I just bout a Mandrake Linux Box with CD-RW from ... from Walmart.com. Part of this feels very wrong. Part of this feels very right. I'm just not sure how to feel at the moment.
There are several factors that are tugging at my conscience right now. Not the least of which is that I'm currently unemployed. I'm now looking for a job in earnest, but I don't have anything lined up as we enter the 4th quarter. I have some money saved up, but not gobs and gobs. However there are several aspects of jobs skills that I want to bone up on that I cannot do on my current computer. Though it's served me very well, I'm realizing that I'm going to need a lot more punch to run a Database, Webserver, Appserver, and development tools.
I've also wanted to buy this since I left my last gig in Houston. The sys admin there and the other Linux geeks (how I long to be one one day) recommended them. They had me sold back in September. And now here I am on the 24th of October. It'll take 2-7 days to process and 2-7 days to ground ship. Yes yes, I'm trying to do a server type machine on a budget.
But it's still $600 odd. Do I need to be spending that money right now? Is this what God wants for me right now? I know it's what I want, but I'm thinking with my geekdom :) I know that asking what God wants for me WRT computers is a bit of an odd question, but I'm realizing that I probably haven't been a good contributor to the world lately and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Trying to find where in the theater the Big Producer wants me to be.
Did I mention that I'm unemployed?
I'll also admit, as I stare over the pieces of another computer, part of me feels like I should be building this machine. Part of me feels like that's part of my independence, a mark against my geekdom, and over all a sad state for a geek. "I have bought a prebuilt system (computer). I have bought a prebuilt system with an operating system preloaded." feels equivalent to "My Kung Fu is weak."
For someone whose professional worth is based in no small part on technical prowess, this is hard to say. However, I must keep reminding myself that my chosen path is as a developer. I like the software and the human aspects of it. I have an understanding and a passing interest in hardware, but mostly as a means to get the software written. The fact that I know how to build and maintain hardware is a bonus. To be honest, it's a skill set I try to keep hidden in some cases least I be called for text support.
Yes, I realize that this entry is more cathartic than entertaining... but I needed to say it.
There are several factors that are tugging at my conscience right now. Not the least of which is that I'm currently unemployed. I'm now looking for a job in earnest, but I don't have anything lined up as we enter the 4th quarter. I have some money saved up, but not gobs and gobs. However there are several aspects of jobs skills that I want to bone up on that I cannot do on my current computer. Though it's served me very well, I'm realizing that I'm going to need a lot more punch to run a Database, Webserver, Appserver, and development tools.
I've also wanted to buy this since I left my last gig in Houston. The sys admin there and the other Linux geeks (how I long to be one one day) recommended them. They had me sold back in September. And now here I am on the 24th of October. It'll take 2-7 days to process and 2-7 days to ground ship. Yes yes, I'm trying to do a server type machine on a budget.
But it's still $600 odd. Do I need to be spending that money right now? Is this what God wants for me right now? I know it's what I want, but I'm thinking with my geekdom :) I know that asking what God wants for me WRT computers is a bit of an odd question, but I'm realizing that I probably haven't been a good contributor to the world lately and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Trying to find where in the theater the Big Producer wants me to be.
Did I mention that I'm unemployed?
I'll also admit, as I stare over the pieces of another computer, part of me feels like I should be building this machine. Part of me feels like that's part of my independence, a mark against my geekdom, and over all a sad state for a geek. "I have bought a prebuilt system (computer). I have bought a prebuilt system with an operating system preloaded." feels equivalent to "My Kung Fu is weak."
For someone whose professional worth is based in no small part on technical prowess, this is hard to say. However, I must keep reminding myself that my chosen path is as a developer. I like the software and the human aspects of it. I have an understanding and a passing interest in hardware, but mostly as a means to get the software written. The fact that I know how to build and maintain hardware is a bonus. To be honest, it's a skill set I try to keep hidden in some cases least I be called for text support.
Yes, I realize that this entry is more cathartic than entertaining... but I needed to say it.
