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Job, future, stuff - toy with, or advise me about, my life

  
 
w1rebaby
20:32 / 03.03.07
Well. I'm coming to a point in my life which I should have come to a lot earlier, i.e. that I can't see myself going on with the really rather tedious career that I so far have been engaged in. (I am, professionally speaking, a database programmer in a language that is rare enough to guarantee me a job in it if I want to find one, but doesn't seem to have any direct job-type applications that are at all interesting. At the moment I think my position is as good as it gets and I don't like it.)

I've been spending more and more time involved in Trendy Internet Things. I have been in Second Life, for instance, for a while, and I flatter myself to think that I have a lot of knowledge about it and skill in developing for it. I do "mashups" (god, I hate that word) between different things; I can write PHP gateways to one service from another service and all that, and I know _why_ one might want to. I know the blogosphere (hate that word too) pretty well and I keep on top of recent developments, to an extent at least.

If there were clear and present jobs involving that sort of thing I'd jump on them in a heartbeat, but there aren't, at least not ones which advertise themselves. And I have no _demonstrable_ experience in any of this, except Second Life.

Given that my current area of expertise (I've decided) is virtual worlds and online communities, I'm torn between a few things here.

1. Find some sort of MSc or similar and go on that, at the same time starting a blog or site or something about internet life, so that I can both show off my knowledge and meet people through the course. After that, I will have more options. Pros: sometimes, MScs do teach you stuff, and they are at least good places to meet people and learn from them. Cons: expensive - I have some savings, six grand or so, but I live in London so that won't go all that far. No income, no guarantee of any income. Also have to hang out with academics and students.

2. Get freelance jobs right now based on Second Life skills, perhaps moving on to full-time ones. I can do this; there is work out there, and I am a good scripter, and I can prove it, no false modesty here. I've done a number of things in the past. Pros: job and money, introduction to the general digerati, working with people who are interested in the area. Cons: unstable market, possibility of getting ripped off, would perhaps spoil my Second Life experience - one of the few things I enjoy right now to be honest - by introducing a commercial element.

or of course there's

3. Stay where I am. Pros: eminently reliable, absolutely sure of retaining a job, at least in the next few years and after that I can get another one without much trouble. Cons: rubbish language, stupid management, boring subjects, hate hate hate.

So what would you do? Something else entirely?
 
 
Triplets
21:26 / 03.03.07
I feel for your position, fridge, it's hard to figure out where you want to go next and even harder to take that first step. I'm sure it'll turn out okay, though.

But, frankly, you sound like you spend a lot of time on/in Second Life as it is, I wouldn't tell you to start spending your job hours in there as well.

Good luck.
 
 
w1rebaby
21:39 / 03.03.07
I do spend a fair amount of time there, but to be honest less than a lot of people on the creative side (and UK hours count less than US ones for social purposes too). 20-30 hours a week, including weekends. This is causing issues - I can't compete with someone who has all day to play about, particularly as I like to have some time there simply to relax and not do project work.
 
 
Tsuga
21:48 / 03.03.07
Can you not work it a bit like IRL? That is, you've got your work second-life-life, and your non-work second-life-life. I have no idea- are you able to kind of put out a virtual "closed" sign for business and get down to socializing, so that you don't ruin that for yourself? It sounds like that's what you'd kind of like to do, if you could. I'm sure you've thought of these things though. Good luck in whatever, it's great if you can get out of work you feel is unfulfilling and into something better.
 
 
COG
07:45 / 04.03.07
Completely biased view from my own happy experience - Move to a country with a cheap standard of living, and use your savings and transferable computer skills to support yourself while you start your new career in SL.

All sorts of new things will crop up when you change your life in any major way, and it will probably be something totally unexpected that ends up being the worthwhile thing resulting from it all.

If you hate what you have now, don't let the fear of loss of income stop you from being happier.
 
 
Lurid Archive
07:55 / 04.03.07
Yay! Fridge in Barna!
 
 
Triplets
10:14 / 04.03.07
cog speak wise
 
 
COG
10:44 / 04.03.07
Come join our Catalan Barbe clan.....it is really sunny now. I am going to the beach. I have no money. Who gives a fuck.
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
10:55 / 04.03.07
The salaries aren't much, but the weather is warm, the beer is cheap, and the skinheads are commies. There is little or no bad here.
 
 
Grey Cell
17:48 / 04.03.07
"If you hate what you have now, don't let the fear of loss of income stop you from being happier."

Having recently gone freelance for the exact same reasons, I'll second that. I have no idea how and if it'll work out in the long run, but I haven't regretted my decision for a second so far. In fact, I much prefer the inherent uncertainty to the dull, mind-numbingly carefree routine I was in before.
 
 
w1rebaby
19:49 / 04.03.07
Well, mm, I've made inquiries about the sort of time and effort that contracts within SL would incur (thing is, I don't really know whether I could move up from doing a full-time job and also doing SL contracts, or whether I'd pretty much have to give up the job even to get started, so I need this information). I've not heard anything back yet, but the US hour is still young.

No offence but I've done all of the "moving about for no good reason" that I want to do in this lifetime, and I didn't enjoy it. I don't mind moving in principle but, right now, there would have to be a pretty bloody good reason to do so.
 
