Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#101

Post by Random_Person » Sun, Jul 18, 2010, 12:07 PM UTC

prpon wrote: post #92

Random_Person wrote: post #40

I wrote code for the military for 3 years after high school. Writing code for a living took what was my most enjoyable hobby at the time and turned it into a chore. I lost all of my love for it. So, I abandoned code and became an automotive mechanic. That's a fucking leap, let me tell you. Seven years later, my body was wrecked from arthritis I picked up in the Marines, so I got out of the automotive industry (a job…

If you can, rewrite the application using Python/Java that u are learning (Ruby, if you want to catch up). May be you can refine the idea and do a better job now. I admire your path. Goodluck and keep us posted on your progress.

I have thought about trying to re-write it. I obviously do not know much about programming anymore, but this would be a very Windows specific application-- it needs to track files and execute when they are accessed. I'm not sure if that is an option in Java or Python. I've got quite a long time to go before I am up to speed with where I was 9 years ago.

I have pondered writing a blog about it all-- my return to programming, some life hacking stuff and an online comic idea I'd like to launch soon-- but I have always assumed that as a relative nobody, I'd be wasting my time since it would be unlikely that anyone would read it. Maybe I'm being too realist, maybe I just need to do it and fight for subscribers. Maybe I'm just being lazy or afraid of disappointment.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#102

Post by mathgladiator » Sun, Jul 18, 2010, 4:03 PM UTC

csomar wrote: post #27

You are having the same problem as mine, except for me I can't stand out to live for a year alone ;) Your problem is: You are bored from your current job. You have been working for 5 years and it had become a monotonous job. You like coding but you hate your work as a coder. The solution that I found is: Build something -> Your own -> Not only coding is involved -> unleash the sens of adventure Take for example a Saa…

Problem with typical employee agreements.

Build something -> Your own

is

Build something -> Company owns

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#103

Post by mathgladiator » Sun, Jul 18, 2010, 4:09 PM UTC

cake wrote: post #16

Here on reddit : http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/c1rcu/iama_person_with... An ex Googler says he moved from CS to the lumbering industry ! Hope this helps.

On some days, when the nonsense of corporate drama (just like WoW, i swear) crops up. I think: Ok, ok, lets just become a janitor/garbage man so the shit that I have to deal with is up front; then spend my evenings working on OSS.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#104

Post by mathgladiator » Sun, Jul 18, 2010, 4:12 PM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #96

I've quit once for three full years doing nothing but physical work. Moving bits around on a disk is a great way to make money but to build something physical has a lot of satisfaction as well.

And it is great exercise for sure, I've been tempted to work at Denny's part time to get paid-exercise. I've also considered construction.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#105

Post by prpon » Mon, Jul 19, 2010, 3:58 AM UTC

Random_Person wrote: post #101

prpon wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you can, rewrite the application using Python/Java that u are learning (Ruby, if you want to catch up). May be you can refine the idea and do a better job now. I admire your path. Goodluck and keep us posted on your progress.

I have thought about trying to re-write it. I obviously do not know much about programming anymore, but this would be a very Windows specific application-- it needs to track files and execute when they are accessed. I'm not sure if that is an option in Java or Python. I've got quite a long time to go before I am up to speed with where I was 9 years ago. I have pondered writing a blog about it all-- my return to progr…

File access and monitoring is possible in Java. Using Java will make your app OS independent though. I am not a Python person but I am sure it is possible. It all depends on how much stuff you want to take on, getting back into Programming.

Regarding 'no body cares for my stuff', we all have our traps. Mine is, moving onto the next interesting project. May be there is merit to just doing it. Finishing something, putting something out there and let it do its thing.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#106

Post by crpatino » Mon, Jul 19, 2010, 5:36 AM UTC

anonymousDan wrote: post #87

crpatino wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do - not - listen - to - him !!! PhD is a long and uncertain education path... that leads to an even longer and more uncertain career path. Oh, and you will be 5+ years older that everybody else.

Depends where you do your PhD! It's only 3 years (in theory!) in the UK/most of Europe.

3 years out of undergraduate school? The program I dropped out from was, as you say, 3 years on paper. However, you had to have already a masters degree in roughly the same area of expertise as your dissertation theme.

Otherwise, they had a "special" Direct PhD program where they would put you in the same classes with all the introductory classes with the rest of the masters students (4yrs vs 2 + 3 yrs).

Besides that, everybody knows that figures are extremely optimistic. I have heard from different people that 4 years is considered the bare minimum you need to finish. Then, there comes the limbo of post-doc stints before making it to adjunct professor.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#107

Post by brandoneggar » Tue, Jul 20, 2010, 9:26 PM UTC

I've been a programmer for over 10 years now. Back in 2002 I switched careers and became a deputy sheriff. I did it for 3 years before realizing that I had it pretty good in the software industry. I've been back programming now for the last 5 years and have never looked back. With that said, I just finished reading the 4 hour workweek book and am seriously considering taking my family on a 6 month travel adventure.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#108

Post by rdouble » Wed, Jul 21, 2010, 11:43 AM UTC

exit wrote: post #94

rdouble wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At the time it was python, databases, C, unix and java. A mixture of sys admin and development for online medical records. Part of the reason I left was because I found that I could not cope with how boring my job was. I do not compartmentalize very well. When I returned, I worked for a place that made a music player.

cool. how did you find/end up at the "music player" company?

I worked with some of the same guys earlier in my career. However, it really was simple serendipity - they happened to be working down the street from where I was living and I ran into them.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#109

Post by minus1 » Wed, Jul 21, 2010, 1:50 PM UTC

minus1 wrote: post #66

I'm really just a mediocre programmer with really good domain knowledge I know the feeling. I've struggled with this. Here's the conclusion I've come to: you don't need to be a great programmer to make great products.

And I'm assuming that your definition of mediocre is actually "not as good as my idols". This seems common on HN. I've always been a top performer among my coworkers, but it's easy to ignore this and compare yourself only to those most successful.