While discussing some of this 'way back when' with a engineering buddy the other day, we came to the topic of 'Why haven't we made our millions yet?". This question was raised as we were reflecting back on our careers, choices we've made, and the friends we've watched go from rags to riches.
Will it ever be our turn?
It turned out to be a very well balanced discussion as my buddy and I started our professional careers at approximately the same time. However we went very different routes. He was college educated, and found himself a secure job as a codemonkey for an oppressive corporation. I was a self-educated, high school dropout and decided to go indie (self-unemployed). Both of us work our butts off. Both of us have attempted to release software on our own, several attempts, neither had anything that really took off. I have now placed my indie efforts on hold and am employed for an oppressive corporation. The conclusion of the discussion was:
You'll never gain the freedom and recognition you desire from an oppressive corporation. If you want to be an engineering rock star, you gotta be indie.
This conclusion was mostly my sentiments based on experience in both indie and now corporate environments. However, 'Going Indie' is by far the best example of "easier said then done" that I can think of. Being indie means you have superhero-like abilities for self-motivation, stress management, handling business paperwork, and dealing one-on-one with customers (usually the angry ones). The business management was the biggest challenge for me, I'm an engineer, I hate paperwork.
I really respect those who have successfully conquered challenges.
The moral of the story: Indie is a wonderful place to be. However I warn you now, the road to indie is the path less traveled, it's not something you can just glide into. It's an eroded dirt road that you have to pave by hand using nothing but blood, sweat, and code.
I'd wish you luck, but then you'd probably actually succeed and I'll still be here waiting for mine.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Time Machine II: If I Installed That Mouse Odometer...
...way back in the day, I'd be overdue for an oil change.
seriously.
seriously.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Time Machine: Introduction
No, not Apple's breakthrough automatic backup solution. I'm talking about 1.21 gigawatts of online nostalgia, a trip down memory lane. This article does have prerequisite on age. Some of the reference made may very well predate your existence. I am starting this timeline at my introduction to computer telecommunication. I was involved in computers for some time before this, but modems and such were not widely available yet (plus my mom wouldn't buy me one).
How many of you were online before the Internet was widely available? I'm talking local BBSes, AOL, CompuServe, and Tymnet/X.25. Ever got online from C64 or TRS-80 on a B&W television. Have you ever saved email to a cassette tape? There were my early days. My first email address was: 1:275/22.11. If the format of that address is not familiar to you it comes from a network called FidoNet.
"Back in the day", FidoNet was the only WAN that was readily accessible from the public. It used a host<->host routing system not unlike what is used in today's Internet, the big difference was that each message that a host had to route required the host to dial-in to the remote host using POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) with a modem. Unfortunately, most BBS hosts were run by working-class individuals who usually had at most only 2 or 3 dial-in lines and were always busy. You could be redialing for hours before making a successful connection (and 300 or 1200bps). Needless to say, but FidoNet message took forever to get delivered, days and sometimes weeks.
There were great times. Everyone you met online was just as excited and passionate as you were about this new telecommunication phenomenon. Everywhere you ventured there was a great possibility that you were discovering new territory. The entire world was beginning to jack-in, public wide-area networking in it's infancy creating a whole universe of unexplored, exciting adventures.
...on the next episode of Time Machine; commercial online services (AOL, CompuServe)
How many of you were online before the Internet was widely available? I'm talking local BBSes, AOL, CompuServe, and Tymnet/X.25. Ever got online from C64 or TRS-80 on a B&W television. Have you ever saved email to a cassette tape? There were my early days. My first email address was: 1:275/22.11. If the format of that address is not familiar to you it comes from a network called FidoNet.
"Back in the day", FidoNet was the only WAN that was readily accessible from the public. It used a host<->host routing system not unlike what is used in today's Internet, the big difference was that each message that a host had to route required the host to dial-in to the remote host using POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) with a modem. Unfortunately, most BBS hosts were run by working-class individuals who usually had at most only 2 or 3 dial-in lines and were always busy. You could be redialing for hours before making a successful connection (and 300 or 1200bps). Needless to say, but FidoNet message took forever to get delivered, days and sometimes weeks.
There were great times. Everyone you met online was just as excited and passionate as you were about this new telecommunication phenomenon. Everywhere you ventured there was a great possibility that you were discovering new territory. The entire world was beginning to jack-in, public wide-area networking in it's infancy creating a whole universe of unexplored, exciting adventures.
...on the next episode of Time Machine; commercial online services (AOL, CompuServe)
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