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I left this out of the post, but my wife, father, and sister-in-law are all educators. I am a huge supporter of teachers. That's why I got into this in the firs

I left this out of the post, but my wife, father, and sister-in-law are all educators. I am a huge supporter of teachers. That's why I got into this in the first place. You shouldn't have to pay for your keyboard, but maybe books to keep your skills current. Maybe a web host to operate a portfolio website or experiment with new code libraries. Everyone in every industry invests money into their careers. Why not teachers? Last thought about the cliched startup mistake is completely true. I definitely made that mistake.

steve8918 15y ago
If that's the case, then you should change the tone of your post. You obviously don't realize this, but it makes you sound petty, and makes it seem as though you're blaming your failure on "those stupid teachers that didn't realize how great my software was".
- studiofellow 15y ago
  When I wrote the post, I realized there was a danger in that. I think the wording I landed on is blunt but fair. I still really don't think it's an issue of "those stupid teachers that didn't realize how great my software was." ( However if I'm honest, I did think that on a couple of my more challenging days.) I think teachers just don't want software for everyday tasks.
- drewcrawford 15y ago
  I thought that initially, but upon reflection, I think he struck the right tone. He's not writing marketing materials for teachers to buy his product, he's providing a stern warning to other hackers making the same mistakes. So for that purpose the language was quite effective.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
aik 15y ago
We're talking about 2 completely different things here: 1. Investing in your future skills, and 2. Having the necessary tools to do your job. I don't know a single teacher that confuses these. If I want to become better at my job, clearly it's my responsibility to go take a class or buy a book or just study on my own. If I don't have the tools to do my job properly, depending on how core it is to my job, I would have the expectation that the school would provide it. The problem is schools often do not provide what is commonly understood as core tools. Some random webapp that slightly enhances the classroom experience or slightly enhances learning outcomes is not a core tool. Instead it is a tool that exists on the periphery. Just as with any population, you have the early adopters and the not so early adopters. The early adopters may be interested, the others won't. Convincing administrators that your app isn't just an app that exists on the periphery is the most difficult task out of all.

steve8918 15y ago

If that's the case, then you should change the tone of your post. You obviously don't realize this, but it makes you sound petty, and makes it seem as though you're blaming your failure on "those stupid teachers that didn't realize how great my software was".

studiofellow 15y ago
When I wrote the post, I realized there was a danger in that. I think the wording I landed on is blunt but fair. I still really don't think it's an issue of "those stupid teachers that didn't realize how great my software was." ( However if I'm honest, I did think that on a couple of my more challenging days.) I think teachers just don't want software for everyday tasks.
drewcrawford 15y ago
I thought that initially, but upon reflection, I think he struck the right tone. He's not writing marketing materials for teachers to buy his product, he's providing a stern warning to other hackers making the same mistakes. So for that purpose the language was quite effective.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]

aik 15y ago

We're talking about 2 completely different things here: 1. Investing in your future skills, and 2. Having the necessary tools to do your job. I don't know a single teacher that confuses these. If I want to become better at my job, clearly it's my responsibility to go take a class or buy a book or just study on my own. If I don't have the tools to do my job properly, depending on how core it is to my job, I would have the expectation that the school would provide it. The problem is schools often do not provide what is commonly understood as core tools. Some random webapp that slightly enhances the classroom experience or slightly enhances learning outcomes is not a core tool. Instead it is a tool that exists on the periphery. Just as with any population, you have the early adopters and the not so early adopters. The early adopters may be interested, the others won't. Convincing administrators that your app isn't just an app that exists on the periphery is the most difficult task out of all.