Actually, if you read my post carefully, I wasn't putting down any staff, their jobs nor their abilities to do the job however previous postings have hinted at the social side of dispatch which, when you look at it, is quite a large part of the job. In order to be a successful dispatcher you must have exceptional communication skills: be able to communicate effectively at all levels; baggage handlers, pushback crews, cabin crew, flight deck etc etc. Dispatch is one of the best jobs you can do and I for one love it. If you are a grafter and willing to put in the hours it's a fantastic career; I work for a major schedule airline which handles both charters and other scheduled carriers and have worked damn hard to get here. Most dispatchers are hard workers and very few of them would ever be found doing the bare minimum however I have to say the manner in which dispatch is treated by management is always a contentious issue as very few managers have ever done a manual loadsheet or had to tell a 6'7" baggage handler that he's loaded the wrong bags in the wrong compartment...everyone has their right to gripe and it's not a matter of 'growing up' it's an opportunity to vent our frustrations which is precisely what these forums are here to provide.