November 10, 2003
Confessions of an Accidental Techie
Dorothea's explanation of how she became an Accidental Techie struck a chord with many of us, including me.
My Black Politics in America professor was the catalyst for my interest in the Web. He asked each of us to read The Final Call -- either by approaching one of the bow-tied men on New Brunswick streetcorners and buying a copy (he advised us to try the bean pie as well) or by going online.
I'll admit that my perception of Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam was not a positive one and I shied away from the smiling men hawking their paper. I opted to head to the computer lab instead. I tentatively opened a browser and searched for The Final Call. I got to the site and I was afraid to click on any links. I thought I might break the Internet or accidentally buy something. I thought I might lose my way back.
It amazes me to step back and see what I can create these days. Like many Accidental Techies, I don't feel confident in my development abilities because I never went to a class. There are gaping holes in my expertise simply because I learned on a project-by-project basis.
This month I'll finally be attending PHP and Oracle training. Funny how it takes someone else's validation for me to feel like I can do the job I've already been doing.
Comments
interesting. most of my women friends who are into computers fit this category. and i find it highly enriching that they did not spend their teen years in the basements of their parents, hacking away.