5 ms·

Reading the comments, I notice a lot of posters seek out tech communities. While I get why a nerd would want to do that, I have a different tendency. Most of

by lynx23 3y ago

Reading the comments, I notice a lot of posters seek out tech communities. While I get why a nerd would want to do that, I have a different tendency. Most of my outside-of-work activities are actually not tech related. Sure, I have a bunch of private projects to work on, but I usually do that in single player mode. I picked up a number of "also working in tech" friends over time, and going out with them is still fun and interesting. I also enjoyed the social time at various conferences, meeting likeminded people. But I don't want to spend my after-work-time and weekends with tech folks by default. That is, simply put, too much of one thing. Stepping out of tech is what keeps the dayjob interesting.

robbyking 3y ago
> I notice a lot of posters seek out tech communities. While I get why a nerd would want to do that, I have a different tendency. Absolutely! I genuinely enjoy writing code at work, but I literally never do it in my spare time. I already spend a greater number of waking hours in front of my computer than I do with my friends and family (or playing music, or mountain biking, or...).
- kelnos 3y ago
  I do spend a lot of my spare time writing code for free, but I think a healthy, well-rounded person should get outside one genre of activity at least some of the time!
alfalfasprout 3y ago
leaving SF was a godsend. I was tired of everyone being in tech and it's nice interacting with people that are actually diverse and don't all work in the same industry and have the same mindsets.
- fragmede 3y ago
  That's the saddest part about people who moved to SF for tech. They moved here, interacted with their coworkers, who are tech workers, they found roommates through their company, so their roommates are also tech workers, and so all their friends are also tech workers, all the people at parties they go to are tech workers. So it's no surprise all they know of San Francisco is tech. There's more to San Francisco than tech, but if that's all someone ever sees of the city, it's no wonder they drew those conclusions! Just like I'm glad the people who hated the city left because Covid finally gave them an excuse, I'm also glad the people that failed to see the beautiful wonderful city underneath the moneied veneer of tech are gone as well. It saddens me that the two cities didn't mange to meet and melt in America's mixing pot, but, ah, that's just the way the cookie crumbles.
  - kelnos 3y ago
    As someone who moved 20 years ago to the bay area, and later SF proper, for a tech job, I totally agree with that. While the majority of my friends here are still in STEM-related fields (at least they're not all traditionally "tech"), it's very important to get out of the tech bubble early and often to see what else is out there. Still here post-COVID, and similarly happy that many of the people who hated it here and were only here for their jobs are gone now. Granted, I don't love the city like I once did, but I still find it satisfying to live here, despite the cost of living.
probablynish 3y ago
Out of curiosity, what are your outside of work activities?
- lynx23 3y ago
  Playing Guitar/Piano/Flute/Handpan/Didgeridoo, Wing Tsun (Martial Arts), Archery. Just to name some.
firstplacelast 3y ago
I’m not in SF, so maybe easier for me, but most of my good friends are outside of my industry. On one hand, it might remove opportunities for networking/progression. On the other hand, I want to get out of my work-self when I’m off the clock and this is better. I don’t want to talk about work when I’m not at work and although work topics still come up with non-tech folks, it’s easier to not end up in a deluge of techy stuff. And it’s often way more interesting to talk about work when someone is not doing anything closely related to my career (at least for me).
Cthulhu_ 3y ago
I find that sticking with nerdy hobbies, at least where I live, also keeps you in awkward male dominated spaces; MTG, Warhammer, hacker spaces, arcade/video game things, all men.

by lynx23 3y ago

robbyking 3y ago

> I notice a lot of posters seek out tech communities. While I get why a nerd would want to do that, I have a different tendency. Absolutely! I genuinely enjoy writing code at work, but I literally never do it in my spare time. I already spend a greater number of waking hours in front of my computer than I do with my friends and family (or playing music, or mountain biking, or...).

kelnos 3y ago
I do spend a lot of my spare time writing code for free, but I think a healthy, well-rounded person should get outside one genre of activity at least some of the time!

alfalfasprout 3y ago

leaving SF was a godsend. I was tired of everyone being in tech and it's nice interacting with people that are actually diverse and don't all work in the same industry and have the same mindsets.

fragmede 3y ago
That's the saddest part about people who moved to SF for tech. They moved here, interacted with their coworkers, who are tech workers, they found roommates through their company, so their roommates are also tech workers, and so all their friends are also tech workers, all the people at parties they go to are tech workers. So it's no surprise all they know of San Francisco is tech. There's more to San Francisco than tech, but if that's all someone ever sees of the city, it's no wonder they drew those conclusions! Just like I'm glad the people who hated the city left because Covid finally gave them an excuse, I'm also glad the people that failed to see the beautiful wonderful city underneath the moneied veneer of tech are gone as well. It saddens me that the two cities didn't mange to meet and melt in America's mixing pot, but, ah, that's just the way the cookie crumbles.
- kelnos 3y ago
  As someone who moved 20 years ago to the bay area, and later SF proper, for a tech job, I totally agree with that. While the majority of my friends here are still in STEM-related fields (at least they're not all traditionally "tech"), it's very important to get out of the tech bubble early and often to see what else is out there. Still here post-COVID, and similarly happy that many of the people who hated it here and were only here for their jobs are gone now. Granted, I don't love the city like I once did, but I still find it satisfying to live here, despite the cost of living.

probablynish 3y ago

Out of curiosity, what are your outside of work activities?

lynx23 3y ago
Playing Guitar/Piano/Flute/Handpan/Didgeridoo, Wing Tsun (Martial Arts), Archery. Just to name some.

firstplacelast 3y ago

I’m not in SF, so maybe easier for me, but most of my good friends are outside of my industry. On one hand, it might remove opportunities for networking/progression. On the other hand, I want to get out of my work-self when I’m off the clock and this is better. I don’t want to talk about work when I’m not at work and although work topics still come up with non-tech folks, it’s easier to not end up in a deluge of techy stuff. And it’s often way more interesting to talk about work when someone is not doing anything closely related to my career (at least for me).

Cthulhu_ 3y ago

I find that sticking with nerdy hobbies, at least where I live, also keeps you in awkward male dominated spaces; MTG, Warhammer, hacker spaces, arcade/video game things, all men.