I know I'm really late to this discussion, was moving house (yuck). I think this is a great idea, but wonder if you'd benefit from limited scope.
I'd personally focus on the juvenile justice system and perhaps young adults. You need to incorporate education into the program to help people get their GED or equivalent.
I've seen kids go into jail on a Friday for the most silly reason, only to have to wait till Tuesday to even be seen in court. The county I lived in only heard cases Tuesday and Thursday. So Friday meant multi-night lockup. This can be incredibly daunting on a kid. Especially a first time offender. If you guys could create a trust system where kids could be released immediately to parents by using a device with app it could stop some problems before they begin.
Partnership for work is probably the next most critical piece. If you could find companies that, based on your assessment, would be happy to hire people on your program you would be tackling another big problem. If the only way someone can provide for their children is to steal, they're going to do it.
Good luck with this! It's a noble cause and something has to disrupt the judicial system.
You either need to get out more or maybe re-evaluate if software development is for you.
I might just be lucky but I've never really gone more than 3 months where I'm not creating something new birthed from some idea of my own or someone else.
Personally, I love my career choice because I believe I get to create from nothing almost daily. Do I sometimes string together something I've used before? Sure. Are there times I get bored? Sure. But I find that's usually a state of mind and get over it pretty quick, or find some side project to feed my creative and problem-solving side while "going through the motions" that bring in the paycheck.
The way you phrase your statement reminds me of an interview I had with a guy that was constantly quitting jobs because he "Wasn't making a real difference and that's what he wanted in a job". That's a pretty big ask, and if you really feel that way start an organization that will do that. Or better yet. Keep moving that data, those buttons and tweaking those colors, earning money and then contribute to the causes you care about. Because I'm damn sure you'll be earning at least 20% more doing what you're doing now than you would be working for that non-profit. Take that extra cash and some of your free time and donate it.
To be a bit brutal, stop bitching. Life is what you make of it, either find the joy in what you do or go find something else that brings you joy. But don't belittle what people are doing. One of the people out there doing entry-level menial work is building the skills they need to one day build something that will benefit mankind.
Sounds like you're not a programmer who's ever gotten in the zone. Because if I had a Fing 25-min timer around me I'd get nothing done.
Nothing beats coming out of a 3 hour programming blur when you realize you haven't eaten anything and have to pee real bad... but you re-wrote that entire module that everyone hates and thought would take weeks to fix. MIC DROP
So well said. Personally, I can't stand beer. Just give me anything that tastes good on ice and I'm happy. It's so interesting seeing you state the not-really-a-nerd thing. I am a true nerd that was coding at 11 in QBasic, but at the same time I played rugby and partied hard with my friends.
The laughable thing is that I worked with my first female programmer in 1999 and to this day believe she was one of the best programmers I ever worked with. I'm willing to bet she never thought of us as a bunch of "brogrammers". And I worked for a company owned by ultra-conservative Afrikaans South Africans. She was just another programmer like the rest of us that worked hard and got shit done. We all got paid on merit there and I don't think gender ever entered the equation.
But then this wasn't in America and I've come to understand and accept that America is about ceremony over authenticity. I see it in everywhere in the culture. Ceremony and labels. Oooooh American's love their labels. Let me label you and put you in a box, then I understand you, then I know how to treat you in a "politically correct" way. I grew up in South Africa while apartheid was still in effect. I was privileged enough to see it break down and Mandela elected president during high school. Maybe I just kid myself but, personally, I've always just seen each person as an individual and rather got to know them before branding them based on gender, race, religion or what not.
Or maybe the drugs were just good and I loved everyone...
I think that is very different to the "Tech Happy Hour" and what feels like contrived events you see in "open office, culture (or people?) first" tech world. I have found, personally, that I formed more authentic relationships in those "stuffy", "formal" settings. Because you know what. When I go out on a Friday with my work mates, it's because I like them. Not because when I don't I'm viewed as anti-social or stuck up. I'm a lot of fun. Just don't force it down my throat or I'll give you the middle finger and show you just how unfun I can be.
I'd personally focus on the juvenile justice system and perhaps young adults. You need to incorporate education into the program to help people get their GED or equivalent.
I've seen kids go into jail on a Friday for the most silly reason, only to have to wait till Tuesday to even be seen in court. The county I lived in only heard cases Tuesday and Thursday. So Friday meant multi-night lockup. This can be incredibly daunting on a kid. Especially a first time offender. If you guys could create a trust system where kids could be released immediately to parents by using a device with app it could stop some problems before they begin.
Partnership for work is probably the next most critical piece. If you could find companies that, based on your assessment, would be happy to hire people on your program you would be tackling another big problem. If the only way someone can provide for their children is to steal, they're going to do it.
Good luck with this! It's a noble cause and something has to disrupt the judicial system.