Curious Question: Any CDs who work/worked in technology? What did you do?

[nelliebell]

Hello everyone,

After seeing a thread about pilots, I got curious about if anyone here works or worked in technology? If so, what did you do?

Did you like it or hate it? If you left technology, where did you go (retired, switched careers, etc)?

Do/did you CD while working? How did people react to you?

I am studying Software Development and also love connecting with those in technology :)!

[helicd]

Software developer here (app development, web development, windows development, development development, etc.)

One of the nicer things about software development is that there are a lot of opportunities for either telecommuting (if you work for a company), or alternately just doing contract work remotely (if you're brave and don't mind feast or famine income swings lol!)

And, of course, while at home you can wear whatever you want :)

[nelliebell]

Hi Helicd!

Yay! Fellow software developer :D!

How many years have you worked as a software developer?

[helicd]

Hello Nellie!

Been at it over 17 years now. Has it's pluses and minuses just like any job, but when you find a good gig it's pretty awesome!

Also has the bonus of always having new things for you to learn - for any given contract I'm usually learning at least one new technology during the development process, helps keep the old mind sharp!

[biancabellelover]

I can comment on this thread as well as the pilot thread. I nerded out in two industries, yay!

Before I became a pilot I worked in I.T. for about 18 years. I worked as a Programmer/Systems Analyst/Project leader/department leader/Business Analyst. All of that was on an IBM midrange platform called an AS/400, or iSeries. (Green screen technology).

When I started, most of what I did was development, but as time went on it was more support, with the odd small project thrown in. The reason for that was because the platform became more of a server, as more of the applications were done at the front end (e.g. SAP, Siebel, etc).

I loved what I did, as I love technical jobs. The best part of my job was that it was rarely boring: I spent my working week problem solving! I never aspired to much higher than low-middle management, because in those positions you become a manager and not a techie. I was self-employed as a contractor for around 13 of my 18 years in the industry, and preferred that to working for a single employer. The opportunities for working from home were not as prevalent as they are today, so that wasn't really a feature of my employment. I've still got plenty of mates in the industry and many of them work mostly from home. The dangers of working from home involve becoming too isolated, but that is my opinion only.

I can't comment on CD'ing as that wasn't part of my life back then.

I left I.T. because over the years it became repetitive. That is, every client I went to had the same problem: None of them really understood I.T, except as a necessary expense. Most of them resented the amount of money that the I.T. industry charged. Most of them never listened to I.T. department recommendations. Most of them wanted an I.T. solution without any input from themselves. Many of them were what I would call "professionally hostile" to I.T.

There was also some disillusionment with the younger generation of I.T. professionals. That is, graduate programmers who wrote business packages that were basically an extension of their Uni projects. That is, lots of bells and whistles, screens that look really great with lots of graphics, but at the end of the day, business solutions that were less functional, slower, and more 'buggy' than the "old fashioned" systems that they replaced.

I left I.T. to become a pilot.

Michelle

[barbie lanai]

Designed computers 20 years ago and retired at 52.

[nelliebell]

Wow 17 years! That is where I am moving to be. I love the tech field because of the freedom it provides. I can be flexible with how I work and what I work on :D.

- - - Updated - - -

:daydreaming: How cool, Barbie! I love it!

Are you enjoying your retirement??

[Elizabeth G]

I've worked for chip makers for my entire career. I do hardware and software test development. I can't say that I like it, I just sort of fell into it about 35 years ago and it certainly pays the bills.

[KatrinaK]

As soon as I saw the heading I thought, “nope we’re all pilots!”

I work in tech and sometimes even love it.

[Tina Davis]

I've been a software developer/engineer for 30+ years, working in multiple industries. I started with DOS and Windows 3.1, now I do web apps, client apps, databases, and almost everything in between. Microsoft is my platform of choice, so I'm pretty old school. But it pays the bills for my family, and occasionally, for new clothes and shoes for Tina. :hugs:

[nelliebell]

This is so great! I am so happy that there are developers on this forum :D

[Ineke Vashon]

With all this great talent here, how come I still have to turn my computer OFF by pushing START?

