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Game Programmer Quits Job To Sell Street Food, Doubles Salary

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Re: Game Programmer Quits Job To Sell Street Food, Doubles Salary

#151

Post by kamakazizuru »

parfe wrote: post #62

I really dislike these type of stories. Basically saying "Investor buys lotto ticket; outperforms DJIA by 5 billion percent." Or a more realistic example, the stories that flow when gas prices spike. Like the person with the diesel engine running off waste grease from restaurants. It's nice this person found a profitable niche but the concept itself doesn't lend itself to even linear growth.

this is another classic example of the HN echo chamber - "wait there are non white collar professions outside of programming - where people can make a lot of money too?!? :O".. there are "n" ways to make more money than a programmer in most parts of the world outside the valley (heck even in the valley) - and not just as a banker / consultant etc..

Re: Game Programmer Quits Job To Sell Street Food, Doubles Salary

#152

Post by CitizenKane »

This will probably be buried, but this conversation needs some serious context and the article title really needs to be changed to "Game Programmer Quits Job To Sell Street Food, Doubles Salary in China".

Programmers are almost notoriously overworked and underpaid in China. Working 10 to 12 hours a day for $1000 a month is quite common. It's possible to make more money working six hours a day for half a month working as an English teacher.

The view in Eastern Asia is that a programmer is akin to a machine that you hand a specification and code is produced and hence the low pay. You could trade programming in China for a large number of other careers and double your salary. It's not a particularly usual thing.

If you were to trade this for a software development position in the US or Western Europe it's going to be a much different story. Culturally speaking, it's seen much more like and engineer or craftsmen rather than a labourer. Switching from a position like this in the US to selling food is much less likely to see the same kind of return.

Re: Game Programmer Quits Job To Sell Street Food, Doubles Salary

#153

Post by INTPenis »

I know a programmer who quit his job and became a janitor, apparently doubled his happiness.

Just because you have the logical mind for something does not mean it will make you happy. I often feel like I lack the logical mind for working in IT but I freaking LOVE the work.

Re: Game Programmer Quits Job To Sell Street Food, Doubles Salary

#155

Post by lostlogin »

vecinu wrote: post #89
pyre wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Running a diesel engine off waste oil is > a great idea Once enough people are doing it, it will be classified as a fuel and politicians will be tripping over themselves to regulate and tax it. Also, at some point there won't be enough waste grease to fuel the market, and the prices of unused vegetable oil will go up possibly limiting its use for food.

To add to this, has anyone actually tested the diesel engine to make sure it meet all emission standards? How safe are the fumes to be burned around cities? Remember when we found out lead in gas was unsafe to be inhaled from exhaust pipes?

I have no idea - but my anecdata point relates to a school friend who converted a van. It smelt like a fish and chip shop from a fair distance. It ran great until the home-brew water injection failed. It was parked on a slope and the water filled the cylinders. Turning it on was a rather violent attempt at compressing water.

Re: Game Programmer Quits Job To Sell Street Food, Doubles Salary

#158

Post by brazzy »

sliverstorm wrote: post #130
parfe wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfun fact, the person who invented tetraethyl lead gasoline additive also invented chlorofluorocarbons. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Midgley,_Jr .

Why is it unfun? Is he evil for inventing things that later turned out to be harmful?

I believe the grandparent was merely stating a piece of possibly interesting but not particularly useful knowledge that might normally be labelled a "fun fact", but didn't want to use the word "fun" when mentioning inventions that caused thousands of deaths.

Re: Game Programmer Quits Job To Sell Street Food, Doubles Salary

#159

Post by [deleted] »

CitizenKane wrote: post #152

This will probably be buried, but this conversation needs some serious context and the article title really needs to be changed to "Game Programmer Quits Job To Sell Street Food, Doubles Salary in China". Programmers are almost notoriously overworked and underpaid in China. Working 10 to 12 hours a day for $1000 a month is quite common. It's possible to make more money working six hours a day for half a month working…

[deleted]

Re: Game Programmer Quits Job To Sell Street Food, Doubles Salary

#160

Post by theorique »

TDL wrote: post #85
shawn-furyan wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly, and if your monetary stream is inconsistent, then 3-6 months should really be considered insufficient. You're shouldn't be regularly be eating into your emergency fund.

Totally agree. I would say closer to a year, but some would disagree. Less than 6 months is not enough, especially for freelance/consulting types.

I tend to forget the number (is it 6 months? 9?) and just say, oh hell, make it 18 months.

It won't kill you to have more dry powder rather than less. But then, I tend to be a bit conservative and paranoid about money. :)

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