 
Fist Fun
21:41 / 05.03.07
If I was you I would give up on second life entirely.

You should angle away from your niche work to consultancy or pre-sales type stuff.
 
 
Olulabelle
22:17 / 05.03.07
I've been following your Second Life story (not in Second Life, just you talking about it) and I'm envious. You seem to have really createda place for yourself. I read your blog and your LJ and it's true that you are keenly up to date with random technological conversational interfaces, and not only know about them but actively use them.

What I think you should do is, do an MSc in a thing you like, preferably focussing on Second Life technologies and the things that really make you smile. As well as doing that sign up for freelance work but maybe using other skills, perhaps the ones you have now. Keep Second Life your lovely thing until it absolutely has to be diverted.

If you do freelance 'now and then' work in the skills you have now that will be a steady income to fund you doing the MSc in the things you love.

That's my advice. That's the hmmm, haaa part. The definitive absolute part is this: Certainly, certainly don't do option 3. You only get one chance (as the eminent eminem said), don't waste it on boring reliability. Do the thing, your thing, the thing that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning. It doesn't matter if it pays less, if you don't get to buy the Heals sofa or whatever. It doesn't matter if you eat noodles every night whilst you are doing it. if you love it you won't care if you're skint, if you don't have a reliable everyday job. You'll just wake up every morning going 'Yay'!

My Dad gave up his job in big business to be a landscape photographer. The money from the big business job rocked of course but he was utterly miserable doing the grind. The happiest years of his life came when he'd given the sensible job up and was spending his days getting paid to do his favourite activity.

At first he was so skint, but gradually he built up a really big clientele and he was making a decent living before he died. And I guess that's important in two ways;

1/ That he was doing the thing he loved most in the world for a bit and 2/If you're good at something, you will be able to support yourself with that thing, eventually, if you work hard.

I really believe that.

Good luck with even thinking about it too. I'm really pleased for you that you're considering a change. Lots of people just...just stay.
 
 
w1rebaby
18:49 / 06.03.07
Goodness, well, that's very nice of you... I'm not sure I deserve all that, but I'll just blush a bit and try to take it to heart.

I think, yes, at the moment I'm leaning towards some sort of further education, MSc or whatever, in a related area, with a sideline perhaps in doing a bit of contracting because god knows I'll need the money. The business is young enough that most of the major players are still full of interesting people doing cool shit; contract work wouldn't just be regurgitating code, it would be exploratory and creative, people are still batting around ideas as to what sort of things can be done. As long as I don't get too caught up in the commercial aspect (and I think I'm cynical enough to maintain a distance) I can still carry on with the community, character-based, world part.

I was talking to someone else from a third company just now who'd seen some of the things I'd been doing and wondered if I was taking on contracts, which was encouraging.
 
 
*
23:30 / 06.03.07
iSchool wants you.
 
 
w1rebaby
21:00 / 11.03.07
This is getting scary now. I picked a time when people were mostly away at a conference to do this (slick move, fridge) and have somehow managed to actually do something that was popular at this conference, due to accidental zeitgeist-latching-onto.

I'm really scared. People are asking me about serious things, contracts and that. I'm just a drunk who makes stuff in a virtual world because he has no life. But I want to stop being a drunk with a job I hate. Erggggg.
 
 
HeartShadow
00:22 / 12.03.07
Miserable doesn't go away just because you want it to.

The longer you wait there for things to get better, the longer it's going to take before you can find a way out. And you might not be able to find the way out if you get far enough down.

There's no virtue in sticking out pain. If you've got a family to support and this is the only way, then there's virtue in supporting your family. But if you're on your own? Take the jump. Do it with your eyes open and as much of an idea of what you're doing as possible, but take the jump.

You said it yourself. You don't want to do this anymore. You see a way out. Take it. It's a chance not everyone has - and worse, it's a chance you might not take.
 
 
w1rebaby
20:35 / 29.07.07
Hello all.

I thought that I would pop in to talk about myself again, and post about how this has all gone. I did put up a Livejournal post on the matter but only a few people will have read it.

After buggering about for a bit I decided that yes, screw it, I would just go ahead and quit. This was probably aided by a couple of things:

1. I've actually been turning down SL job offers recently, and proper ones, not just "oh can you make this gun for me requiring several days' work I will pay you [equivalent of $10]". Serious contracts - not particularly lucrative, but enough. For the moment anyway. Sooner or later, the bubble is going to burst, but by that time I hope that something else will have arisen.

2. I have built up fairly significant savings, and recently got a large wedge of cash from my mother as an inheritance - actually, to try to encourage me to buy property. With interest rates what they are at the moment that's hardly the best idea, and in the meanwhile it will mean that I won't starve for a good year or so.

So I have means, motive and opportunity, and with that in mind I will be leaving full-time employment on the 10th of August. I'll be doing the same job two days a week for three months after that, on contractor rates, which means the same money for less work and also time to get my life together a bit, move, explore contacts and new technologies without having to pretend I'm not doing it at work and alt-tab away from the browser whenever somebody walks past, perhaps even, you know, enjoy myself for a bit.

