6 ms·

I stopped tinkering with electronics despite being a full-time embedded software engineer. I have designed small boards, but I only know enough EE to get mysel

I stopped tinkering with electronics despite being a full-time embedded software engineer. I have designed small boards, but I only know enough EE to get myself in trouble. I prefer working with EEs that know their stuff, where our skills can compliment each others’. I no longer work on “hobby” projects; such things become an albatross around my neck. If you deploy a hobby project in your life, you must maintain it. Forever. For that time cost, I want to work on a product that could go into production and pay for its own maintenance. Unfortunately, I cannot stand being around people anymore. I had my entire life savings stolen by an ex, with the government’s help. When I tried to open back up and make new friends after that shit show was over, I was drugged and raped by the first guy that I invited into my house in over two years; he was never even arrested for what he did. And after over 25 years, I stopped playing music, because those “friends” all actively abandoned me when I decided to start carrying a sidearm daily. Collectively, these events destroyed my belief in the just rule of law and the goodness of humanity. Overall, the above factors make me read articles like this with a mixture of excitement and possibility combined with depression and hopelessness. I do not have the resources for a side project, financially or emotionally. I cannot design and launch a side project, even though I am fully capable and that is what I most want to do.

0_____0 5y ago
Sounds like you've had a series of incredibly traumatic experiences. I'm sorry to hear that, and I hope that you're able to find your way into friendships and relationships that allow you to trust again.
monkmartinez 5y ago
Wow... Please, please talk to your PCP about these events and feelings. If you want help sorting through this, may I suggest; https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/cognitive-behavioral-cbt https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/cognitive-beha...
oxplot 5y ago
> If you deploy a hobby project in your life, you must maintain it. Forever. Perhaps your definition of hobby is different to mine, but hobby projects are exactly the kind you can abandon in a heartbeat. No long term customers, no guarantees, no obligations. In fact, we hear about countless HW and SW projects being abandoned left and right, right here on HN on regular basis. > For that time cost, I want to work on a product that could go into production and pay for its own maintenance. Hobby and high volume production aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. I wanted to build a custom board to use USB-C power in my projects. Except the cost of a dozen boards assembled was quite high. So I made a thousand or so to subsidize the cost of development and production for myself. The chip I used went out stock (global chip shortage related) but until it did, my "hobby" project paid for itself and actually made me a small profit as well.
gmassman 5y ago
I'm sorry to hear about your loss of faith in humanity. Especially hearing how you don't play music with others anymore. I'm a musician and not being able to make music with my friends would be a huge loss. I hope you find peace and healing. People often suck, but they can also be beautiful if given the chance. And you deserve that chance.
yjftsjthsd-h 5y ago
> I no longer work on “hobby” projects; such things become an albatross around my neck. If you deploy a hobby project in your life, you must maintain it. Forever. Alternatively: If you do something yourself, you get the option to be able to maintain it forever. If you buy something, the vendor will probably stop caring the moment the sale completes; any maintenance you want to do yourself becomes a reverse engineering effort as your work into a system that you didn't design.
randrews 5y ago
You don't mention where you live, but that last one suggests to me that you might consider moving to a different part of the country: I know several people, including myself, who carry sidearms. Where I live, everyone can do it, some people do do it, but no one gets upset by it or cares that much.

0_____0 5y ago

Sounds like you've had a series of incredibly traumatic experiences. I'm sorry to hear that, and I hope that you're able to find your way into friendships and relationships that allow you to trust again.

monkmartinez 5y ago

Wow... Please, please talk to your PCP about these events and feelings. If you want help sorting through this, may I suggest; https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/cognitive-behavioral-cbt https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/cognitive-beha...

oxplot 5y ago

> If you deploy a hobby project in your life, you must maintain it. Forever. Perhaps your definition of hobby is different to mine, but hobby projects are exactly the kind you can abandon in a heartbeat. No long term customers, no guarantees, no obligations. In fact, we hear about countless HW and SW projects being abandoned left and right, right here on HN on regular basis. > For that time cost, I want to work on a product that could go into production and pay for its own maintenance. Hobby and high volume production aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. I wanted to build a custom board to use USB-C power in my projects. Except the cost of a dozen boards assembled was quite high. So I made a thousand or so to subsidize the cost of development and production for myself. The chip I used went out stock (global chip shortage related) but until it did, my "hobby" project paid for itself and actually made me a small profit as well.

gmassman 5y ago

I'm sorry to hear about your loss of faith in humanity. Especially hearing how you don't play music with others anymore. I'm a musician and not being able to make music with my friends would be a huge loss. I hope you find peace and healing. People often suck, but they can also be beautiful if given the chance. And you deserve that chance.

yjftsjthsd-h 5y ago

> I no longer work on “hobby” projects; such things become an albatross around my neck. If you deploy a hobby project in your life, you must maintain it. Forever. Alternatively: If you do something yourself, you get the option to be able to maintain it forever. If you buy something, the vendor will probably stop caring the moment the sale completes; any maintenance you want to do yourself becomes a reverse engineering effort as your work into a system that you didn't design.

randrews 5y ago

You don't mention where you live, but that last one suggests to me that you might consider moving to a different part of the country: I know several people, including myself, who carry sidearms. Where I live, everyone can do it, some people do do it, but no one gets upset by it or cares that much.