[meme.interview]
Jun. 14th, 2005 01:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wispfoxBecause ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
redjo's answers fascinated me enough to ask for questions...
1) Why are you in your current job? (i.e how did you get there, and why are you in it now)
This involved a strange series of events, starting in college. I got my first job out of college because I interned there, while still in college. This was at a company called Mission Critical Linux, located in Lowell, MA. I got it because a friend of mine, who I'd met because of the Greater New Hampshire Linux Users Group (gnhlug), had jokingly suggested that I join him and some other people I knew who were working there. I didn't realize he was joking, so asked if they were actually hiring. They were, much to his surprise, and I was interviewed and hired.
This company went out of business, as did the next company I worked for (Storigen, also in Lowell). When I was laid off from Storigen (not long before they went out of business), I called a friend of mine who I met while we worked together at Mission Critical Linux, to see if the place he was now working (Red Hat) was hiring in QA. They were, and in fact had a position that was vaguely QA (bug triage, more specifically) opening that very same day. I interviewed there, although only was actually interviewed by the single person involved in the process who _hadn't_ already worked with me at Mission Critical. With everyone else, there was just much chatting and explanations of what I might expect.
I am still here because I like my co-workers quite a lot, I like the idea behind the company, and I see no point in changing companies when I intend to leave the field within the next few years (my boss already knows about this plan, thus this not being friends-locked) to go back to school.
2) If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would it be? You can describe its characteristics rather than naming a specific place, if you like.
I don't have a place in mind. But (more or less in order of importance):
a) Significantly more intense, and more direct, sunlight in wintertime.
b) Generally having no more than a week of no sunlight in spring/summer, and no more than 3 days in winter. If it goes over, it's ok if it happens rarely. But, as can be seen from my mood after the 1.5 weeks of excessive clouds this past Spring, it's _not_ fun. I should not have to take out my light box in spring or summer!
c) Low humidity in summer. (Not none, preferably, because then my skin is dry and makes me itchy. Which is amusing, since dried sweat from overly humid _also_ makes me itchy!)
d) A good community, similar to what I've found in Boston. This can be defined as groups of people who think sufficiently similarly to myself that I can _be_ myself with reasonably frequency. Due to the odd collection of things which make me, me, and to the difficulty I can have in finding people I actively seek out, let alone people that I unreservedly adore, this almost certainly requires a large population which has already separated out into subgroups, from which I can select via interaction. The subgroups would have to include geeky (more generically than 'computer geek', I note) and poly, or I am unlikely to have enough in common to comfortably interact.
e) Lots of natural settings nearby, preferably including at the very least something park-like (although not necessarily grassy, since it's stupid to have grass in a location where it would not otherwise exist, and would have to be watered constantly) within walking distance. Needing to drive to something more extensive is fine.
f) Safe enough for me to wander around at night, and quiet enough location that I can sleep at night, even with windows open.
g) Reasonable civil rights. This can also be defined as not having to worry for my safety, or having to wonder if I'm going to be permitted to be who I am, and have my privacy, and similar stuff.
h) Variety, both in things available to do when I'm wanting more than simply to spend time with people, and in people and cultures and such.
i) Warmth, although I'm ok with the temperature of the Boston area, even if there's not enough light in winter, and it's too humid in summer.
j) Decent public transportation. I don't _like_ driving, and having to drive will reduce my chances of actually going out and doing things, esp in wintertime.
k) Good air quality. Breathing is good.
Probably more, but I can't think of anything. And yes, I'm picky. And, I don't actually figure that all of these things at the same time is even possible. But you asked what I would _like_. ;)
3) If you had to give up one of the five senses, which would it be and why?
... hearing.
I am _very_ fond of touch (most probably due to my extra-sensitive skin, which is oddly not bothered by allergies to anything, even though that's what is usually meant by sensitive skin).
I use vision to read, and do better with written input and output.
I am very attached to being able to smell things, in part because it's how I remember some things. I sometimes can remember people by scent (as well as voice), even if I don't recognize them otherwise.
Smell and taste are too closely related that I think it'd be safe to lose taste, so hearing. (If I could safely lose taste but not smell, I'd pick taste)
I _like_ hearing, and would miss music and voices immensely, but it's the least useful method for me to take in information, similarly to speaking being the least method for me to output information.
4) You get one do-over ... anything you want, any scale, from any time in your life. What is it?
...
This kind of question hurts my head. Anything significant enough that I would remember it is something which is significant enough that it almost certainly helped make me who I am. And I _like_ who I am. So, I wouldn't. There are things which caused damage, and there are things from which I am still (perhaps always will be) recovering. But I want to be who I am, so I would not change them.
and lastly:
5) What's your superpower? (C'mon, everybody has one. :)
Hmm. That I have, or that I want?
Have:
-Strong sense of smell.
-Excessively sensitive skin. (Both of these can be problems, of course!)
-Empathy (which can also be a problem).
Want:
-Self-powered flight, no extra tools needed.
-Or, the ability to breathe under water, as well as on land.
Less superpowers, and more things that don't exist yet:
-The ability to take photographs with my eyes, seeing what I'm looking at, rather than what a separate-from-me object can see (and I will _not_ have a direct uplink to a computer! Detachable storage, thank you).
-The ability to learn something by downloading the information into my brain, and then assimilating it (with my memory, this won't be perfect, but would be really helpful!).
