Beer,

Didn't totally read every post, but you can make money in the IT industry. I am a software consultant. Have a great salary plus collect $50/hr of each hr I bill. In hindsight, there are two things I could have done to get me to where I am much faster.
1. Done better in High school and gotten into a better college
2. Busted my butt and graduated near the top of my class in college.
Even in a bad economy, graduates at the top of their class will have several offers to choose from. Those at the middle or bottom may get no offers.
The best money in IT is in R&D and Consulting, but mind you, I travel 100% of the time, and get stuck in places like Oklahoma (apologies to the Okies) for months on end.
But I've also been paid to go to nearly every major city in the nation, learned a TON from outstanding people in all sorts of different businesses, and learned to appreciate what I have because of the years of struggle I went through to get here. So I make a lot and spend carefully. I max out my 401K every year. Everything else is in bond funds or cash accounts, so I've been able to grow my money thru this hellish economy. And yes, the 401K is down 16%, but I look at it this way; I won't use it 20 years, so I am buying more and more at low prices. It'll turn for me eventually (at least it better!!).