“Surviving in the Hi-Tech World” follows the many ups and downs of my years as a software developer in the high-tech industry. It provides a window into what it is like to work in the computer field.
I worked for many different organizations, from academia and large companies to medium sized companies and startups. The stories weave my work experience with explanations of the technology of the period. In the process, it is an account of the history of computing, following the revolutionary changes in computer hardware and software from large mainframes to personal microcomputers and the evolution of early networks into the global Internet.
While the book includes technology details down to diagrams and code snippets, there are plenty of human interest stories that will engage non-technical readers.
In university, I became interested in the possibilities of using computers to model and understand human thinking. I completed a Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence in Computer Science but my interest in doing academic research shifted to an interest in building real world systems.
My first computer job was with a company that had built one of the first general purpose commercial computers (Univac). I switched jobs for many different reasons – sometimes because of interest and at other times because of necessity. The accounts of how I secured new positions may provide some guidelines for people who are trying to manage a career in the rapidly changing world of technology.
Each chapter in the book covers the different jobs and places that I worked. My journey took me from Montreal to London, Glasgow, Wisconsin, Vancouver and Toronto. Each has its own story and series of adventures. There are accounts of some people who became millionaires and some who went to jail.
This is a free book available in several ebook readers.
Read “Surviving in the Hi-Tech World”
