Damn straight you can. It's about aptitude mainly.
I don't have a degree and I've worked in the industry for 17 years now professionally. People always tell me I'm an exception but to me it doesn't matter. You'll have to prove yourself in this industry no matter what your background.
These days there is a huge wealth of information out here to help you learn. Use it to your advantage and don't take no for an answer! Dig in right now. Think about something you'd like to build, no matter how fantastic, and start working towards it.
I chose a mac because I code for the ipad platform. I also have a PC for doing .net programming and a linux one for fun. I just love the unix platform as a developer. It's a developer's dream. So many libraries built in, tons of utilities to do anything under the sun, and on top of all that OSX looks good too.
You can ask but I wouldn't. Not because I think you don't have a shot but because who does timed tests via email? This isn't some goddam parlor game we play, it's real work. Since when does this simulate real work? It's ridiculous. Be happy you failed IMHO.
One of these days I'm going to put up silly games and clever questions with BS constraints. The first person to tell me to shove it wins the prize - a job.
But they bought a good solid team and a great brand that can be reused in other incarnations. It's either that or compete with them. Not really a mistake when you look at it from an exec's perspective.
Well here's where they are very well represented - marketing and design. Two very important fields. Without those you just have a lonely little application or website. Never mind management where they are rising very fast. Programmers aren't an island.
This is actually easily possible because a lot of email clients are web browsers and we could take the html + js and apply it. The problem is this has already been done and lead to a lot of viruses, thanks to holes in IE mainly.
I've been fascinated with this topic since 2000 when I wrote my own SMTP component for .Net because I wanted more from email. I realized over time that it's the large lumbering beast called enterprise that will decide what to adopt and when. There are plenty of rich messaging formats available right now. We just need to use them.
Although this is very exciting I remain highly skeptical.If anything this smells like a pump and dump scheme more than a legit effort. I hope I'm wrong. I really want to see this succeed.
I have a much simpler reason - there's money in it.
Besides, stick around long enough and you realize it's not the language or platform, it's the process behind the creation that deserves the most focus. Strive for perfection in that and you'll get much greater return on your mental investment.
That's my reason and I'm certainly not ashamed by it even if there are a few starry-eyed fools here on this board. I program for money. Not to be on the cover of hipster hacker. I program with passion to the best of my ability, for money.
I disagree with the point regarding salary . You should always ask up front to decide if you even want to interview. Ask them a range and explain why - a lot of people waste time with overqualified candidates only to find out they want much more than the company can offer. So it might be worth mentioning unless you want your time wasted.
Is programming about the money? Well I don't come to work to make art, I come to get paid. I do love it. But this is a business not a volunteer effort.
I love my notepads. I collect them then go back a few years later and see what I was thinking. Sure I can do that on the computer, and I do using things like google docs, but I love paper and scribbling.
Or maybe he did see that and avoided discussing it, instead deciding to keep a personal belief personal. Everyday doesn't have to be epiphany day after all.