to serve mind

I read a survey earlier this year about how most individuals trying their hand at making money on the Internet were doing so not as a primary source of income. These people (myself included) already had jobs. Now the survey didn’t get into why these people were coming home and, perhaps after a full day at the computer, after dinner did the same damn thing. But since I’m included in that demographic I believe I can take a somewhat educated guess.

Jobs don’t last forever.

Yes, you’ll read the sales copy about telling your boss to “stick it”. No more “9 to 5″, yada, yada, yada… But I think the real motivator, more than a… “quality of time” issue is the fact that if the job is lost, there is no “safety net” (beyond unemployment insurance). People living “paycheck to paycheck” understand loosing the magic of direct deposit is a serious “quality of life” event that requires the consideration of creating what I call the “Plan B”.

That is what I think this demographic is up to. This isn’t about an addiction to the Internet or computers. Nor is it a desire to avoid one’s friends and family. It is about keeping it together in the event of a catastrophic hit to the bank balance.

So while I am (still) “gainfully employed”, I will be sharing with you over the next few months my adventures with Plan B. Perhaps there will be something there you can learn from. Something to adopt, modify, or even avoid if that’s the kind of lesson it is. There will be no charge for the telling of this story. Money will only come into play when specific services and products are rendered for our mutual benefit.

I am commited to being generous with my “outside the box” (read crazy) ideas and at all times considerate of those who have lost their Plan A and find themselves with no other letters.

Carpe Diem

I just read Bill Gates’ post over at GIZMODO. Bill’s post has brought back so many vivid memories as if they were just yesterday. I remember seeing Bill give a presentation spreading the word about this small company called Microsoft in a meeting room at the Bellevue Black Angus. The man looked like he was 15. I remember getting a demo of a serial I/O board for the S-100 bus from the fellow who wrote the (quick and dirty) OS over at Seattle Computer. The 16 bits of the 8086 were exciting. But I was there for the comm ports to add to a Z80 NorthStar, a computer that came with schematics. Good times.:-)

I remember visiting the Bellevue office to pick up a copy of MBASIC for the CP/M OS. There were about 35 employees at the time. While the secretary went to get a copy in a back room, I was asking myself, “Should I fill out a job app? …Nah. I have other… ‘commitments’.”

Anyone who has read the book “Replay” will understand when I say, if I “wake up” in that office again, I’m filling out the damn app and to hell with the ‘commitments’ Then I’ll buy those 20 acres of farmland for sale in Redmond.

We’ve been passing ships, Bill. And that’s my biggest regret. For I know as you know, it’s all about the puzzle.