In meeting with other social marketing enthusiasts from Vancouver, I have been reminded that not all of us have the same backgrounds and have all found our own unique path to where we are today. I tend not to think I take for granted the knowledge I have acquired since first exploring computers in the early 1990s but in speaking with others, it gently reminds me that we are all coming from different places and that I still need to keep that “lowest common denomination” in language when speaking with other people - especially if I have not yet had a chance to learn more about who they are and what their history is.
For someone looking for topics to blog about, this is great news! Up until recently, I have stopped myself short of trying to establish myself as an expert because I recognize that I am yet to stop learning about computers and have something LOTS to say about them! A computer geek friend of my Dad’s gave me a 286 computer in 1991 that came loaded with DOS and FirstChoice - and of course, no manuals leaving me to learn both on my own. It was during this time that I learned how “format C:” can be a very, very bad DOS command when you don’t have installation diskettes (that’s, 5.25″ diskettes, not DVDs!) and get your drive letters mixed up!
Since quitting my corporate desk job where I was beaten up by Micro$oft devotees on a daily basis, I began meeting others like myself who also aren’t necessarily Micro$oft haters, but non-M$ technology enthusiasts who see the role enterprise software plays and why it maintains the market share it does. Because we are not at desk jobs in the corporate world reporting to a Manager or Director that wants accountability (to someone other then themselves), we don’t need the “benefit” of high priced M$ “support” to have someone to yell at when something breaks and need somewhere to point the finger.
But alas, I digress. With oppression comes suppression and with that environment removed from my life, I can get off of defending my choices of technology against crappy marketing slogans, build up open-source community support around me, and get back to telling the world why open-source software is so damn groovy! (Not to mention free up a lot of hard drive space from uninstalling over bloated software and making more room on my bookshelf for my new PHP books).
If you are new to the Internet (really, we all are in some aspects), looking for alternatives to enterprise software, or looking for some new technology tips and tricks, please subscribe to our feed or stay posted for upcoming articles!
In the meantime, I am always curious to find out peoples backgrounds and how they have gotten to where they are today in their careers - especially when the current career has to do with the Internet. Computers are my first career choice coming out of high school where I was a band geek, jock, and an air cadet that loved backpacking and going to our outdoor rifle range. Most of my formal training from college is in Internet programming and scripting, networking wide area technologies, operating systems, project management, and systems analysis and design. I wanted a Bachelors of Classical Music, at one point wanted to be a cartoonist, still ponder becoming a dietician or something health and wellness related, and hope to go back to school at some point for a degree in psychology. I also love sports, collect sports cards, board games, and brisk walks.
From where does your current career choice hail? What was your background leading into your career on the Internet?
I was a big PC gamer, who loved to geek around with the latest and greatest computer hardware. In addition, I also hated my “corporate desk job” and simply wanted out of my cubicle. In the late 90’s, I became friends with local tech sites (thetechzone.com & johnchow.com) that encouraged me to become self-employed & ride the wave on the Internet. I’ve had no regrets ever since!
I guess my current career choice hails from convenience and laziness.
Sitting at a desk seemed like an easy way to make a living, and as I went through the first ten years of of my career, I leaned towards technology and the Internet more and more, since the companies that tend to be in those arenas typically offer more money, better benefits, and a pretty lax dress code - not to mention a more interactive corporate culture with fewer suits and less pretension than many other industries.
After my 3 years of stress in corporate retail hell, I started my web/communications consulting business, and after the initial shock, grew to adore telecommuting, flexible hours, and a better work/life balance. So for me, the fields related to web have so much less to do with the work/technology and so much more to do with comfort and lifestyle.
It pleases me the more I hear that I’m not alone!
I’m moving up to Kelowna at months end and hoping to work very part-time to ward off my creditors while working on my own stuff at home. We were supposed to have a garbage sale this coming weekend but now aren’t. Have a feeling I will become more familiar with eBay and other sites where I can flog my stuff.
Last night some man came up to me in Metrotown Mall asking me if I was looking for work. I loved the look on his face as I sipped my Strawberry Banana Julius and just stared at him with a ‘how pathetic are you that you’re stopping people in the mall as your recuitment effort without any type of shirt, name tag, or business card identifying who you are or where you are from’ and politely told him, “I’d rather stay home and take care of my son!”