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off topic: The researchers featured in this article are out in the wild, collecting samples, making observations etc. That seems to be the complete opposite of

off topic: The researchers featured in this article are out in the wild, collecting samples, making observations etc. That seems to be the complete opposite of the desk jobs that people in software have. Come to think of it, even though there is lot of money in software, but I don't think you ever get to know the world around you or enjoy life better than say a geologist or similar jobs.

keiferski 7y ago
Ever since watching The Life Aquatic ~15 years ago, I’ve secretly wanted to throw all my computers away and become a marine biologist.
veryworried 7y ago
When you are working in software, you are not “sitting at a desk”, you’re sitting at the helm of the future. All of the advancements and evolution of mankind and life on this earth have led us to the creation of civilization’s most important tool: the computer. And as computers weave more into the fabric of our world and everyday life, those who master them wield power like Gods. There’s no place I’d rather be.
- dylkil 7y ago
  while i enjoy what i do, id rather have time to explore the world. All of my time is devoted to my job
- anonymou2 7y ago
  Thankfully there is free (as in freedom) software. It is as important as ever that it exists, it is our only hope to stop these "gods".
- ianstallings 7y ago
  I've spent a lot of time in software and I am looking to exit so I can spend more time away from the desk, but I have to say - this is a great attitude to have!
saiya-jin 7y ago
Could be true, or not. You could head out to wilderness every weekend, on vacations (probably further away), move closer to it etc. And researcher can head down to nearest pub or TV with netflix after work. You can travel where you actually want, not where the job takes you (although this specific one covers pretty cool locations).
scarejunba 7y ago
Nah, when I vacation I can go there if I like it. These people have to go certain places. My friend is a marine biologist and she dives off tropical islands in beautiful blue ocean water. The other day she talked about how everyone said it must be amazing to live this life so close to nature and she said it's really fucking hard not to flip out. The job is hard and painful and to be honest, my job as a software engineer is way better because I get to have fun wherever I want two days a week.
prittgluestick 7y ago
I've considered just quitting and wandering around countries on foot. I've got the money from software saved up to do it. And I live cheaply anyways.
- 1121redblackgo 7y ago
  Do it.
ataturk 7y ago
Yes, but I wonder how they afford it? It seems like to work in those roles you have to have family wealth or something. I don't really get it. I tried being an academic and pretty quickly determined I would always be broke if I continued on that career path. Also, I wonder how objective these scientists are given how they compete for funding and what an echo chamber these communities are. They play a big game of being good researchers, but I kind of think a lot of foregone conclusions are never again revisited until reality slaps them in the face from some other direction. Humans are fallible...
Kiro 7y ago
I don't want to know the world and I don't enjoy going outside. My life is perfect in front of the computer and I'm kind of offended that you presume everyone wants that kind of life.
steve_adams_86 7y ago
I struggle with this occasionally. My partner is a hydrographer and her job is to create electronic navigation charts for the Western Canadian and Arctic coastline. This involves surveying the waters, studying tides, and generating the charts from all of the data. Sometimes she gets to go for weeks or a month at a time on the surveying boats, or they fly out to check on remote tide stations. The rest of her time is much like ours, just sitting at a desk tapping away at a keyboard or mouse. But 1.5-2 months of her year are booked by her employer to be off surveying. They see whales, go fishing and dive for food in their spare time, visit remote waters in the arctic or BC coast, stay in interesting communities along the coast, and all kinds of neat stuff. Of course it isn't perfect and the ~10 months spent charting is so tedious that it gives me mild discomfort from a distance. I think the value of having quality navigation charts for the ocean is a little known but incredibly important asset to any place in the world though. Vessels travelling safely is the backbone of trade, tourism, fishing, and many kinds of recreation. I suspect there's some satisfaction in that at least.
ianstallings 7y ago
I've spent 24 years writing software professionally and I often think about my exit. I don't think I'll ever stop writing software, I truly love it. But the career itself is incredibly stressful. The money is compensation for that stress, but I'd much rather be outside and working with my hands. I'm going to create other channels of income and then move on. It's not that I think people can't be happy at a desk. I've been very happy. Just looking for a change and some sunshine.
AlotOfReading 7y ago
I do archaeology in-between software jobs. The pay is terrible, but there's an attraction to working outside on something meaningful that's hard to ignore. At the same time, washing clothes in rivers and being sick in the field sucks.