Probably other things.
edit: forgot this part. :)
Standard instructions: Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me," and I'll ask you five questions of my choice. You post the questions and answers on your journal, include this same explanation and an offer to interview someone else. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
redjo's answers fascinated me enough to ask for questions...1) Why are you in your current job? (i.e how did you get there, and why are you in it now)
This involved a strange series of events, starting in college. I got my first job out of college because I interned there, while still in college. This was at a company called Mission Critical Linux, located in Lowell, MA. I got it because a friend of mine, who I'd met because of the Greater New Hampshire Linux Users Group (gnhlug), had jokingly suggested that I join him and some other people I knew who were working there. I didn't realize he was joking, so asked if they were actually hiring. They were, much to his surprise, and I was interviewed and hired.
This company went out of business, as did the next company I worked for (Storigen, also in Lowell). When I was laid off from Storigen (not long before they went out of business), I called a friend of mine who I met while we worked together at Mission Critical Linux, to see if the place he was now working (Red Hat) was hiring in QA. They were, and in fact had a position that was vaguely QA (bug triage, more specifically) opening that very same day. I interviewed there, although only was actually interviewed by the single person involved in the process who _hadn't_ already worked with me at Mission Critical. With everyone else, there was just much chatting and explanations of what I might expect.
I am still here because I like my co-workers quite a lot, I like the idea behind the company, and I see no point in changing companies when I intend to leave the field within the next few years (my boss already knows about this plan, thus this not being friends-locked) to go back to school.
2) If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would it be? You can describe its characteristics rather than naming a specific place, if you like.
I don't have a place in mind. But (more or less in order of importance):
a) Significantly more intense, and more direct, sunlight in wintertime.
b) Generally having no more than a week of no sunlight in spring/summer, and no more than 3 days in winter. If it goes over, it's ok if it happens rarely. But, as can be seen from my mood after the 1.5 weeks of excessive clouds this past Spring, it's _not_ fun. I should not have to take out my light box in spring or summer!
c) Low humidity in summer. (Not none, preferably, because then my skin is dry and makes me itchy. Which is amusing, since dried sweat from overly humid _also_ makes me itchy!)
d) A good community, similar to what I've found in Boston. This can be defined as groups of people who think sufficiently similarly to myself that I can _be_ myself with reasonably frequency. Due to the odd collection of things which make me, me, and to the difficulty I can have in finding people I actively seek out, let alone people that I unreservedly adore, this almost certainly requires a large population which has already separated out into subgroups, from which I can select via interaction. The subgroups would have to include geeky (more generically than 'computer geek', I note) and poly, or I am unlikely to have enough in common to comfortably interact.
e) Lots of natural settings nearby, preferably including at the very least something park-like (although not necessarily grassy, since it's stupid to have grass in a location where it would not otherwise exist, and would have to be watered constantly) within walking distance. Needing to drive to something more extensive is fine.
f) Safe enough for me to wander around at night, and quiet enough location that I can sleep at night, even with windows open.
g) Reasonable civil rights. This can also be defined as not having to worry for my safety, or having to wonder if I'm going to be permitted to be who I am, and have my privacy, and similar stuff.
h) Variety, both in things available to do when I'm wanting more than simply to spend time with people, and in people and cultures and such.
i) Warmth, although I'm ok with the temperature of the Boston area, even if there's not enough light in winter, and it's too humid in summer.
j) Decent public transportation. I don't _like_ driving, and having to drive will reduce my chances of actually going out and doing things, esp in wintertime.
k) Good air quality. Breathing is good.
Probably more, but I can't think of anything. And yes, I'm picky. And, I don't actually figure that all of these things at the same time is even possible. But you asked what I would _like_. ;)
3) If you had to give up one of the five senses, which would it be and why?
... hearing.
I am _very_ fond of touch (most probably due to my extra-sensitive skin, which is oddly not bothered by allergies to anything, even though that's what is usually meant by sensitive skin).
I use vision to read, and do better with written input and output.
I am very attached to being able to smell things, in part because it's how I remember some things. I sometimes can remember people by scent (as well as voice), even if I don't recognize them otherwise.
Smell and taste are too closely related that I think it'd be safe to lose taste, so hearing. (If I could safely lose taste but not smell, I'd pick taste)
I _like_ hearing, and would miss music and voices immensely, but it's the least useful method for me to take in information, similarly to speaking being the least method for me to output information.
4) You get one do-over ... anything you want, any scale, from any time in your life. What is it?
...
This kind of question hurts my head. Anything significant enough that I would remember it is something which is significant enough that it almost certainly helped make me who I am. And I _like_ who I am. So, I wouldn't. There are things which caused damage, and there are things from which I am still (perhaps always will be) recovering. But I want to be who I am, so I would not change them.
and lastly:
5) What's your superpower? (C'mon, everybody has one. :)
Hmm. That I have, or that I want?
Have:
-Strong sense of smell.
-Excessively sensitive skin. (Both of these can be problems, of course!)
-Empathy (which can also be a problem).
Want:
-Self-powered flight, no extra tools needed.
-Or, the ability to breathe under water, as well as on land.
Less superpowers, and more things that don't exist yet:
-The ability to take photographs with my eyes, seeing what I'm looking at, rather than what a separate-from-me object can see (and I will _not_ have a direct uplink to a computer! Detachable storage, thank you).
-The ability to learn something by downloading the information into my brain, and then assimilating it (with my memory, this won't be perfect, but would be really helpful!).
Probably other things.
edit: forgot this part. :)
Standard instructions: Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me," and I'll ask you five questions of my choice. You post the questions and answers on your journal, include this same explanation and an offer to interview someone else. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
