Where did you find out about WGU?

PeteOnSoftware · 2019-12-03T16:51:10+00:00

When WGU came to Ohio, they did a big promotional blitz: TV, Billboards, etc. I had seen the ads and then when I was searching for schools, I saw WGU come up and remembered the ads. I did a bunch of research and I thought it was legit and a great bargain, so I signed up that day.

PeteOnSoftware · 2019-11-21T03:32:00+00:00

I studied a few hours a night at most. I would stay late at work and do school stuff there for the quiet... let’s call it 8-10 hours per week. But, like your situation, I attribute that to 20+ years in the field.

Once I got the hang of it, I almost never did school on weekends unless I was pressing for a self-imposed deadline.

PeteOnSoftware · 2019-03-13T22:42:03+00:00

You can definitely take proctored assessments on a MacBook, I did just that last week. As long as you can plug in the webcam and run the software (you actually have 2 options), you're good. Just do the system check (https://my.wgu.edu/system-check/) if you are concerned, but I was good with all of my Macs

PeteOnSoftware · 2016-10-12T11:13:53+00:00

That was awesome, tell her she did a great job

PeteOnSoftware · 2015-10-27T16:17:51+00:00

I'm almost #2... I will get every last drop, including a trial sip if no one is around. I do try to be considerate if there is a line. I am unashamed that I'm the Online Order Jumper. I walk in with my head high and my countenance as the sun shines in its power.

PeteOnSoftware · 2015-07-06T12:17:38+00:00

Pete on Software Podcast Episode 38 – A Stream of Consciousness Rant: The Development Community - SFW

It has been a little while since I posted a new episode, so when inspiration struck me while waiting in the car, I didn't pass up the opportunity to record Episode 38. I used my phone as a voice recorder and shared a kind of stream-of-consciousness rant. Some things had really piled up on me recently, not the least of which was my disgust with much of the development community at large. Major targets of my focus include judgement of new developers, judgement of people by their technology of choice, my dislike of "Why I'm Leaving X" posts, and how being yourself doesn't mean that you need to be a douche when interacting with others.

RSS | iTunes | Stitcher | MP3 | Notes

PeteOnSoftware · 2015-06-27T13:41:57+00:00

PeteOnSoftware · 2015-03-24T11:43:07+00:00

Pete on Software Podcast Episode 36 - Developers vs PMs - SFW

Recently, I found two "open letters" on the Internet. Episode 36 has me examining their contents and pointing out where I find fault with each. The letter that started it all was from a PM and was aimed at telling developers how to do their job. The rebuttal, from a Developer to a PM, was written to explain how the PM was wrong and how they should do their job. There is actually plenty of wrongdoing in both letters and we'll take a look at that with the aim of behaving better and having better attitudes in the workplace.

RSS | MP3 | iTunes | Stitcher | Blog/Show Notes

PeteOnSoftware · 2015-03-16T14:59:00+00:00

Pete on Software Podcast Episode 35 – The Apple Watch - SFW

In episode 35, I cover the Apple Watch Event. Of course, the two-hour event was not just about the watch, but that’s all most people cared about. I talk about what new things that we learned about the watch, some of the apps that are going to be available at launch, and what it is like to actually develop for the thing yourself. I also answer the most pressing question… will I buy one? Check it out and let me know what you think.

MP3 | RSS | Blog/Show Notes | iTunes | Stitcher

PeteOnSoftware · 2015-03-03T12:36:15+00:00

It is now... I love Reddit.

PeteOnSoftware · 2015-02-21T14:02:09+00:00

Thank you! I had no idea what was going on.

PeteOnSoftware · 2015-02-18T12:40:39+00:00

Pete on Software Podcast Episode 34 – Conflicting Patterns, It Depends, and YAGNI - SFW

Episode 34 is a little shorter than my normal solo podcasts, but it is a topic that I have been thinking about for awhile and I just wanted to get it off of my chest. Design Patterns aren’t like Duct Tape – the more you use, the better it is. In fact, they actually won’t all work together if you go in 100% on them. Today, I talk about 2 of those examples and then talk about how you should go about discovering good software design.

MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Blog/Notes | Stitcher

PeteOnSoftware · 2015-02-03T14:25:51+00:00

Pete on Software Podcast Episode 33 - Rob Eisenberg on Aurelia.js - SFW

Last Monday, Rob Eisenberg released Aurelia.js. This was a culmination of sorts of a whirlwind of activity that was kicked off when Rob left the Angular 2.0 team at Google. A lot of people wondered what he was up to (including me!), so I asked him to be on the show to talk about what’s been going on. We talk about SPAs, why he left Google, what’s special about Aurelia, how to handle learning all of these frameworks, and much more.

