Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Is it worth getting into distributed systems after 12 years full stack?

news.ycombinator.com

21–30 of 69 posts

Re: Ask HN: Is it worth getting into distributed systems after 12 years full stack?

#21
Are you specifically targeting better career opportunities?

Now is as good a time as ever to be a seasoned Full Stack engineer. Pursuing an MS and shifting specialties seems very expensive.

Despite all the support other commenters are giving, I believe you should be very hesitant about making such a career shift.

Re: Ask HN: Is it worth getting into distributed systems after 12 years full stack?

#23
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Java, Scala, Ruby, Python, Angular.

Interesting. Some time ago I had the ongoing debate with a colleague on what it meant to be full stack. I was under the impression that full stack meant you can do what's needed to stand up a solution at literally every OSI layer. For example, from down at the base of infrastructure, networking, hardware/cloud, servers / platforms, integration, data / database, custom and COTs applications and services to clients, UI…

> Interesting. Some time ago I had the ongoing debate with a colleague on what it meant to be full stack.

Yeah, that's what makes this term a poor one IMO. It's not at all clear what it means. I've always taken it to mean "not merely Javascript."

Re: Ask HN: Is it worth getting into distributed systems after 12 years full stack?

#24
I vote yes for distributed systems, no for the Masters' Degree. If you already know how to code, it's easy to get into other fields and train yourself, thereby not losing money. You can also write open source code if you don't think you could find the appropriate job instantly.

Re: Ask HN: Is it worth getting into distributed systems after 12 years full stack?

#28

I vote yes for distributed systems, no for the Masters' Degree. If you already know how to code, it's easy to get into other fields and train yourself, thereby not losing money. You can also write open source code if you don't think you could find the appropriate job instantly.

I was "Full Stack" before I did an MSc in Distributed Systems at UCL and I would disagree.

Yes, the MSc taught me a lot about Distributed Systems. Yes, it cost me all of the cash I had saved up (£15,000, no debt). Yes, I could have tried to go it alone... but had I done that there is a good chance I might not have learned enough to know that I do not know enough; how to explore the challenges of designing and working with Distributed Systems; how to understand and debate the tradeoffs of different systems; how to apply the theory to the pratice; how to read, analyze and even critize white papers; I could go on...

Re: Ask HN: Is it worth getting into distributed systems after 12 years full stack?

#30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting. Some time ago I had the ongoing debate with a colleague on what it meant to be full stack. I was under the impression that full stack meant you can do what's needed to stand up a solution at literally every OSI layer. For example, from down at the base of infrastructure, networking, hardware/cloud, servers / platforms, integration, data / database, custom and COTs applications and services to clients, UI…

> Interesting. Some time ago I had the ongoing debate with a colleague on what it meant to be full stack. Yeah, that's what makes this term a poor one IMO. It's not at all clear what it means. I've always taken it to mean "not merely Javascript."

I think most people think of a fullstack developer as someone who is experienced in everything from backend all the way up to frontend design.

Fullstack developer = someone who can do all parts of a project on their own if they wanted to.

Post reply on HN