keiferski 7y ago

Ever since watching The Life Aquatic ~15 years ago, I’ve secretly wanted to throw all my computers away and become a marine biologist.

veryworried 7y ago

When you are working in software, you are not “sitting at a desk”, you’re sitting at the helm of the future. All of the advancements and evolution of mankind and life on this earth have led us to the creation of civilization’s most important tool: the computer. And as computers weave more into the fabric of our world and everyday life, those who master them wield power like Gods. There’s no place I’d rather be.

dylkil 7y ago
while i enjoy what i do, id rather have time to explore the world. All of my time is devoted to my job
anonymou2 7y ago
Thankfully there is free (as in freedom) software. It is as important as ever that it exists, it is our only hope to stop these "gods".
ianstallings 7y ago
I've spent a lot of time in software and I am looking to exit so I can spend more time away from the desk, but I have to say - this is a great attitude to have!

saiya-jin 7y ago

Could be true, or not. You could head out to wilderness every weekend, on vacations (probably further away), move closer to it etc. And researcher can head down to nearest pub or TV with netflix after work. You can travel where you actually want, not where the job takes you (although this specific one covers pretty cool locations).

scarejunba 7y ago

Nah, when I vacation I can go there if I like it. These people have to go certain places. My friend is a marine biologist and she dives off tropical islands in beautiful blue ocean water. The other day she talked about how everyone said it must be amazing to live this life so close to nature and she said it's really fucking hard not to flip out. The job is hard and painful and to be honest, my job as a software engineer is way better because I get to have fun wherever I want two days a week.

prittgluestick 7y ago

I've considered just quitting and wandering around countries on foot. I've got the money from software saved up to do it. And I live cheaply anyways.

1121redblackgo 7y ago
Do it.

ataturk 7y ago

Yes, but I wonder how they afford it? It seems like to work in those roles you have to have family wealth or something. I don't really get it. I tried being an academic and pretty quickly determined I would always be broke if I continued on that career path. Also, I wonder how objective these scientists are given how they compete for funding and what an echo chamber these communities are. They play a big game of being good researchers, but I kind of think a lot of foregone conclusions are never again revisited until reality slaps them in the face from some other direction. Humans are fallible...

Kiro 7y ago

I don't want to know the world and I don't enjoy going outside. My life is perfect in front of the computer and I'm kind of offended that you presume everyone wants that kind of life.

steve_adams_86 7y ago

I struggle with this occasionally. My partner is a hydrographer and her job is to create electronic navigation charts for the Western Canadian and Arctic coastline. This involves surveying the waters, studying tides, and generating the charts from all of the data. Sometimes she gets to go for weeks or a month at a time on the surveying boats, or they fly out to check on remote tide stations. The rest of her time is much like ours, just sitting at a desk tapping away at a keyboard or mouse. But 1.5-2 months of her year are booked by her employer to be off surveying. They see whales, go fishing and dive for food in their spare time, visit remote waters in the arctic or BC coast, stay in interesting communities along the coast, and all kinds of neat stuff. Of course it isn't perfect and the ~10 months spent charting is so tedious that it gives me mild discomfort from a distance. I think the value of having quality navigation charts for the ocean is a little known but incredibly important asset to any place in the world though. Vessels travelling safely is the backbone of trade, tourism, fishing, and many kinds of recreation. I suspect there's some satisfaction in that at least.

ianstallings 7y ago

I've spent 24 years writing software professionally and I often think about my exit. I don't think I'll ever stop writing software, I truly love it. But the career itself is incredibly stressful. The money is compensation for that stress, but I'd much rather be outside and working with my hands. I'm going to create other channels of income and then move on. It's not that I think people can't be happy at a desk. I've been very happy. Just looking for a change and some sunshine.

AlotOfReading 7y ago

I do archaeology in-between software jobs. The pay is terrible, but there's an attraction to working outside on something meaningful that's hard to ignore. At the same time, washing clothes in rivers and being sick in the field sucks.