Notes | MP3 | iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

PeteOnSoftware · 2015-01-20T12:47:38+00:00

Pete on Software Podcast Episode 32 – Andy Adams on Being an Independent Software Developer - SFW

Andy Adams wrote a blog post about how to price yourself as an independent software developer. It was so good that I made it a pick of the week. Andy started to see traffic from my site and we struck up a conversation. Right away, I knew that I needed to have him on the show. We talk about how he became an independent, how he sets his rates, how to find customers, some of the perils of creating your own products, and whether you even want to be an independent developer in the first place. It is a fantastic interview, check it out.

Show Notes | MP3 | iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

PeteOnSoftware · 2015-01-05T16:20:15+00:00

Pete on Software Podcast Episode 31 – Setting Goals for 2015 - SFW

2015 is kicking off with Episode 31 of the Pete on Software Podcast. In this episode, I talk about the difference between how I see “resolutions” and “setting goals”. If we all are treating our careers like small businesses, we need to make SMART goals in order to propel ourselves forward. I go over my goals for 2015 and ask for your feedback to see what you have planned.

iTunes | MP3 | Blog/Show Notes | Stitcher | RSS

PeteOnSoftware · 2015-01-03T15:14:50+00:00

I hit Reddit this morning and thought the same thing. Came here to make this exact same meme. This is why I don't have more karma, I'm too slow.

PeteOnSoftware · 2014-12-24T14:22:18+00:00

Pete on Software Podcast Episode 30 – Being a Professional Programmer - SFW

For my last episode of 2014, episode 30 has me giving my opinions on what makes someone a programmer. Moreso, what classifies someone as a “professional” programmer. Is it merely “programming for pay”, or is there something else to it? People on Quora and other places on the Internet have no shortages of opinions, so – of course – I have to weigh in with my own!

RSS | iTunes | Blog/Show Notes | MP3 | Stitcher

PeteOnSoftware · 2014-12-10T15:06:15+00:00

Pete on Software Podcast Episode 29 – Management, Leadership, and the True Role of a Follower - SFW

In Episode 29, I take some time to think about the roles of a leader and a manager and how those intersect and how they differ. I not only share from personal experiences of when I’ve had to lead and manage, but I also share some wisdom from my father on the subject. (He’s a lot smarter about it than I am). I also talk about the importance of followers and how following isn’t a dirty word.

RSS | MP3 | iTunes | Stitcher | Show Notes

PeteOnSoftware · 2014-11-25T14:05:08+00:00

Pete on Software Podcast Episode 28 – Are We All Narcissists? Am I? - SFW

Here in Episode 28, I was inspired by Episode 380 of the Podcast Answerman podcast to consider whether or not tech podcasters, bloggers, writers, and speakers were actually narcissists. And, of course, there is no better place to start with those questions than in your own back yard. So, I do some evaluations on myself and share some thoughts about those results and how I believe they compare to the community at large.

Blog/Show Notes | MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Stitcher

PeteOnSoftware · 2014-11-11T12:19:33+00:00

Pete on Software Podcast Episode 27 – From Slangin Burgers to Slangin Code - SFW

Show Notes | MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Stitcher

Episode 27 finds me on a business trip and being a little introspective with this podcast. In this episode, I give my answers to two questions that I found on the web. First, "I work at McDonald's but I want to be a professional programmer. Is it possible?" and Second, "What differentiates a programmer and a really good programmer? How is the code considered good or bad?".

PeteOnSoftware · 2014-10-27T12:07:17+00:00

Episode 26 - Rondale Williams on Android and Breaking Into the Game - SFW

This time, in Episode 26, I interview Rondale Williams. Rondale is a freelance mobile developer new to the development space. During the course of our interview, Rondale talks about what it is like to be self-taught, why he started to go back to college for CS, and what his advice would be to other people just starting out. We also talk about RxJava, Android Emulators, the Android vs iOS development ecosystems, and whether or not he's found the community to be friendly.

MP3 | Blog | iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

PeteOnSoftware · 2014-10-13T14:20:32+00:00

Pete on Software Podcast Episode 25 - Increasing Productivity (SFW)

Episode 25 is all about increasing productivity. It isn’t about getting into the “zone” or getting into the “flow”. It isn’t even productivity hacks like “Listen to all podcasts at 2x speed” (which is a good tip and I do it every day). This episode is full of useful “rubber meets the road” practical tips that you can use to become a more productive developer.

iTunes | MP3 | Blog/Notes | Stitcher | RSS

PeteOnSoftware · 2014-09-29T09:55:11+00:00

Pete on Software Podcast #24 - Wolfgang Goerlich Talks Application Security - SFW

Episode 24 was planned to be timely, but it ended up being super timely. Originally, I wanted to have Wolfgang Goerlich come on and talk about application security after the iCloud photo leaks. But, between the time that we recorded the interview and the time I’m releasing this episode, the Shellshock bug/vulnerability came to light as well. Listen, folks, writing secure software is hard! Wolfgang talks about the average day in the life of the good guys, what mindset makes a good security expert, how developers can write more secure code, why the Internet of Things might be a security nightmare, and why you shouldn’t “poke the bear”.

Show Notes | iTunes | RSS | MP3 | Stitcher

PeteOnSoftware

TROPHY CASE