So what better way to announce my entry into the blogosphere* than to test the maximum possible length of blog title on everyone's feed reader. Consider it a metaphor for the boundaries that may or may not be pushed by my ramblings. It is also of relevance that in a previous phase of my life I was a video store attendent and, therefore, a massive film geek. But like I said - that was a previous phase. My current stage has little time for film as much as it pains me to admit. Why? Well now I am a "real" developer.
When I started my career as a software developer about 6 years ago I landed straight in a .Net role. To be honest this was more from financial necessity than a conscious career choice but seemed as good an option as any. My university years were spent somewhat typically. Sports, booze and chicks, man! Books are for nerds, man! The predictable byproduct of this personal philosophy was a scrape pass on my Information Technology degree and no career passion or direction.
As it turns out I become a 5:01 developer well before I had ever heard the term. I learnt enough by osmosis to get my job done but I had no aspiration beyond that. In retrospect I was sheltered from the real development world by my introverted perspective and lack of career ambition. I also wasn't interested in being a better developer, due in most part to my stubborn reluctance to allow my choice of career to define who I was. My internal monologue would justify my behaviour - "I am not a geek, I am cool. I might be a developer but don't you dare judge me by that alone because I barely have any interest in it myself." I was dismissive and foolish. Perhaps, youth was to blame.
So about 18 months ago I changed jobs. Not a huge undertaking in the chop and change world of of "The IT Professional" but a significant one for me because I was comfortable and I enjoyed going to work even if I didn't neccessarily enjoy my work.
Now my eyes have been opened (cue the 'Hallelujah' music). I worked with a team leader/guru who was ALTernative. He introduced me to IoC (which would have blown my mind if I wasn't wearing my shiny new propellor hat) and continuous integration. He showed me what a unit test was and how to write test first code. He was a ReSharper jedi and he loved promoting the virtues of open source. And he was a normal human being (as well as a great guy). That last bit was key. Suddenly, I could be a normal human citizen and also a passionate developer. Suddenly the dark clouds of my internal struggle lifted themselves away and I immediately got better.
Whoa, it was that easy? Yep, it was. In the space of a few months I went from a 5:01 developer to an avid ALT.Netter (for want of a better term) and I haven't looked back. What had changed could be boiled down to a few interesting and convenient dot points.
- I lost my "too cool for geekdom" inhibitions.
- I became interested.
- Then I became passionate.
- Then everything took care of itself.
So I write this not to promote myself but to potentially inspire some others. I have no doubt that there are plenty of people in the same situation that I was in. Maybe by reading this they can better recognise where they fit into the development world. Personally I still have a long way to go. I am nowhere near the level of some of the people I aspire to, but I am confident I will get there. I am inspired by the ALT.Net movement as well as constantly challenged by the actions of the superior humans in my blog roll. This is a good great thing. I know that now.
Oh, and by the way, this blog is intended to be technical (as well as (hopefully) interesting). Future postings will be far more relevent. Subscription to the feed might mean that you will see the right way to do some things, but I can guarantee that you will see the wrong way to do some things as well. However, I can be confident that there will always be a commenter to put me in my place.
And isn't that the essence of what this community thing is all about?
* Note to self: Don't use the word blogosphere again. It's just seems odd.