Entries Tagged 'community' ↓

A true gift economy normally requires gift exchange to be more than simply a back-and-forth between two individuals. A Kashmiri tale tells of two Brahmin women who tried to fulfill their obligations for alms-giving simply by giving alms back and forth to one another. On their deaths they were transformed into two poisoned wells from which no one could drink, reflecting the barrenness of this weak simulacrum of giving. WP: Gift Economy

The story came to mind recently after seeing two parties engage in gift-giving to increase their  “karma” in an online community, reaching the top of the leaderboard. It will be interesting to see how much of the problem is solved with technology, and what portion through old fashioned social means.

I wonder if the intellectual heirs to Mauss’s legacy are doing research on this

Evan’s latest initiative is identi.ca. Edd Dumbill describes the importance of the new twitter clone: it’s open source, open data and federated.

Another advantage of being good is that it makes other people want to help you.
Paul Graham, Be Good

Identi.ca’s design philosophy could not be better designed to appeal to its early adopters. A project so open only makes geeks want to help, sign up and spread the word. The idea of federation alone is so long-overdue and powerful that it is probably unstoppable.

Like wikitravel and librivox, Identi.ca is going to be yet another local success story.

It may be too early and too few actors, but it seems Montreal could become a magnet for idealistic startups. Every new idealistic startup helps inspire us, and creates real, sustainable value.

Mulling Patrick’s proposed “bunsen burner fund” and the answer it provoked, it’s clear that there’s a core of community-minded people that would like to make that kind of thing happen.

If you haven’t done so yet, go sign up on identi.ca with either openid or a regular username / password. I can be your first friend: http://identi.ca/daniel.

I got another email about how to make the switch from Java to Ruby work. I’m lazy and I like recycling advice, hence this entry.

There will be no mention of how to write cover letters or resumes: that’s boring and already well known. What’s needed is an approach that will get you recommended for jobs or contracts. Networks are how most jobs are filled right? That’s what I want to optimize.

For the desperate employer’s perspective, see Tips For Hiring Ruby Developers and How not to apply for a job.

While employers are clearly having a really hard time hiring developers, some people can’t get jobs.

Having done the technical interviews for several candidates, I can say it is because most simply can’t write code. Thinking it would be easier to refactor code, we modified the interview format. Much to our amazement, candidates couldn’t propose simple refactorings or even identify code smells.

Since most unemployed developers are mediocre, if you’re looking for a job or contract, you’re immediately suspect. While this is sad and unfair, breaking out of that stereotype is easy: you need connections that can vouch for your talent.

Getting the connections is easy:

• Search people through facebook, linkedin, workingwithrails, and note your interest in your own profile
• Go to meetups and barcamps or organize one
• Blog so you can be part of the local conversation
• Family, friends, ex-colleagues, etc…

In my area, I know several colleagues that use github, which is now a de facto social network for hackers. After a friend received an important patch for one of his projects, he offered the contributor an interview. A good patch is the most efficient way to get someone to vouch for you.

If you can’t yet contribute to an existing project, scratch your itch and build a web application for something you care about. One caveat: unless you have a unique twist on it, avoid yet another lame todo list, issue tracking tool or ‘me-too’ app. That’s evidence of not only needing a job, but a life too. I’d much sooner see several small applications or trivially simple proofs of concept.

In any case, release your code. Afraid of how ugly it is? Comment the most offensive sections with a # TODO. Ask some of the people you’ve met if they would critique it. For a less intimidating foray into code reviews, use refactormycode.com. Read through past refactorings to get an idea of commonly accepted idioms (e.g. in Ruby), and post your own code to see it torn to shreds. I’ve often been pleasantly surprised by the solutions to my dilemmas.

Following this advice, you are in effect building a portfolio and professional network. It will vary depending on the technology and region: github and refactormycode may not exist in 10 years, and maybe barcamps, facebook and linkedin won’t be sexy anymore. However, the general approach of meeting your peers and engaging in the conversation will still work. More importantly, the investment you make today may still bear fruit in 10 years while the fussing you did on your resume will have been a time sink.