitepapers, case studies and special reports, silicon.com provides broad context and strategic insight into the key issues influencing how businesses use technology today.
About CNET Networks UK
CNET Networks UK is a part of CNET Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: CNET) a leading interactive publishing company headquartered in the US, with offices in 12 countries globally. The UK office was established in 2003. CNET Networks UK focuses on the business technology and consumer entertainment categories through five UK-focused websites: Builder UK , silicon.com , ZDNet.co.uk, CNET.co.uk and GameSpot UK . CNET Networks UK also delivers one-to-one services through its direct marketing arm CNET Direct; and events through the European Technology Forum.