I took up a contract with an SL consultancy firm for a few hours a week, which gives me some introduction into the world of proper SL work, and to be honest I'm having a hard time keeping up with it at the moment with the added pressure of finishing things off before I go, but I think that it is sustainable. In addition there is the promise of other work with other people after that.





I think I've now resigned myself to the idea that I am just not suited for the full-time programming job thing. It's not just because employers take the piss and underpay me, though they do - I've always had trouble dealing with the corporate environment, I can't cope. I'm in the fortunate position right now that I can sod off and be self-indulgent for a bit and it would be stupid not to.

(Did I mention that, just after I announced that I was going, there was a huge reorganisation in my department, involving kicking my best friend there out in an incredibly rude fashion, and screwing with the management structure in a depressingly familiar pointless way which is clearly just going to lead to things getting worse in the future? No, I didn't, but they did. I can't claim that as a reason but it's definitely a reason not to rescind the decision.)

I'm having a bit of a problem working out where I'm going to live. I can't really be a proper freelance worker here in this one rented room in someone else's place, but living on your own costs a fucking fortune. I think I may just have to suck up the increased rent. At least my living expenses, working from home a lot of the time, will be a lot less.



It's scary, but it's a lot less scary than I thought it would be.
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
20:54 / 29.07.07
Awesome, fridge. Hearty congratulations and the very best of luck.
 
 
grant
14:22 / 30.07.07
Likewise. Sounds cool.

Let us know if you actually wind up moving INTO SL, though. That'd be kind of creepy. Like you get all vector-graphicized with geometric planes for a face and stuff.
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
17:21 / 30.07.07
*PLOT!*
 
 
w1rebaby
21:37 / 28.11.07
I thought I'd add a bit to this, even if to be fair I rarely come to Barbelith these days.

I have now almost entirely moved to working within Second Life. Next week will be the last two days that I work in my old company's office. The rest of the week, I have a couple of contracts with firms who pay me proper money (I am, after all, a proper developer) as well as a vague in-world business, and soon I will be doing that all the time.

The major adjustments have come from spending five out of seven days without the enforced rigour of the work day, but really, every time I go in, I'm reminded why I quit. I was saying to a friend today that I thought I'd managed to get out just in time before it killed me, and I was quite serious; I'd become practically alcoholic and crippled by anxiety. I've had to reorganise everything in my work life, work out how to plan my own projects and prioritise tasks, but it's worth it.

At least I say that now.

I'm sure that it won't last in its current form for more than a couple of years at most, bubbles always burst, but there'll be something else.

Incidentally if you want to know anything about Second Life I dare say I may be the person to ask
 
 
ONLY NICE THINGS
21:42 / 28.11.07
Is it wrong to screencap pussy pants?
 
 
w1rebaby
21:44 / 28.11.07
You're thinking of IMVU.

See how sharp I am there.
 
 
w1rebaby
21:53 / 28.11.07
Actually, I'm sorry, that was an appalling virtual-world-in-joke remark that would make no sense to anyone not involved, and, quite frankly, why should it.

I apologise whole-heartedly and will explain the context if asked, though would really prefer it be swept under whatever carpet you can rez.
 
 
netbanshee
23:29 / 28.11.07
Hey fridge... glad things are going in a more positive direction for you.

Seeing you pop up reminded me that I now have a new box underneath my desk. I can jump back in to SL with something better than a 6 year old compy.

Get ready for the questions.
 
 
grant
13:58 / 29.11.07
There was a thing on NPR this morning about Second Life being used as a supplement to online universities - how hard would it be to actually set up a school entirely on Second Life?
 
 
w1rebaby
19:22 / 29.11.07
grant: Well, an entire university would be pretty hard, because of performance issues. A sim (short for simulator; an area of 256mx256m) starts to groan when you have more than a dozen or two people on it. You can keep the stress down by making what you build on it quite simple, restricting what people are allowed to wear, banning outside scripts and so on, but over, say, 30-40 people, and it's not much good for anything except chatting - the lag on the client is too bad and it's pretty hard to even look around.

I was on a panel on a small conference thing in SL recently and there were 30-40 avatars near me; I had to basically just turn all my detail sliders down, point the camera at myself and cross my fingers. Even then the client crashed once. Mind you, SL was being a bit difficult that evening anyway, lots of people were having issues entirely separately.

However, it's quite possible to have a department in SL, and several universities do these days, for various purposes... to be trendy, to do psychological research, to experiment with 3D teaching tools and collaboration techniques, for art, etc. This project was something that I encountered quite early on, for instance, entirely at random - I happened to meet one of the professors.
 
 
grant
19:44 / 29.11.07
Oh, dude. OK, I'm signing up for this damn thing.

By the way, I pointed a dude I know toward your I Ching things on there, and he was duly impressed.
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
20:38 / 29.11.07
Well done Fridge.
 
 
w1rebaby
22:40 / 30.11.07
ta Mordant

and ta grant... yes, I'm quite pleased with that one, even if it immediately became almost entirely irrelevant due to a huge schism/bunfight about how Muslims shouldn't be accepted into the group.
 
  
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