Ineke, discombobulated :eek:

[nelliebell]

Us developers question this too :straightface:. It really makes no sense and I think that since it's been that way for so long, it's probably not going to change :idontknow:

Oh silly technology (lol)

[JenniferMBlack]

With all this great talent here, how come I still have to turn my computer OFF by pushing START?

Ineke, discombobulated :eek:

It is very simple. Your start to turn it off. LOL. Think of Space balls when they were always preparing to do something.

[Robertacd]

With all this great talent here, how come I still have to turn my computer OFF by pushing START?

Ineke, discombobulated :eek:

Meh, that has not said "Start" since Windows XP... :p

Anyway I have been working in the electronics industry for 40 years. Everything from TV repair, satellite dish installation, to engineering. I currently work in a test lab where I basically get paid to break things. I do a fair amount of programming, mostly automated test and measurement for long and short term testing.

Forgot to add, usually I wear a bra, panties, and woman's jeans to work everyday.

[DanielleDubois]

Taught High School Computer Science and Applications courses for more than 20 years before retiring 10 years ago. Being my age means the first computers I used were Radio Shack TRS-80s and then Apple IIe's.
Learned more computer languages than I care to count.
As for work and CD'ing underdressed in panties and pantyhose once but found it stressful worrying if a pant leg would ride up and a student would notice.

[Rachelish]

Hi Nellie

Another software developer here. Started 35+ years ago, learning Pascal on Apple IIe, and carried on, working in programming and support since then. Dabbled in a bit of management but was always drawn back to programming and am still coding now, mostly PHP.

As a job, the creative elements are highly satisfying but, as with much IT work, it can also be extremely stressful. Thankfully, I now have a cool way to unwind :)

Rachel

[bridget thronton]

Software engineering and game design professor - user experience design is what attracted me to game programming

[Sashauk]

I trained as an electronics engineer back in the 60s.

I started in the days of valves (tubes) and discrete components working for the MoD. Eventually I moved on to the financial side of engineering doing cost accounting and work study. Taught myself all about computers - and built quite a few over the years - even did an Open University programming course coding in Pascal.

[faltenrock]

Hi Nellie, I'm not in technology.

I used to work as a photo designer, did advertisment and art, including worldwide exhibitions.
After my job didn't bring the money anymore, I started a business with classic sports cars (Porsche 911 and BMW).
At almost the same time I started another business for used design furniture (European).
The first business will pay retirement and the second pays the bills since 12 years.

[abby054]

I am in academia teaching in a tech field, now in my fifth decade. I concurrently do tech work of many sorts in and with the military, all branches, and with the several industries. As I write this, I am at a tech conference presenting my academic work to military folks. There is now a whole section of this conference addressing a technology that I started the military thinking about long ago. It is indeed true that a techie can get a lot done if she gets somebody else to do it for her and she does not care who gets the credit.

Obviously, I am still doing tech work. One of my mentors is here at this conference and he is nearly 90 years old, still going strong and still showing me how to do this kind of tech work. Like him, I really enjoy the work and I will be in this as long as I can, in the words of Emperor Haile Selasie, "stand and hold a spear". Being an academic, I just build on the excitement that the young guys naturally have and they then teach me all the new ideas. I get to cooperate, not compete with them. Tech work is a lot easier that way.

Danielle, God Bless You...I too started my PC work on a "Trash 80" and Apple IIe. I was so overjoyed to get those machines because punch cards were too much fun for this gal.

I find my crossdressing, particularly underdressing, can be distracting so I compartmentalize it away from my work. Compartmentalizing things is something that many techies are pretty good at.


With all this great talent here, how come I still have to turn my computer OFF by pushing START?

