9 ms·

I started out at University studying astronautical engineering. 4 universities and 3 career changes later, I'm a relatively happy code monkey. (are code monkie

by thisone 14y ago

I started out at University studying astronautical engineering. 4 universities and 3 career changes later, I'm a relatively happy code monkey. (are code monkies every totally happy?) Things change. I'd say it's the very rare individual who gets through life on Plan A (or Plan B for that matter)

eksith 14y ago
I'm a relatively happy codemonkey. I would have been happier as a carpenter, but we gotta play with the hand we've been dealt until opportunity knocks (and that may be plan E or F). I'm in the process of weaning myself away from the codemonkey and back to carpenter (soon cabin builder, hopefully). Life is funny sometimes.
- FigBug 14y ago
  I started in construction as a steel worker. One life altering injury later I retrained as a code monkey. Much happier, wish I did it first, I always was interested in computers.
  - eksith 14y ago
    What can I say... grass is always greener eh? It sucks that you were injured, but maybe -- and hopefully -- it's added to your life experience in a positive way. For better or for worse, you are who you are because of your experiences. Good and bad.
  - MartinCron 14y ago
    My father was a welder/pipefitter. He made it very clear that I needed to go to college and I wasn't supposed to follow him into the construction trades. "If I ever see you with a welding rod in your hand, I will break your arm".
- redschell 14y ago
  It's probably not gonna happen this way, but my vision of the future is one where, after just about every career is automated, people take to their hobbies. However, there's a poem by Robert Frost that really makes me wonder why we don't just take to our hobbies now: http://www.etymonline.com/poems/tramps.htm http://www.etymonline.com/poems/tramps.htm Here's hoping you manage to unite your vocation and avocation.
  - waps 14y ago
    Not going to happen. Clashes with one of the few things that are part of human nature - and the nature of any other known "intelligent" algorithm. If a human -or any of the various intelligent algorithms- doesn't HAVE to do something, it won't do anything at all. It may take a while, but it will happen. The weird part is, I've seen this process in action. I mean in code it's easy to see it in action. It's very sad to see it in action on a real person. But in university this is what happens to a few mates of me who are rich, but not extremely rich. They were rejected for academic positions, but they really wanted to. One was accepted for a while before he got rejected. They didn't have to work, and still wanted to do research - not the same research the institution was doing, they were working on their own ideas. They started, and they hit problems, as everyone does, really. But nothing was forcing them to advance, and they simply slowed down and dug into a few problems, not really considering narrowing scope or changing direction. And they slowed down until they did nothing -absolutely nothing- anymore. I mean literally wake, eat, watch some tv, take a long nap, some more tv, go to bed, months on end. That's what drives me to this prediction : if we ever get to the point where most humans aren't forced to do work, we will die - the entire species - in a few decades.

by thisone 14y ago

eksith 14y ago

I'm a relatively happy codemonkey. I would have been happier as a carpenter, but we gotta play with the hand we've been dealt until opportunity knocks (and that may be plan E or F). I'm in the process of weaning myself away from the codemonkey and back to carpenter (soon cabin builder, hopefully). Life is funny sometimes.

FigBug 14y ago
I started in construction as a steel worker. One life altering injury later I retrained as a code monkey. Much happier, wish I did it first, I always was interested in computers.
- eksith 14y ago
  What can I say... grass is always greener eh? It sucks that you were injured, but maybe -- and hopefully -- it's added to your life experience in a positive way. For better or for worse, you are who you are because of your experiences. Good and bad.
- MartinCron 14y ago
  My father was a welder/pipefitter. He made it very clear that I needed to go to college and I wasn't supposed to follow him into the construction trades. "If I ever see you with a welding rod in your hand, I will break your arm".
redschell 14y ago
It's probably not gonna happen this way, but my vision of the future is one where, after just about every career is automated, people take to their hobbies. However, there's a poem by Robert Frost that really makes me wonder why we don't just take to our hobbies now: http://www.etymonline.com/poems/tramps.htm http://www.etymonline.com/poems/tramps.htm Here's hoping you manage to unite your vocation and avocation.
- waps 14y ago
  Not going to happen. Clashes with one of the few things that are part of human nature - and the nature of any other known "intelligent" algorithm. If a human -or any of the various intelligent algorithms- doesn't HAVE to do something, it won't do anything at all. It may take a while, but it will happen. The weird part is, I've seen this process in action. I mean in code it's easy to see it in action. It's very sad to see it in action on a real person. But in university this is what happens to a few mates of me who are rich, but not extremely rich. They were rejected for academic positions, but they really wanted to. One was accepted for a while before he got rejected. They didn't have to work, and still wanted to do research - not the same research the institution was doing, they were working on their own ideas. They started, and they hit problems, as everyone does, really. But nothing was forcing them to advance, and they simply slowed down and dug into a few problems, not really considering narrowing scope or changing direction. And they slowed down until they did nothing -absolutely nothing- anymore. I mean literally wake, eat, watch some tv, take a long nap, some more tv, go to bed, months on end. That's what drives me to this prediction : if we ever get to the point where most humans aren't forced to do work, we will die - the entire species - in a few decades.