My son is graduating from high school and plans to attend college in the fall. Given the declining interest in the United States in the study of science in general, and computer science and technology in particular, it occurred to me that perhaps I should encourage him to major in information technology. If so, I'd have to make a strong case for it, because the appeal of such interesting and rewarding careers as celebrity bodyguard or cable-TV chef is strong these days. I started casting about for examples of career-oriented areas in IT.

I received a note recently about a job posting on Craigslist that reads, "seeking an individual with an interest in technology, privacy, and the law." If there's a growth area related to technology these days, it's privacy. The company sponsoring this job posting is called WhenU.com. The posting gave a general description of the job's responsibilities: "This person will be a critical member of the company's efforts to monitor how its products are detected and treated by various anti-spyware vendors. This individual will run a wide range of anti-spyware products and document the treatment of WhenU's products as well as its competitors."

InformationWeek recently ran a profile of the CEO of WhenU, Bill Day, and referred to his company as a "'good' adware purveyor that wins praise, not jeers, from industry pundits" ("Bill Day, CEO Of WhenU.com," May 1,). Now, the distinction between spyware and adware is tricky; one person's automated service is another person's interloper. There's been a great deal of litigation over it. Legislation in Congress has stalled, in part over an adequate definition of spyware. When I tried to visit WhenU's Web site to find out more, the corporate Internet filter wouldn't let me go there: "The Websense category 'Spyware' is filtered."

A light went off in my head--this company has issues. I began to wonder if I should encourage my son to put his college plans on hold and apply for this position immediately. It's an exciting opportunity, dead center in several of today's most pressing technology issues--the nature of the online experience, the Internet business model, the responsibility of companies to their customers. And it might be a good fit. "The ideal candidate will be extremely familiar with anti-spyware products and downloadable software," reads the posting. If a hard-earned proficiency in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas comes close to fitting that description, my son is extremely well qualified

Then I noticed this: "Full-time at $12/hour." When I was 18, $12 an hour was a lot of money, but would it be enough to entice my son? The bigger issue: Would he be able to move out of the house on less than $25,000 a year? Probably, but did I really want to take that chance?

So maybe college isn't such a bad idea after all. I hate to say it, but I think I'll encourage him to set his sights on law school. Technology is still an interesting and exciting field, but the lawyers end up with all the money, anyway.

Database support? Network security? I've got it--Windows patch management. There's a secure career path. Send your IT career advice, and industry tips, to jsoat@cmp.com or phone 516-562-5326.

The News Show might be called an interloper, but at least it's an entertaining one. Watch it at noon EDT every weekday, at TheNewsShow.tv.

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