A good question

fraterrisus asked: you've had a significant taste of both academia and the private sector. which one do you prefer and why? alternately, if you had to choose one, which one would you pick and why?

That's a very good question, and the answer is somewhat convoluted. I'll see if I can sort it out. Right now I prefer private sector. If I could get the benefits of academe without the tenure treadmill then I might do that. I've got a huge stack of things I think are worth researching and I would love to direct a small group of dedicated grad students. On the other hand, getting tenure is a tedious grind and hard on the family life. I'd rather not put my family through that.

If that sounds like someone who'd really rather be in academia, you're right. If I could wave a wand and make myself a professor today I'd be heavily tempted. But today I have a lot more flexibility in the private sector. Somewhere along the bouncing in and out of jobs, which I really am getting to loathe, I've learned how to really coherently describe the value that I bring to an enterprise. There also seems to be a sea change in my field (usability) over the last three or so years. This job search I've seen _lots_ of postings for interaction designers, usability professionals, human factors people. I feel that finally companies are beginning to wake up to the idea - to which lots have paid lip service - that they can't just shove technology on customers and have a successful business.

If that sounds like someone who'd really rather be in private sector work, you're right. Or maybe it's just my self-justification for being too lazy to do the tenure grind. I did get the PhD with the intention of being a professor "some day" and going to the Media Lab reunion a couple weeks ago really reminded me just how much I loved that environment and how happy I was there.

I used to get this question a lot in interviews, until I massaged my resume to make it look less academic. It's a tough one to answer honestly.

((The floor is still open, if anyone wants to ask me things, or have me ask them.))

A good question

fraterrisus asked: you've had a significant taste of both academia and the private sector. which one do you prefer and why? alternately, if you had to choose one, which one would you pick and why?

That's a very good question, and the answer is somewhat convoluted. I'll see if I can sort it out. Right now I prefer private sector. If I could get the benefits of academe without the tenure treadmill then I might do that. I've got a huge stack of things I think are worth researching and I would love to direct a small group of dedicated grad students. On the other hand, getting tenure is a tedious grind and hard on the family life. I'd rather not put my family through that.

If that sounds like someone who'd really rather be in academia, you're right. If I could wave a wand and make myself a professor today I'd be heavily tempted. But today I have a lot more flexibility in the private sector. Somewhere along the bouncing in and out of jobs, which I really am getting to loathe, I've learned how to really coherently describe the value that I bring to an enterprise. There also seems to be a sea change in my field (usability) over the last three or so years. This job search I've seen _lots_ of postings for interaction designers, usability professionals, human factors people. I feel that finally companies are beginning to wake up to the idea - to which lots have paid lip service - that they can't just shove technology on customers and have a successful business.

If that sounds like someone who'd really rather be in private sector work, you're right. Or maybe it's just my self-justification for being too lazy to do the tenure grind. I did get the PhD with the intention of being a professor "some day" and going to the Media Lab reunion a couple weeks ago really reminded me just how much I loved that environment and how happy I was there.

I used to get this question a lot in interviews, until I massaged my resume to make it look less academic. It's a tough one to answer honestly.

((The floor is still open, if anyone wants to ask me things, or have me ask them.))

Memories meme (is that redundant?)

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, even if we don't speak often, please post a comment with a memory of you and me. It can be anything you want, either good or bad. I promise not to hold any grudges.

Propagate this meme if you so choose, or ask me to reciprocate if that feels more comfortable.

Comments screened by default. Please indicate whether you want yours unscreened.

Memories meme (is that redundant?)

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, even if we don't speak often, please post a comment with a memory of you and me. It can be anything you want, either good or bad. I promise not to hold any grudges.

Propagate this meme if you so choose, or ask me to reciprocate if that feels more comfortable.

Comments screened by default. Please indicate whether you want yours unscreened.

Questions from Beah

1) Tell me about your families - of origin, of choice, etc. How have they shifted over the years, and what has the shifting taught you?

