Statistician by title, more of a project manager supervising data collection on a large scale. I aspire to code, mostly like this site because there is interesting material and reddit feels always the same.
Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?
181–190 of 195 posts
Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?
#182I operate an small non-profit burlesque museum, but I used to work as a manager/lead tech of a IT consulting and training company. I left tech because the stress was making me ill, but I actually miss it.
I would like to hear where your museum is. If you have any website or else
Las Vegas, NV
Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?
#183Earlier quoted context omitted.
Compared to a modern fighter jet, drone aircraft are cheap, dumb, and disposable. Satellite control involves many seconds of latency and sometimes communication is lost entirely, especially in bad weather. It is routine and expected for a drone to just lose contact / fail / crash and be written off. You can get away with that since there's no loss of life, but you probably wouldn't want to use a drone to carry a nucl…
When was our last dogfight? Vietnam?
You get this line from Top Gun? LOL.
Seriously naive either way.
Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?
#184I'm a professor of information systems (MIS) and, although I like to think of myself as a hacker, I'm probably not. I was a web developer years ago (1995-2001) and continue to program various things on hobby projects and in my research (some social science simulations in R and Python).
My main teaching is a capstone project course for IS undergrads, which started out as a traditional project management (PMBOK) course, and has evolved into a more practical exploration of software development from version control, to scrum, to testing, to DevOps. Hacker News has been a great source of ideas for what to explore in class.
The worst thing about my job is that I have no time to become really good at anything, instead having to be a dabbler in a hundred different things. (Or maybe that just means I'm a "full stack" guy? Heh.) The best thing about my job is that I have a couple hundred students come through my classes each year, so I can assign them to try these things out and I can see how they work.
Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?
#185I've never had a tech job. Right now, I don't even have a job. I had always worked in service fields - my last 8 years or so was spent as a supervisor in a pharmacy. Right now, I moved across an ocean and start language/civics classes next week. I guess I'm a student, then?
I read here because I am interested in technology. I like to see where things are headed. I see hope in many of the articles and have strange future views (spouse got me interested in the Singularity movement... 30 years, they say). I have considered starting a business, and can apply much of the things I read.
Also, I find the site interesting. The articles work for me. And I'm not all that scared to read the comments - I don't often lose a little hope for humanity when I read them because the community has a brain :)
Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?
#186Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?
#187I'm a mechanical engineer, working in product development. I have an interest in programming to the extent that I can try to automate some tedious tasks, but very little formal training. I'm definitely a long ways from being a "hacker" as its known here. I agree with all of your reasons for visiting HN. I've mentioned this before on another thread, but the guideline that posts should be "anything that gratifies one's…
Woah, my doppelganger! I work in user acquisition, specifically in SEM (AdWords/Bing). Same reasons here: cursory knowledge of programming I self-taught when trying to automate tasks, but nothing formal. Trying to learn more because I want to go the Product Management route. This place definitely piques my curiosity in things I sometimes never knew existed. I've been lurking for a few years and can say that I've lear…
It's nice to hear from others who share the desire to go the PM route.
I've only recently joined HN, but so far I've found it a valuable source of information and discussion. I've been working at a small startup on the product team (not as the PM) for 3 years. We were acquired in April and now I'm really interested in moving on and getting into a product management role, but I'm unsure of how to break into that "market."
My current location (Greensboro, NC) is probably part of the problem I'm having (I am open to moving). I joined HN to try to glean some intel on where to find PM opportunities and figure out what companies (especially the ones on HN) look for when hiring for those roles (programming ability? MBA required? etc.)
If you have found any good info to share, I'd love to hear.
Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?
#188Just wanted to give thanks to the OP for posting this :)
I never dreamed of the response that I got, so glad for HN. Thanks to everyone who responded :)
I'm not sure why I missed this thread; it's almost literally made for me ;-)
I'm not a hacker but I'm here today because.... I sell SaaS. I work in aviation, which on the commercial side of the organization is as enthusiast-driven and fly-by-the-seat of the pants hacky as tech companies (but with suits). I'm interested in alternative finance - more as a to get money to people that most need it than out of any delusional desire to get rich off it - and have a degree in economics. I built my first website in 2000 but my side projects exist more in my head than in source control. I like to write, but don't blog, not least because I've a sneaking suspicion the sum total of all the time spent by all the visitors to my blog would be less than the time I spent writing it. Nobody is reading this either :). I even read sometimes read articles on the joy of Clojure or Go or Haskell and try to understand why people get excited about monads. I have a latent* desire to start a startup, and went to a startup meet yesterday to deny being interested in starting a startup
Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?
#189Just a digital marketer here (and twice failed entrepreneur). Still looking for the one that will solve a real and profitable problem.
Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?
#190I started reading this 4-5 years ago when I was an investment banker. It's a genuine source for information and I like that.
Since then I've taught myself to code and founded a startup.