Techies choose Gates not glamour

Would this be your choice as a dinner guest?

Glamour model Jordan is no contest to Bill Gates as a dinner guest for British techies.

But the TV character Ali G comes a close second to the Microsoft boss in a survey of the lifestyle of 5,000 professionals working in the world of technology by database company Embarcadero.

Dinner guest choices

Bill Gates: 23%

Ali G: 22%

Jordan: 15%

The results are more surprising given that most people who work as programmers, contractors or system administrators are still men, with women accounting for just 17%.

But the survey shows that the image of the computer geek is far from the truth. Most work harder than average, are well-educated and are well-informed.

Independent streak

The survey also showed that many have a strong independent streak, with over a third saying they would not work for a large computer company like Microsoft or Apple.

Jordan: Gets the techie boot

More than half of the people who took part in the survey had degrees, working 42 hours a week compared with a national average of 32.

They are well rewarded for their work, earning £35,000 a year, whereas the national average wage is £21,000.

They are also well-informed, making extensive use of the internet to find out what is going on. A third of them even felt online news sources were more useful than newspapers and magazines.

EastEnders vs Corrie

As for their social lives, most computer professionals go out about twice a week, enjoy a few pints of beer and are competent cooks

IT professionals: Well-informed and hard-working

About half are married, making time for family and friends at the weekend.

When it comes to relaxing at home, they spend an average of 11 hours a week watching television.

In the battle of the soaps, professionals prefer EastEnders to Coronation Street.

When it comes to the world of technology, 40% see the internet as the most important innovation of recent years.

As for the future, e-commerce and the availability of broadband are seen as the key developments to come.