That's an essay answer. Origin family is your typical white liberal Jewish suburban upper-middle class east coast bundle, with some twists. Major shifts have included parents' divorce my freshman year of undergrad (too late by at least a decade), my brother deciding to become a monster, excuse me "born again Christian".

Chosen family is a slowly morphing pack. I seem to be moderately terrible at getting and keeping friends. Lovers have come and gone - the longest in there was six years and we're still friendly. I used to dream of multi-adult households, but never found people with whom I could make it work. The most obvious shift in both was sweetmmeblue's and my choice to get married and have kids. We're pretty family-centric these days, partly out of necessity.

2) Is there something you desperately want (not an Ipod Nano or other tangible object, something for your *life*) that you don't already have? What are you doing to get it?

See my answers to fraterrisus's questions. Clarity and motivation are the two things I most lack. Clarity I'm working on, particularly trying to understand my emotional responses and such. There will likely be more postings on that topic. Motivation - eh, if I was motivated I wouldn't need to do things to motivate myself, would I?

3) Does your life have themes? Like, lessons that keep recurring, or passions that have followed you through the years? What are they? How do you feel about them?

That's another excellent question, probably really answerable only in essay form. I don't think my life has themes, so much as I think it has episodes, or chapters. Perhaps that's too soap-opera of me, but it's how I think of things. There are chapters about grad school and about fatherhood and about lots of things. And they're not particularly linear by any means. Lessons, not so much. Once in a while the Universe Speaks To Me and I try hard to listen. And then there are things that accrete from experience, which I expect happens to anyone who survives this long. Oh, and insights. There's stuff you know because it happened, and you realize it happened to everyone else who passed this life-point before you and it will probably happen to most of the people you know who haven't yet passed it, and trying to tell people to whom it hasn't happened is a little like describing colors to a blind person. But there you are. I used to feel compelled to communicate; these days I just settle for bemusement because I know no one will listen and so why annoy the pig?

Questions from Beah

1) Tell me about your families - of origin, of choice, etc. How have they shifted over the years, and what has the shifting taught you?

That's an essay answer. Origin family is your typical white liberal Jewish suburban upper-middle class east coast bundle, with some twists. Major shifts have included parents' divorce my freshman year of undergrad (too late by at least a decade), my brother deciding to become a monster, excuse me "born again Christian".

Chosen family is a slowly morphing pack. I seem to be moderately terrible at getting and keeping friends. Lovers have come and gone - the longest in there was six years and we're still friendly. I used to dream of multi-adult households, but never found people with whom I could make it work. The most obvious shift in both was sweetmmeblue's and my choice to get married and have kids. We're pretty family-centric these days, partly out of necessity.

2) Is there something you desperately want (not an Ipod Nano or other tangible object, something for your *life*) that you don't already have? What are you doing to get it?

See my answers to fraterrisus's questions. Clarity and motivation are the two things I most lack. Clarity I'm working on, particularly trying to understand my emotional responses and such. There will likely be more postings on that topic. Motivation - eh, if I was motivated I wouldn't need to do things to motivate myself, would I?

3) Does your life have themes? Like, lessons that keep recurring, or passions that have followed you through the years? What are they? How do you feel about them?

That's another excellent question, probably really answerable only in essay form. I don't think my life has themes, so much as I think it has episodes, or chapters. Perhaps that's too soap-opera of me, but it's how I think of things. There are chapters about grad school and about fatherhood and about lots of things. And they're not particularly linear by any means. Lessons, not so much. Once in a while the Universe Speaks To Me and I try hard to listen. And then there are things that accrete from experience, which I expect happens to anyone who survives this long. Oh, and insights. There's stuff you know because it happened, and you realize it happened to everyone else who passed this life-point before you and it will probably happen to most of the people you know who haven't yet passed it, and trying to tell people to whom it hasn't happened is a little like describing colors to a blind person. But there you are. I used to feel compelled to communicate; these days I just settle for bemusement because I know no one will listen and so why annoy the pig?