Nostr

I used to mess around with BASIC in elementary school and HTML in middle school. I loved software and code, and used to tell my parents that when I grew up I wanted to be a computer programmer.

I never stopped feeling that way, but I didn't go that direction. Now I find myself pining for it but feeling like it's way too late to pivot -- not sure I can support the pay cut. If I could do it all over, I would've kept my foot on the gas.

Maybe I should go hunting for some easy PR somewhere and just start figuring this shit out.

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

_ 1y ago

it’s not too late.

nobody 1y ago

As much as I hate it, JavaScript is very useful and not too bad to learn. VSCode is free and you already have a browser.

Udemy courses go on sale. I’m doing Jonas Schmedtmann’s and I got it for less than $15. It’s worth it.

mattybs 1y ago

I'm going through Security+ on Udemy as we speak, taking the test next week. I'm not totally alien to VSCode and I do have a few PRs to my name -- I just need to formally learn this stuff and try to find a place to do it. If the Udemy content is worthwhile I'll definitely check it out. 🙏

nobody 1y ago

Jonas is a good teacher and not as slow and repetitive as Angela Yu (her course is also good if you don’t mind the slow pace)

If you decide on C++ or C# at any point tag me if you get stuck. I’m still learning JavaScript myself (the transition from desktop to web is kicking my butt after 20 years, but I’m gonna get it) so I’ll only make that worse for you. 🤣

mattybs 1y ago

Good looking out 🙏

BITwise 🐳 >>= RIGHTish 1y ago

Are you me? I feel the same way and im too far gone to pivot at this point in my life. I did basic, Vbasic, and C++ back in middle/high school and even got some AP compsci credits. Chose not to do programming because I (very incorrectly) thought if I did that I'd always be working for someone else...

nobody 1y ago

99% of us are…

We just get nice desks.

mattybs 1y ago

I feel you. I was having a lot of success with music by high school so I went full-bore and threw everything else out. Found my way into the telecom industry to pay the bills and that went well. Now I feel stuck wondering how I got here and not sure how to get back.

BITwise 🐳 >>= RIGHTish 1y ago

I guess sometimes it's baby steps in the right direction. The further down a particular path you go the harder it is to leap across to another one. But small steps will eventually compound and add up. At least that's how I've been approaching it. I've been stuck behind a desk doing tax accounting for almost 2 decades. But over the past 5 years or so I've been slowly pivoting away with different initiatives. Some successes, many failures. But im starting to see the fruits of my labor. Slowly then suddenly as they say. It's a very slow grind since I need to keep my day job to support the family but in my spare time I do everything I can to build what I want to be doing instead.

mattybs 1y ago

That's exactly my scenario as well - I can't take a pay cut because the family needs it. But I need to take your approach and start taking meaningful steps in a direction, no matter how small.

Best of luck 🤙

BITwise 🐳 >>= RIGHTish 1y ago

Same to you! 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽

BitBees 1y ago

Why did you quit? Micheal Saylor Academy has free classes in a number of subjects, coding being one...but maybe you already know the basics and just think it's too risky to switch.

mattybs 1y ago

I didn't quit so much as I was having a lot of success in the music realm, so I went that direction. Found myself in a different industry to pay the bills -- and now I feel stuck there because I can't risk the pay cut.

BitBees 1y ago

Tough decisions. Time is the most limited commodity. And I apologize, quit is a nasty little word (upon reflection). I used to sit in on my (Chem E major) boyfriend’s physics, and Fortran classes/computer labs in college. I sure wish I had gone in that direction. It was so fascinating, even at the key punch stage.

Troy 1y ago

Just because you code doesn't mean it needs to be your job. 😉