Activity Log
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 08:09
I successfully got my contact lenses in. On a day when my allergies are going overboard.
Let’s just say it’s a mixed blessing. Probably not one of my best ideas.
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 08:49
@hummingrain the worldbuilding is remarkable. I played the tabletop game back in the 1980s. When I fired up the 2018 game I was impressed by how much work they put into moving the clock forward over the years.
Also, bragging disclaimer: I worked for the core folks of Harebrained Schemes when they were Smith & Tinker & making a doomed electronic CCG (iPod Touch killed a lot of projects). Probably the nicest folks I’ve ever worked with.
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 09:31
One to four months into my job search — depending on which significant date you count from. It’s about time I admit that the primary issue to address is not a job market or even my own executive dysfunction issues — though both are relevant — but rather good old fashioned burnout.
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 09:33
Job market’s when the recruiter ghosts me. That’s happened a few times. Executive function’s when I respond to a recruiter a week after they email me and the job has closed. Oops.
Burnout’s when I go “ugh no” and close the tab or roundfile the email or don’t even see it because I can’t bear to look at my inbox this morning or deal with the soul-crushing experience of visiting LinkedIn.
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 09:37
I like tech. I mean. Sort of. In the abstract. It’s a toxic industry powered by toxic ideas, poisoned wells, and giving the worst people the most resources, but code is still fun. Besides, I don’t have the budget to buy a goat farm and move to Ukiah.
So I gotta figure out this burnout thing.
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 09:44
@rafial that’s it in a nutshell, yep. Therapy homework was to look up a few tech-adjacent domains and see what appeals. Big challenge is I’ve worked long enough in the sausage factory that everything looks like ground meat.
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 09:45
@FerdiZ Excellent! I’ll have to update and give it some time in the near future.
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 09:57
@mcgrew I’ve been spending a lot of time in my Steam library. But that’s starting to get boring. Maybe because the burnout’s subsided just enough that I can actually see it? Going from “gosh this room is dark” to “oh I need to change the light bulb.”
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 09:58
@Macross Mom’s an artist. I know from evidence “do what you love” is in fact followed by “work every hour of every day with people trying to undercut you at every corner because after all you are doing what you love.”
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 10:00
@Macross Seeing that, I picked code because I enjoyed but did not love it. But bullshit accumulates regardless, just a little slower in this case.
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 10:07
@mcgrew Oh that’s been my other not-so-subtle clue about burnout. The things I normally do to relax — drawing, knitting, blog posting — have held little appeal for a couple years now. I’ll get those back, and / or find something new.
But one reason I could tell the burnout’s fading is I got a couple code ideas related to my game library.
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 10:18
@mcgrew oh thanks for the reminder! Reggaeton for me.
And yep another clue: started listening to my music rather than streaming services. More active engagement is a clue of recovery I think.
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 10:26
Spring is happening. Time to #PicFlowers
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 10:27
@jens @mcgrew Yes indeed! I know, but need the reminder. Part of the executive function issue manifests as “I have energy to do a thing I MUST DO ALL THE THINGS BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE” and yeah. That never works, but the urge remains strong.
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 13:18
I have a car? I have a car! With help from @IamMrsGeek I got a car. Older Prius, so I could be more attentive to those hybrid jobs.
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 13:29
@pearwaldorf three excellent questions.
hackers.town: 2023-04-05 Wed 17:53
Discord’s not completely useless. Turns out its text formatting rules can serve as a common point of reference when describing Markdown.