Leepic

As a 33 years old who's planning to return to education as soon as his wallet is comfortable enough to do so, I had similar doubts when I was thinking that I might be 38 or 40 the moment when I'll have to intern.

I guess there's no quantity of answers that you can receive to assure you that you won't meet hiring managers down the line who will be willing to deny your application just because you're old but assholes will always exist. Just do what you can do best and you will score.

Would things like an eShop, knock-offs like game reviewing websites where a user can register to recommend and post reviews for videogames and a tumblr clone would qualify as practical?

Yes, ARR! I might try medication as last resolve but the whole "solution" sounds like something short-term (I don't feel comfortable taking medication for the rest of my life).

I would say "wow, this is totally my case" if it weren't for the 5-10 minute breaks every hour to stretch. Then again, the game has a clock on the UI to check frequently (right above the map) so there's that.

The moment I finished reading OP's blog post I felt like I wrote it. However, for my case, I have some doubts about the ADHD claim.

For starters, I managed to play a new videogame for unhealthy amounts of time the last 2 weeks with such dedication. We're talking about waking up to turn on the PC and look what I have to achieve in the game for today then get it done. I never felt like something would make me get up other than food and toilet. Second, I managed to quit smoking cold turkey, after a decade of heavy smoking. I can't feel like I'm a victim of my own craves or I lack the power to just sit down and get things done. And yet, I do identify myself in the OP's blog post.

Would you suggest that I should still take the ADHD test? If yes, which doctor can I ask about it?

I agree with most of what you said but what bothers me is that maybe we are the ones who are wrong. Why? Because the entire premise of your argument is boiled down to a stereotype the start-up culture tries to force down everyone's throat: that if you cannot fight through the boring "stuff" you don't love what you're doing and therefore you're not fit for that job because that "stuff" shouldn't be boring, to begin with.

People should be allowed to like things besides their work. Not everyone in life needs to have a "passion" or "love" and it's perfectly fine if you never find your passion and it's also absolutely normal to have days when your mind just wanders to beaches and clubs and a tropical island or whatever.

I know that OP's case is very different but every time I see THAT statement - that if you can't do your job endless hours with a smile on your face then you're unfit and in the wrong career - makes me wanna punch a pony.

Get over that myth already.

Besides the "let's paste a quote that agrees with our point of view" cliché, Shaw claims that all progress depends on the unreasonable man, not that whatever unreasonable men can do is progressive. Big difference.

Personally, I always aim to be polite and I don't understand the reason why people believe that "argumentative" is necessarily a bad trait. Sure, it's bad if you argue for everyone and everything but doesn't this mean that you need to do it in moderation?

I think part of the reason why being argumentative has a negative vibe in the general public is because people don't really argue - they just bring their point of view and try to shove it down your throat until you swallow it and agree or choke on it. The mere thought of considering new suggestions is for many people scary.

I don't think that there are many people who would even dare to suggest that Linus isn't rightly the leader.

Also, just because trash code that doesn't compile is bad (because it is, no denying it) doesn't mean that we can justify every behavior that will get generated, right? If there are incompetent people who don't double-check what they're doing, they should take a KICK. He'll save both himself from the trouble of having to repeatedly call out other people's sheer incompetence and the project.

>Linus doesn't have to be put in his place, and if you don't like that tough luck.

Actually, expecting a moderate appreciation of effort isn't by any stretch of the imagination "social expectation". Calling my code shit because it doesn't compile is fine but repeatedly doing so and getting away can only be interpreted as a power play - the very act of using your influence as a leverage to bring your subjective opinion to professional relations.

Last time I checked there was an industry who paid dearly for people skills. Just not software - because it doesn't matter. THAT'S the social construct - that it's ok to be tech-savvy and lack social skills.

Fun!