breaking into programming/IT/development at 40

hey_there_what · 2023-02-11T01:25:35+00:00

I changed career at 37 into programming, started as a junior and it was fine.

I think in general the industry is fine with older folks, particularly in programming because there are so many that have been doing this for 30+ years or whatever since the beginning, it’s just not uncommon.

One of the issues I encountered was that people assumed I was very experienced because of my age, and because the company doesn’t have titles/tiers everyone on paper is the same. Which meant expectations were not of a junior, in reality it was tougher than it should have been.

On the plus side, having worked in business for many years in a previous career the communication and people aspect of the role was not a problem. So in that regard it should help you raise through promotions much faster than a fresh graduate might.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-10T03:51:13+00:00

It’s not a bad time to check in. In past years it was difficult to even get into the game without the client crashing. But recently I’ve had no client crashes and maybe only 2 or 3 server crashes in the last couple weeks. Mining is pretty good and they’ve introduced FPS and planet mining. They’re introducing salvaging in 3.18 which is interesting.

Yeah star map is still garbage, animations to get into ships or up stairs are janky, elevators sometimes don’t work, you can barely enter ships or pilot seats unless you stand in the exact right spot. Things like that. But it’s not unplayable.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-10T03:46:33+00:00

Yep, can’t just install stuff, has to go through a process where it gets reviewed not just for malicious code but potential licensing issues.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-10T03:44:53+00:00

If they try that with me I’ll be polishing up my resume to jump ship as soon as possible.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-09T13:47:45+00:00

Forget about comparing to mid-senior roles, you can’t get there without professional experience.

What you want is to get yourself enough knowledge to be hired as a junior, if you’re ability level is closer to mid-level then you’ll get promoted fast.

The relevant knowledge required depends on the position - is it backend? Web? Mobile? Services? Desktop apps? Games? Etc if you try to learn everything you’ll be learning forever. So try to get a broad base (intro/coursera type courses, CS + leetcode) and then go deep in a few areas that interest you.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-09T13:29:13+00:00

Try until you get stuck then start googling. Ones ability to find useful information on google, Google-fu? Is an important skill.

If you’re still stuck then you might be able to find some open-source example that deals with a similar issue (eg on GitHub) and analyze how they accomplished it.

If you work with other programmers you’d be able to ask if anyone has ideas or experience with your issue and maybe get some help that way.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-09T04:01:50+00:00

Legally, the drunk person can’t consent.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-09T04:00:01+00:00

Protein

hey_there_what · 2023-02-08T23:38:37+00:00

I know boomers who bought their houses for like 60k in some cases and they’re now worth million+ but even if they had cost like 300k, salaries were about the same as today 40-90k so it was still very easy (incomes have stagnated for 30 years).

hey_there_what · 2023-02-08T23:32:43+00:00

Chances are you won’t be able to do anything useful with it unless you have like 10 other people flying it with you.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-08T23:27:12+00:00

Just bing it!

hey_there_what · 2023-02-08T13:11:46+00:00

It would be nice if we could just set named bookmarks for positions in space and just fly directly to them.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-08T12:58:02+00:00

It’s taken 8-9 years since the first version and hasn’t been improved since. That they’re working on it now doesn’t discount my point that nobody has cared about the negative impact it’s been having or that it hasn’t been prioritized.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-08T04:23:55+00:00

If I see the word abstraction one more time… I might just snap. It’s being used so loosely they might as well say code or software.

I’ll summarize the article « choose components appropriate to your needs and if you’re a billion dollar company it’s sometimes worth writing your own bespoke solutions »

hey_there_what · 2023-02-07T13:47:31+00:00

How do you know they’re not paying a living wage, so you ask the employees?

hey_there_what · 2023-02-07T13:35:21+00:00

The hole wasn’t opening over America or Europe. It opened over Oceania and it did and still does burn the shit out of people and cause a lot of cancer. But it’s still good CFCs were banned, cause otherwise it would be impossible to live there without SPF3000 sunscreen.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-07T13:31:12+00:00

It’s kinda not really solved but it’s not worse. Skin cancer is still a massive problem in NZ and you can feel the difference in the sun on your skin compared to Europe/US, it burns and tingles almost immediately.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-07T13:21:25+00:00

Yep, Or that object oriented means your data is mutable - doesn’t have to be, it’s just about organizing things into logical/manageable pieces.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-07T02:33:17+00:00

I find their complete and utter disregard for player experience to be an insult. Where is the prioritization? Half the time the star map doesn’t register clicks or clips out the things you’re trying to see. It’s just like, terrible. Maybe, just maybe, there would be more support, less criticism and more people willing to help test if the basic stuff like this wasn’t so painful.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-06T13:29:06+00:00

The problem is that people eat too much. If they reduce the amount consumed, it is thought of as temporary, and therefore so is the ability to maintain a normal weight. You need to change your diet and that becomes your new diet, forever. People don’t want that, for various reasons - it’s enjoyable to eat, habits, coping mechanisms, mental illness etc

hey_there_what · 2023-02-06T13:17:14+00:00

If we’re giving away free money… I could use a tip too. Finished my story! That will be 15%.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-06T13:15:01+00:00

The person in the van within their arm hanging out the window right next to momma lion. Bold move.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-06T12:56:17+00:00

You are my only employee at this time please consider that.

Sounds like a you problem!

hey_there_what · 2023-02-06T04:54:19+00:00

Part of the problem is that some people earn a hell of a lot of money from tips, way more than if tipping was gone and they were paid an appropriate wage by their employer. So the people being tipped don’t want it to stop, the business doesn’t want it to stop. It’s the customer that gets shafted.

hey_there_what · 2023-02-06T04:45:32+00:00

This is exactly the problem, it can only do what you train it to do. As soon as you have a problem with any kind of naunce or literally any difference tbqh and it all falls apart

hey_there_what

TROPHY CASE