Ineke, discombobulated :eek:

START was not the first silly thing that Microsoft did and it is unlikely to be the last, believe me. If anything, their rate of creating nonsense is accelerating. Don't like it? Get an Apple. That is what I am typing this response on. I went through grad school on a steady diet of Apples. Of course, like any tech system, it comes with its own set of fun.

[Rachelakld]

Avionics, radio, radar, instruments but left that life 30 years ago, now doing commercial electronics (access control, CCTV, fire detection and suppression systems) and playing with microprocessors at home.

[SaraLin]

Back in the day, I was a computer operator - when large mainframe systems were still what people thought of as computers. It was a dull job and when I left the Army, I switched careers.
In civilian life I became an electronics tech, working on security systems. I started in a company that made (cheap) home and car alarms, but soon moved up to large-scale systems that protected industrial complexes. It was interesting work and in one company, I traveled a lot for the company as a field tech.
I underdressed in panties all the time - and when traveling, I had the opportunity to go dress fully and frequently (DADT at home).

As far as I know, they never found out. I had to play it very close to the chest, as I was sitting on a rather high security clearance for most of my career, and didn't want to risk losing it.

[Charona]

I worked with microwave radio and autotracking radar in the military. After that, I worked in a hospital with biomedical electronics. Then a few years with a company which made electronic signs. After being "downsized" I became a school bus driver, although I would not characterize that as a tech job. Now I consider myself retired.

[Sporco]

I spent 16 years in biomedical engineering supporting imaging systems in nuclear medicine and PET before moving to IT. I've been in IT 20 years supporting server systems and infrastructure at hospitals since then. I still have a few years to go before retirement.

[alwayshave]

Nellie, I have prive pilot certificate. As for technology, I started out as a computer operator on Burroughs 6700 series computers back in the late 70s, yes we wore lab coats and booted from a card deck. Then on to IBM 360s and transitioned into software engineering, writing microcode for emulation of the IBM 360 instruction set. From there started writing Operating System code for about 15 years, then database internals. I now practice law, but in software patents.... So I still work in technology. I love it. I underdress at work.

[Pat]

It should be interesting to see the overlap between pilots and tech folk. I expect it will be large. I was a software engineer for 40 years. I got a chance to work in a lot of specialties in a lot of companies but mostly was involved in various kinds of manufacturing. It was a good gig, but it used me up and I wasn't sad to leave it behind. I'm retired now and doing a little political activism for transgender rights.

[Asew]

Computer engineering MS and BS and did internships with doing processor chip design. Realized I didn't like purely hardware jobs and preferred software with a mix of hardware. So now I do software development that runs tests to verify hardware development of processor chip design. I really love the combination of both software and hardware.

[ambigendrous]

Not a software developer, but a software user of sorts - I spent almost 35 years as a CAD Support Engineer in the semiconductor industry before retiring 10 years ago - loved most of my job back then, but love retirement even more!

[carhill2mn]

I began working with computers as a programmer in 1966. I retired from that field in 2000. No, I never CDed while on the job.

[HollyGreene]

Been a software developer since 1984. Never crossdressed while working, except for underwear.

[nelliebell]

Hello everyone!!

I am so happy with all the replies! So many different sections within technology in one post and quite a lot of you have worked in technology for many years :D.

[Sometimes Steffi]

Electrical/telecom/systems engineer. 40+ years working. And, I must be older than all of you. My first "computer" was a slide rule. But, I guess my oldest real computer was an IBM 1130 when I was still in high school. Since then, IBM 360/67, PDP 8/11, VAX 11/780, IBM PC/DOS 2.0, IBM PC-XT/286/DOS IBM 386/Win 3.0, 3.1, Pentium/Win 95, Win 98, XP, CORE I5/Win Win 7, Win 10.

I skipped most of the : Win ME, Win 8 and maybe some others I totally forgot about

[traciethetg]

I have worked as a Aerospace technician,robotics technician,electronics engineer,then networks engineer,programmer,then an aircraft technician.

