Last week I wrote about this career crossroads at which I find myself. Some of you wondered if my blog posting indicated I am making a move to change companies or if I was unhappy with my job. I wanted to keep the blog honest and raw, sometimes that means I simply disclose my state of mind at the moment. I actually considered pulling that posting off coldgin.net, so people didn't get the wrong impression, but that would be counter of the intention of this blog.
Instead, I want to further explore the crossroad:
I am passionate about knowledge. I have an insatiable appetite for learning; I am juggling three books at any given time and constantly reading online. I have been deeply interested in technology and specifically online technology; this interest goes back to the 1980s, but in 1992 when I left the Air Force and had time to actually focus on my own interest my exploration and I became real serious about the internet . I was fascinated with the development of online communities. Back in the 1980s, that mean dialing into home grown BBSs and MUDs and later MOOs when object oriented technologies came online. in 1992 Compuserv and eWorld also caught my attention, but I despised the commercialization of online communities, something AOL took to the absurd level by 1993 with their nagware, closed network and the wasteful direct mail of AOL floppies.
In college, I was in the middle of the peek of academic interest in online trends in society. I dove deep into identity construction and power acquisition in online communities. My graduate work included studying under Lisa Nakamura, a renowned scholar in the field of online cultural studies. College was amazing. My imagination was on fire and I tirelessly explored the subject and discussed my ideas and thoughts with fellow technologist.
During college, I worked as a programmer and project manager for web projects. My services and skills were in high demand, so I was able to make a nice living, while keeping my mind sharp with academic interests. But after I left the University, I was able to maintain my theoretical interests because I worked in the midst of the dot-com boom in the bay area. Most of my co-workers shared my passion for the internet and honestly believed we were changing the world with our work. The boom ended and many of us has to relocate to find work and I ended up, luckily, working for an internet company in Southern California. I prefer San Francisco, but I had to pay the bills, so here I am. The reason I opted to take the job is I met a CIO that believed in his heart, his work was going to make the world a better place. Making information about one of the most important aspect of people's lives, their home, available online. Ground breaking ideas were abound, but that soon died in the midst of corporate scandal, but I stuck it out. Most of the amazing people I thought I would be working with left, but I stayed, hoping the turn around that did eventually come would bring back true internet technologist that were once employed there.
But what ended up happening was quite the opposite. Most of my remaining colleagues are not the real deal. Many of them have no historical context for what they are building. They do not know where it all started or what the historical patterns (that they are ignorant to) will lead the industry. Instead, they are single minded worker bees who are only interested in making a paycheck and protecting their cog in the wheel that barely moves. Intellectual conversions are rare and not credible most of the time. Management suffers the same issues; many of the middle management know little or nothing about the internet, so they flounder and repeatedly make terrible choices, because they do not have context.
I recently had an eye opening trip to San Francisco, where I attended the Gilbane Conference. I met with some fellow internet technologist that shared my passion about internet culture, history and its future. We talked for hours, sharing ideas and opinions on theories, current events and personalities such as Jimmy Wales and Jonathan Ive. That when I realized, I need to be around brilliance. I sorely need to continue the process of learning. I felt a connection with my new found friends at he Gilbane Conference and I now know I need that in my everyday life, so I am going to make sure I get it.
There are a few people at work that I consider true internet technologist, that are passionate about innovation and have a sense of history (context) for what they do. I happen to admire them on a personal and intellectual level. We need more of them, desperately--but most of them are not in charge and instead, report to lesser managers who are only comfortable hiring people who won't challenge the status quo and who fit into a mold of mediocrity. What's worse, is that outsourcing to India has become the solution for poor quality local staff and managers who don't hire innovators, further converting talent into commodity. I have no problem tapping into the best talent, no matter location or affiliation, but hiring a code factory will not result in trend shattering tech or beautiful design.
So, as for my employer, I rather fix things than leave, but I need to be given the runway to do so. That doesn't seem likely.