OK! I'll link to it too. It's too damn good to be passed over (even if half the world had already blogged about it).
Career Calculus - Ever wonder why you haven't gotten that promotion you wanted? Why you aren't doing what you really want to do? Why you seem to know less and less as time goes by instead of the opposite? You might be putting an emphasis on the wrong things in your career.
As for the PDC? I've tried not to be dragged into that trap again, so I'll just say to all those who are blogging about how they take responsibility for their career. how many of you would have gone to the PDC if it was in Israel? (assume the same cool stuff and everything) ah! Things seem a bit different now, don't they? Perhaps you'd rather buy a good book instead, or just not go to not lose your job, or other “non important” stuff? I'm talking to those who can “afford“ it. I'm sure at least half the people wouldn't go(those that are paying for this out of their own pocket, or that come from small companies).
You know what, my new job isn't sending me to the PDC. It sucks. But that does not mean they are not a good company. Sometimes you need to be realistic. They buy books, subscribe to magazines and do whatever they can to let their employees learn and prosper. Reading career calculus you can understand that just going to the PDC isn't the biggest part of the equation.
It's about the state of mind you're in. I'm not going. Does that mean I'm not in that state of mind? No. It means that sometimes you just can't go. But I know I'll get there someday. That's the spirit that should be present in your mind. Here's another news flash. I'd be “whining” about the PDC cost even if I were going. It is nothing more than an objective statement.
It's pretty easy to look down and say “You're not going, that means you don't really want to go”. Patronizing sentences are one of the things I like least. I know because sometimes I can be a real patronizing jerk. It takes one to know one. So here's the deal. If you are going to the PDC because you can afford it, or because your company is sending you or whatever, don't judge those who aren't going. Sure, some “could” if they really wanted to, but i'm not talking about that .5% of developers. Don't assume that just because you are so privilaged that you've walked a mile in another person's shoes and get to tell them what they did right or wrong.
Here's an exceprt from a post I wrote a while ago. It was about commintment:
“About Commitment
Here's a great example of a developer I got to know through the blog. He's actually in a worst state than I am, since he's got no internet connection at home. So what he does, is each day , he goes to an internet café, goes online, reads blogs, downloads articles and saves it all to a USB-drive. Then he goes home and studies what he got.
That's pretty darn cool if you ask me. If I were at a position to hire this guy, I'd probably do it; even if he possessed only half of what I needed. I'll know he'd be one of my best developers.”
From what I know, this guy isn't going to the PDC either. Does that mean he's not taking charge of his own career? How errogant must one be to include this guy in that definition?