interviewed by jducoeur
1. Do you see yourself getting serious about the SCA again sometime, or
do you think you're gradually moving on for good?
I think I'm gradually moving on. I've been becoming less active for years; I don't see myself dropping local events and Pennsic, but it's unlikely to again become the major part of my life it once was. The society has changed over the years, becoming more pointlessly-bureaucratic, more formal and corporate, and both more and less spread-out (more fragmentation physically, but email has been a big offset). And I have changed: I prioritize Shabbat and kashrut over activities I used to enjoy; I see my non-local friends less often (there's a cycle there of not going to events so not seeing them so not having reasons to go to events); and I've become pretty pesimistic about the culture of the SCA (I see far fewer people standing up for what they think is right than I used to).
2. The question that started this thread: what's your favorite game (period or modern)?
Just one? That's hard! :-) Besides, whatever I say now probably won't be the answer in six months.
So, right now, I think I'm going to say Seven Ages, the depths of which I have not yet fully explored. I'm torn between that and the family of crayon rail games (Iron Dragon, EuroRails, et al). And I'm also trying to decide between board games and RPGs; I find the mechanic of Dogs in the Vineyard fascinating and would like to play more.
I guess about the only thing I can say for sure is that I'm not really into computer games. :-)
3. Where do you hope that your professional life takes you? I know what you're doing now; do you have any specific ambitions professionally?
I want to make good technology that people can use. Ok, that's broad; the way it manifests in my current position is that I want to build core infrastructure that projects (and external parties) can use. I am not especially into the idea of doing one-off apps (the typical services model); if we can't reuse a good portion of what we're building, then it's just work for the sake of work -- fine as an alternative to unemployment, but not ultimately fulfilling to me. I want to make building blocks and see them in use.
I want to do this by being a guiding force in the design, in the public interfaces, and in getting the level of abstraction right. I see myself as a senior contributor and/or a tech lead. I could imagine being involved in product management someday, maybe, if the stars align, though it's a path that can take one too far from the nuts and bolts, too.
I see both programming and tech writing as means, not ends.
Will things actually go this way? Good question. I've got about twenty years before I start eyeing up retirement, assuming I don't bolt the field entirely to pursue something totally different, and a lot can happen (pesimistically, a lot can go wrong :-) ) in twenty years.
4. You've talked a bit about how you got into Judaism. Now that you've been in for a while, what aspect of the religion do you find most rewarding?
The mindfulness it brings to every aspect of my life, from the loftiness of prayer to the minutiae of eating. There's an awareness that pervades everything, and informs everything, and I don't think I've ever felt so connected and grounded in my life before.
A strong second is the idea that we do for ourselves -- my fate is in my hands, but also that "just plain folks" like me are enpowered to do things on behalf of the community. I lead services; I read torah; I give divrei torah; I could teach, theoretically. It's great to have rabbis, but things don't fall down if you don't.
5. The other side of that: you've gotten fairly seriously into modern Jewish *culture*. What do you most like about that?
The value that is placed on thinking. If you study a text and you don't have questions or want to argue with the rabbis, you're doing it wrong. The idea of turning an idea around and around, really studying it, and not being afraid to challenge it -- that this is a core value -- makes me feel right at home.
I don't know if I'm explaining this very well; here's an anecdote that might help (given our shared context): An SCA friend who'd seen me in action on laws committees and in online philosophy discussions, on learning that I'd converted, said "you mean you weren't already?!".
I think I'm gradually moving on. I've been becoming less active for years; I don't see myself dropping local events and Pennsic, but it's unlikely to again become the major part of my life it once was. The society has changed over the years, becoming more pointlessly-bureaucratic, more formal and corporate, and both more and less spread-out (more fragmentation physically, but email has been a big offset). And I have changed: I prioritize Shabbat and kashrut over activities I used to enjoy; I see my non-local friends less often (there's a cycle there of not going to events so not seeing them so not having reasons to go to events); and I've become pretty pesimistic about the culture of the SCA (I see far fewer people standing up for what they think is right than I used to).
2. The question that started this thread: what's your favorite game (period or modern)?
Just one? That's hard! :-) Besides, whatever I say now probably won't be the answer in six months.
So, right now, I think I'm going to say Seven Ages, the depths of which I have not yet fully explored. I'm torn between that and the family of crayon rail games (Iron Dragon, EuroRails, et al). And I'm also trying to decide between board games and RPGs; I find the mechanic of Dogs in the Vineyard fascinating and would like to play more.
I guess about the only thing I can say for sure is that I'm not really into computer games. :-)
3. Where do you hope that your professional life takes you? I know what you're doing now; do you have any specific ambitions professionally?
I want to make good technology that people can use. Ok, that's broad; the way it manifests in my current position is that I want to build core infrastructure that projects (and external parties) can use. I am not especially into the idea of doing one-off apps (the typical services model); if we can't reuse a good portion of what we're building, then it's just work for the sake of work -- fine as an alternative to unemployment, but not ultimately fulfilling to me. I want to make building blocks and see them in use.
I want to do this by being a guiding force in the design, in the public interfaces, and in getting the level of abstraction right. I see myself as a senior contributor and/or a tech lead. I could imagine being involved in product management someday, maybe, if the stars align, though it's a path that can take one too far from the nuts and bolts, too.
I see both programming and tech writing as means, not ends.
Will things actually go this way? Good question. I've got about twenty years before I start eyeing up retirement, assuming I don't bolt the field entirely to pursue something totally different, and a lot can happen (pesimistically, a lot can go wrong :-) ) in twenty years.
4. You've talked a bit about how you got into Judaism. Now that you've been in for a while, what aspect of the religion do you find most rewarding?
The mindfulness it brings to every aspect of my life, from the loftiness of prayer to the minutiae of eating. There's an awareness that pervades everything, and informs everything, and I don't think I've ever felt so connected and grounded in my life before.
A strong second is the idea that we do for ourselves -- my fate is in my hands, but also that "just plain folks" like me are enpowered to do things on behalf of the community. I lead services; I read torah; I give divrei torah; I could teach, theoretically. It's great to have rabbis, but things don't fall down if you don't.
5. The other side of that: you've gotten fairly seriously into modern Jewish *culture*. What do you most like about that?
The value that is placed on thinking. If you study a text and you don't have questions or want to argue with the rabbis, you're doing it wrong. The idea of turning an idea around and around, really studying it, and not being afraid to challenge it -- that this is a core value -- makes me feel right at home.
I don't know if I'm explaining this very well; here's an anecdote that might help (given our shared context): An SCA friend who'd seen me in action on laws committees and in online philosophy discussions, on learning that I'd converted, said "you mean you weren't already?!".