4 ms·

the thing is, accreditation, in and of itself, is pretty goddamn difficult. Schools do a horrible job of accrediting software engineers. Generally speaking,

by lsc 16y ago

the thing is, accreditation, in and of itself, is pretty goddamn difficult. Schools do a horrible job of accrediting software engineers. Generally speaking, accreditation doesn't really start working well until job roles stop changing so fast.

Mz 16y ago
I homeschooled my sons. My sons are "twice exceptional" -- gifted with learning (and other) disabilities. I have always told them that their best hope of making their lives work will be to found their own company. They can very effectively get things done but I don't think they can work for other people. When you found your own company, you don't need accreditation. Either the product sells or it doesn't. Similarly, I spent a lot of time very sick. I made a lot of dietary and lifestyle changes and I am healthier now than I have ever been in my life. I am not a doctor but I am also not impressed with the current healthcare model followed in the US. I think I have a cheaper and more effective alternative to offer. Study after study after study shows that diet and lifestyle are huge factors in all the major (deadly) illnesses, like heart disease, diabetes, cancer. But doctors mostly don't push for dietary and lifestyle changes. They are mostly in the business of selling pills and surgeries. A big part of why they don't is that people aren't very receptive. Many people just want an easy answer. And it's quite hard to make money off of promoting lifestyle changes. So to me, the big challenges are how to more effectively convey information and how to monetize it. I am still trying to decide if I should largely abandon my current websites and start over in a new space. I don't yet know the answer to that. But I do know that I have narrowed it down to "education is the answer" and I do know that I am very good at some things that other people seem to not be good at. I know this from years spent on homeschooling forums where for some particularly difficult things, I often was the only person who had much to say. So I find this article very relevant at the moment and encouraging. I don't know if I have much to really contribute to the conversation that will be of interest to others or that they will value. Perhaps I just need to talk about it. For my own goals, accreditation is unimportant. The piece that matters is whether or not the information is conveyed adequately, which my current websites are not doing. I think I will be doing something educational on the web in the future. So I am kind of excited to see this piece.
- lsc 16y ago
  speaking as someone who has experience working for other people /and/ starting companies, I would argue that a lack of social skills is limiting in both. In both cases, if you are primarily a technical person, yea, lacking social skills is a problem that will hold you back, but it's not the end of the world, or your career. It's certainly not as bad as, say, being of average intelligence, or lacking curiosity, or being lazy. Running your own company gives you a lot more flexibility; if you know yourself well, you can use that flexibility to build a situation where your strengths help and your weaknesses don't matter so much... But really, the computer industry was designed for mildly-autistic nerds who don't play well with others. by the standards of such things, I'm almost a friendly extrovert.
  - Mz 16y ago
    speaking as someone who has experience working for other people /and/ starting companies, I would argue that a lack of social skills is limiting in both. That isn't my primary concern. I have a form of cystic fibrosis, which has a life expectancy in the mid-thirties. My 23 year old son has the same diagnosis. He has not been on antibiotics in over 12 years and has taken no medication for about 3 1/2 years. This was achieved by carefully arranging our lives, something you cannot do in a job. He also has other issues, like eyesight issues. I currently work for a large company and have been stuck in the same entry level job for nearly four years. Conditions at work are a problem for me due to my health and this means my performance at work is not that great and it shows. If my son has adequate control over his working conditions, he can be very productive. If he doesn't, he can't be. Most employers are not going to accommodate his needs. And I went through the intake process with a program for helping handicapped individuals get a job. Fortunately, I got a job on my own before they provided any of their so-called "assistance" or I likely would be in worse straits. I am very good at explaining social things to my sons and helping them cope in that regard. They can do that piece of it. But they still need a high degree of control over their lives, something a regular job will not offer.
    - lsc 16y ago
      ah, I misunderstood. yeah, you really can't beat the flexibility of being self-employed.

by lsc 16y ago

Mz 16y ago

I homeschooled my sons. My sons are "twice exceptional" -- gifted with learning (and other) disabilities. I have always told them that their best hope of making their lives work will be to found their own company. They can very effectively get things done but I don't think they can work for other people. When you found your own company, you don't need accreditation. Either the product sells or it doesn't. Similarly, I spent a lot of time very sick. I made a lot of dietary and lifestyle changes and I am healthier now than I have ever been in my life. I am not a doctor but I am also not impressed with the current healthcare model followed in the US. I think I have a cheaper and more effective alternative to offer. Study after study after study shows that diet and lifestyle are huge factors in all the major (deadly) illnesses, like heart disease, diabetes, cancer. But doctors mostly don't push for dietary and lifestyle changes. They are mostly in the business of selling pills and surgeries. A big part of why they don't is that people aren't very receptive. Many people just want an easy answer. And it's quite hard to make money off of promoting lifestyle changes. So to me, the big challenges are how to more effectively convey information and how to monetize it. I am still trying to decide if I should largely abandon my current websites and start over in a new space. I don't yet know the answer to that. But I do know that I have narrowed it down to "education is the answer" and I do know that I am very good at some things that other people seem to not be good at. I know this from years spent on homeschooling forums where for some particularly difficult things, I often was the only person who had much to say. So I find this article very relevant at the moment and encouraging. I don't know if I have much to really contribute to the conversation that will be of interest to others or that they will value. Perhaps I just need to talk about it. For my own goals, accreditation is unimportant. The piece that matters is whether or not the information is conveyed adequately, which my current websites are not doing. I think I will be doing something educational on the web in the future. So I am kind of excited to see this piece.

lsc 16y ago
speaking as someone who has experience working for other people /and/ starting companies, I would argue that a lack of social skills is limiting in both. In both cases, if you are primarily a technical person, yea, lacking social skills is a problem that will hold you back, but it's not the end of the world, or your career. It's certainly not as bad as, say, being of average intelligence, or lacking curiosity, or being lazy. Running your own company gives you a lot more flexibility; if you know yourself well, you can use that flexibility to build a situation where your strengths help and your weaknesses don't matter so much... But really, the computer industry was designed for mildly-autistic nerds who don't play well with others. by the standards of such things, I'm almost a friendly extrovert.
- Mz 16y ago
  speaking as someone who has experience working for other people /and/ starting companies, I would argue that a lack of social skills is limiting in both. That isn't my primary concern. I have a form of cystic fibrosis, which has a life expectancy in the mid-thirties. My 23 year old son has the same diagnosis. He has not been on antibiotics in over 12 years and has taken no medication for about 3 1/2 years. This was achieved by carefully arranging our lives, something you cannot do in a job. He also has other issues, like eyesight issues. I currently work for a large company and have been stuck in the same entry level job for nearly four years. Conditions at work are a problem for me due to my health and this means my performance at work is not that great and it shows. If my son has adequate control over his working conditions, he can be very productive. If he doesn't, he can't be. Most employers are not going to accommodate his needs. And I went through the intake process with a program for helping handicapped individuals get a job. Fortunately, I got a job on my own before they provided any of their so-called "assistance" or I likely would be in worse straits. I am very good at explaining social things to my sons and helping them cope in that regard. They can do that piece of it. But they still need a high degree of control over their lives, something a regular job will not offer.
  - lsc 16y ago
    ah, I misunderstood. yeah, you really can't beat the flexibility of being self-employed.