http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/27/microsoft_security_makes_top_ten_worst_jobs/ 

By Lewis Page
27th June 2007

Summer's here, and 'tis the season to be compiling lists. One of the 
most eagerly awaited is the Ten Worst Jobs in Science, issued by Popular 
Science magazine. This year the roster of horrible occupations has 
gained widespread attention because it includes "Microsoft Security 
Grunt".

Working at the Microsoft Security Response Centre (MSRC), according to 
the PopSci writers, is "like wearing a big sign that says 'hack me'... 
It's tedious work... to most hackers, crippling Microsoft is the geek 
equivalent of taking down the Death Star, so the assault is relentless."

PopSci places a job on the Redmond battlements at number five, worse 
than whale-dung analyst, corpse-maggot expert, Olympic drug tester and 
zero gee health-effects guinea pig.

The only things worse than standing between Windows users and the 
ravening haxor hordes were being a rubbish-dump researcher, elephant 
vasectomist, oceanographer - because the oceans are getting so polluted
- and at number one, hazmat diver. ("They swim in sewage. Enough said.")

It's possible to quibble that some of these jobs aren't really "in 
science". Hazmat divers, while highly qualified, don't normally think of 
themselves as being involved in scientific endeavour*. Elephant vets 
might not qualify either - or security engineers, for that matter.

The Reg would submit for your consideration the posts of Mars-mission 
simulator inmate, American stem cell scientist, or perhaps lizardoid sex 
voyeur (the lackadaisical tuatara reptiles spend 95 per cent of their 
time motionless, making the task of perving at them intensely dull and 
frustrating).

Still, we like having a poke at Microsoft, too. Putting "whale poo" and 
"Windows security" in the same sentence is perfectly sound journalism, 
we say.

The PopSci writeups can be read here [1].

* Honest. Your correspondent has worked in the field. (So to speak.)

[1] http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/0203101256a23110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html 


_____________________________________________________
Attend Black Hat USA, July 28-August 2 in Las Vegas, 
the world's premier technical event for ICT security 
experts. Featuring 30 hands-on training courses and 
90 Briefings presentations with lots of new content 
and new tools. Network with 4,000 delegates from 
70 nations.   Visit product displays by 30 top
sponsors in a relaxed setting. Rates increase on 
June 1 so register today. http://www.blackhat.com