Be a Technology Tourist
I was talking to Tara and we were marveling that in in 1997 15% of Americans had Passports. However, even now less than half do. Consider where the US is physically located. It's isolated in a hemisphere with just Canada and Mexico as neighbors. In parts of Europe a 30 minute drive will find three or four languages, while I can't get to Chipotle in 30 minutes where I live.
A friend who got a passport and went overseas at age 40 came back and told me "it was mind-blowing. There's billions of people who will never live here...and don't want to...and that's OK. It was so useful for me to see other people's worlds and learn that."
I could tease my friend for their awakening. I could say a lot of things. But for a moment consider the context of someone geographically isolated learning - being reminded - that someone can and will live their whole life and never need or want to see your world.
Travel of any kind opens eyes.
Now apply this to technology. I'm a Microsoft technologist today but I've done Java and Mainframes at Nike, Pascal and Linux at Intel, and C and C++ in embedded systems as a consultant. It's fortunate that my technology upbringing has been wide-reaching and steeped in diverse and hybrid systems, but that doesn't negate someone else's bubble. But if I'm going to speak on tech then I need to have a wide perspective. I need to visit other (tech) cultures and see how they live.
You may work for Microsoft, Google, or Lil' Debbie Snack Cakes but just like you should consider getting a passport, you should absolutely visit other (tech) cultures. Travel will make you more well-rounded. Embrace the ever-changing wonders of the world and of technology. Go to their meet-ups, visit their virtual conferences, follow people outside your space, try to build their open source software, learn a foreign (programming) language. They may not want or need to visit yours, but you'll be a better and more well-rounded person when you return home if you're chose to be technology tourist.
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About Scott
Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.
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For some of those techs you mention (particularly mainframe) it can be pretty difficult in a locked-down enterprise environment to break out of the confines of your designated job title. I'm sitting here thinking about the paperwork it would involve, and no thanks, I'll stick to exploring whatever I can use from home in my spare time.
I really loved working in the U.S., I only had 5 paid vacation days as opposed to 32 in Europe, but I was happy.
I really loved working in the U.S., I only had 5 paid vacation days as opposed to 32 in Europe, but I was happy.
It's amazing that China is one of the tech capitals of the world, yet their entire public Internet is practically walled off by the government. They also pay almost entirely by phone. Yet the area is largely peaceful.
I will be happy to show you around if you ever visited the city where I live in.
You are very welcome here. :)
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This truly applies to tech also - I always tried to neglect the one system, language, you name it evangelism.