[Beverley Sims]

I was a photographer until computers came along.

Now everyone's a photographer with the advent of digital cameras and Photoshop. :-)

It specialist? is my game today along with making movies.

[giuseppina]

My expertise is in analogue, digital and power electronics, printed circuit board design, and software design. Last job was switching power supplies.

[Robin777]

I started after college as a electronics technician and fell into the field of Metrology. For those of you that don't know what a Metrologist is. I'm the person who keeps the electronic instrumentation accurate. Equipment like multimeters, oscilloscopes,etc. I worked at a Integrated Circuit Manufacturer where we made the chips for the space program and the military. Towards the end it was mostly for the automotive industry.Was there for 23 years until the plant closed. I now work at a large research company doing the same thing.

[jeni]

Automotive Engineer.

[ClosetED]

I have been a programmer for 42 years, as well as a physician for 32. Real computer nerd - started the computer club in high school. Started with BASIC and FORTRAN on DecWriters, IBM 360/370 in college, wrote a video game for Atari in assembler as a independent study class, I think I was the first to implement hypermedia in 1989, on the Macintosh. Wrote software for Harvard Medical School and local hospitals and then for insurance company, while still seeing patients. It all comes very easy to me.
I have put on hose while programming, where no one could tell. I have had a few days at home alone and can dress and work at the computer.
Hugs, Ellen

[ReneeTX]

I work in IT Infrastructure and Operations. Primarily, I'm a senior Windows server engineer, VMware Architect, all things that are virtualized, and multiple other infra/Ops applications. I've been in IT since 98 when I decided I'd had enough of the catty b***hes I worked with as an ER/ICU nurse.

[Debs]

Worked at Shell Oil for 33 years, I was department Hardware repairs for many years (no such things as help desk or computer engineer), each department used current staff to fix things, I happened to be into PC,s even before hard drives where used, all loaded by 5.5 inch floppy disc. ok things changed , so I got into Visual basic programming , writing code for Excel , Powerpoint , MS assess etc. and did that for 20 years, now retired, but still repair laptops on the side when they pass my way. Nobody has towers or desktops anymore. All fiddly laptop repairs, so dont go out of my way looking for work. Done some bits of VB for some small business, but as I say they ring me, I dont go looking. Did work from home in the last 5 years of my job, and yes did dress.

[Peggie Lee]

44 years US AIRFORCE PMEL (precision measurement equipment laboratory).

[Chelsea B]

Nellie, I am a tech nerd from way back, but retired a couple of years ago. I wasn’t dressing during most of my career.
I was an audio and video engineer working in recording and post production.
I also write software.

Chelsea

[Vale]

Hi Nell,
40+ years as an engineer and scientist, and still going. Worked in many different fields. I sought work that was challenging and generally found ways to enjoy it. Most of you will have used something I helped design or test at some time in your life. To me that is satisfying.

Never dressed at work, but have always been regarded as somehow “different” by my peers.

Btw: the first computer I worked with was an LGP-30.

[laura.lapinski]

Yeeesss. Worked in IT most of my adult life. Have done everything in IT I think. I am now a Systems Analyst. I design software systems, manage programmers, administer systems/DB's. I like using my creativity on making sense out of chaos. I have a feeling a lot of CD's are techs. I think CDers are intelligent, and have rich imaginations, and are intuitive.

[Janine cd]

I taught computer technology and repair for about 10 years.

[MsKim2888]

Well I work for a manufacturing audit and certification company, mainly for computer/IT products eg: printers, cameras, LCD screen, etc. for 10+yrs. Doing certification and audit for FCC, CCC, ISO standards and etc. Now I'm taking over my family business (non IT related). Well does that count to being in IT industries?:)

[Millie.Graham]

I work as a systems engineer. I design, build, integrate, and test embedded systems.