May 28, 2010 at 7:10 am
I have many hobbies: gaming (board and computer), reading and book and comic collecting, record collecting, programming, attending cons, travel, learning science, failing to learn languages (I've done quite badly in German, Japanese, French, Polish and Russian, yet learn programming languages quite well), woodworking and home repair, etc...
I do plan to "do my hobby for a living" when I retire. My grandparents owned a used bookstore and I'd love to do the same when I retire from IT. I wonder if there'll still be a market for physical books, comics, cds and games by that point.
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When you encounter a problem, if the solution isn't readily evident go back to the start and check your assumptions.
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It’s unpleasantly like being drunk.
What’s so unpleasant about being drunk?
You ask a glass of water. -- Douglas Adams
May 28, 2010 at 7:11 am
I love computers and programming, discovered this world when I was 8 and it became my profession 12 years later. Also I studied construction profession and I really enjoyed building piping at home, minor installations, fixing roof and so worth.
But I would switch to writing in case I had the opportunity, unfortunely is a long-term dream in Argentina, even popular writers needed a lot of time to live of that profession. Moreover, I'm afraid to lose the passion for writing if I have to publish every certain period of time, it sounds stressful.
Max
May 28, 2010 at 7:12 am
I have numerous interests including reading, hiking and camping, and working with wood. Unfortunately, as was previously mentioned, I rarely get the opportunity or time to enjoy them. I would love to spend more time on my hobbies, but I must agree that I would not want to do woodworking as a living simply because it would then become my job and no longer my enjoyable hobby. As a hobby, I can spend as much time and leisure on a project as I want without worrying too much about the resultant outcome. If it were my job, I would be under time and quality pressures without any room for enjoyment.
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Website: https://www.sqlrv.com
May 28, 2010 at 7:14 am
I absolutely love Texas Hold'em Poker and I would love to do it full time, but I am just not that good to turn pro....yet! 😀
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
May 28, 2010 at 7:20 am
I already do something I love, so there is no need or desire to change. However, I am sure I could be happy doing one of my other many interests. Generally I consider IT and database work pretty well paying, I don't think I could make as much money if I did something else I enjoyed.
May 28, 2010 at 7:44 am
I spend a good deal of time landscaping around our home; and it's always an enjoyable diversion to research some new project and going tot Lowes or a stone yard to pick out supplies. A couple of years ago, I converted a drainage swale that runs between my property and the next into a dry creek bed using about two tons of river rock and wild flowers, and the result has gotten a lot of compliments. In the area where I live, a typical lawn mowing job is $50, so if someone could line up several projects a day, they could actually make a somewhat decent living at it. Actually, I would mind doing some professional landscaping between IT contract gigs.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
May 28, 2010 at 7:49 am
Tim Cullen (5/28/2010)
I thought I would be the only one to say that being a database developer is both my hobby and job! I tinkered with databases in my previous career and swore when I grew tired of that line of work I would work with databases. Like most of you, I just can't see myself doing anything else. And, by the way, Happy Dougnut Day! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughnut_day)
I do envy people who make a living from what they love to do anyway. I do like programming and database work; but it's not what I would choose if I had complete freedom.
Mine is tennis. Actually taught it for a summer while I was looking for "real work". The $ isn't there unless you're the head pro for a club or resort. And tennis teachers typically see their own games whither a little since they're tired after feeding balls to beginners or working out harder with intermediate students all day for a living. They're not up to playing competitive matches after that.
Ken
May 28, 2010 at 7:58 am
Hmmm, computers have been my hobby for last 35 years. During my last few years in the USAF I even free-lanced for PC Magazine (nothing like having $12,000 worth of modems in your back bedroom :-)). When I retired from the USAF I went right into my hobby as my primary profession. Since then I've run the gaunlet from programmer to Director of IT and now am quite happy as a full-time Senior Database Developer. I turn 66 next month and just cannot imagine not doing performance tuning in some capacity. For me, my database development work is just as much fun as doing Sudoko and KenKen puzzles -- only I get paid for database development! Tennis is now my hobby and that keeps my body (and mind) in tune for my old hobby -- computers!
Mike Byrd
May 28, 2010 at 8:10 am
My hobby is to go camping and hiking, and yes I would do it for a living if I could. But I don't think my wife would be too thrilled at that prospect.
May 28, 2010 at 8:18 am
My hobby has always been computer programming (since I was a kid). Personally, I prefer game programming, but database programming definitely keeps me interested. I do spent some off-work time doing small game development, but I find it's much more profitable to dedicate that time to work.
--J
May 28, 2010 at 8:20 am
I play softball 5 times a week. Yes, I'd like to get paid to do that. Would like to get paid to do fishing also. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have passion for programming/SQL the same I have for my hobbies. It just never comes close to the thrill of winning games, making the great play, or catching the big one. At least I can read SQL and .NET books while I fish, but I certainly don't read those for fun. But its neccesary in order to be the one people come to when they need help, and it helps to get certifications which is almost a much unless you actually find a manager that doesn't care about such things.
"Make the job what you want it to be."
May 28, 2010 at 9:24 am
I recently started doing some Lapidary Arts work. I was on vacation a couple of years ago in South and North Carolina and one of our camping neighbors was faceting some emeralds. We had visited a couple of the mines and had a piece we thought would make a nice ring stone. After talking with him for a while, he showed me how to facet the raw stone into a nice faceted stone. This year we went to William Holland School of Lapidary and I took a class in faceting. Since I have been back I have cut two stones (a 4 carat Amethyst and a 6 carat Smokey Quartz). I am still too inexperienced to cut for someone else yet, but I could see this as an extra income for retirement.
Raymond Laubert
Exceptional DBA of 2009 Finalist
MCT, MCDBA, MCITP:SQL 2005 Admin,
MCSE, OCP:10g
May 28, 2010 at 9:29 am
Wow, a lot of responses to this one! I have quite a few hobbies, none of which involve computers. While I enjoy the challenge of working with databases, after 25 years it's become more a means to an end.
The only one of my hobbies I'd probably be able to make a living at would be bicycle repair, but it would be pretty meager compared to my IT earnings. Maybe I'll give it a go when I retire.
On second thought, maybe I could combine a couple of my favorite hobbies: be on the look out for my bike shop/pizzaria!
Greg
May 28, 2010 at 9:30 am
That's really amazing, one of the most interesting hobbies I ever heard in years.
Congrats!
May 28, 2010 at 9:37 am
Earn a living from my hobby? That would turn my hobby into my profession, which makes it no longer a hobby, by definition.
Good lord, no! I enjoy my job, and enjoy my hobbies, and sometimes my job or my hobbies change, but they are never the same.
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