POV-Ray : Newsgroups : povray.general : Just saying hi Server Time
28 Mar 2024 17:58:09 EDT (-0400)
  Just saying hi (Message 5 to 14 of 14)  
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From: Chris Cason
Subject: Re: Just saying hi
Date: 25 May 2021 08:57:08
Message: <60acf424$1@news.povray.org>
I'll just pop a mention in this thread about how I manage my time WRT 
the project and server. This is because I also have to keep my head out 
of the day-to-day messaging and discussions.

Some of you may have noticed that for some topics I can start 
contributing very early in the thread. This possibly leads to an 
impression that I scan the forums daily and read all messages.

While I do from time to time read full discussion threads (sometimes 
well after they have ended), I do not check the server regularly at all. 
Instead I have an NNTP to Mailing List service running on povray.org 
which gates messages from a small selection of groups onto the list, and 
then through to me. If the topic of an email looks interesting I'll read 
more and/or drop into the forum.

Disclaimer: I know I could do similar with RSS, but this works for me. I 
even installed an RSS app on my iPad to see what it felt like to read 
that way but haven't kept using it. (On the plus side, when I was 
testing this I found a number of places I could improve the RSS generation).

Just an FYI anyhow. I'm here, but I'm sort of not here, if you know what 
I mean.

-- Chris


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From: ingo
Subject: Re: Just saying hi
Date: 25 May 2021 09:22:46
Message: <XnsAD359C7199EF6seed7@news.povray.org>
in news:60ace71a$1@news.povray.org clipka wrote:

> It's been a while, I guess.

Thanks for a sign of life.

Cheers,

Ingo


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From: Mike Horvath
Subject: Re: Just saying hi
Date: 25 May 2021 13:37:00
Message: <60ad35bc$1@news.povray.org>
Hi Christoph!


On 5/25/2021 8:01 AM, clipka wrote:
> Most of all though, there's one thing this line of work does _not_ do: 
> It does not _captivate_ me. And I found out that's actually not a bad 
> thing. Not for my well-being anyway. While I did still find myself "in 
> it" while teaching, at the end of the day I could easily set it aside. I 
> can't remember ever having done that as a software developer. Not unless 
> I had just happened to have cracked a particularly tough nut at the end 
> of a day.

Yeah, a career or hobby that consumes your entire life is not always 
such a great thing. It's nice to be able to take a break or step away, 
and teaching allows you to do that! (Since you likely have summer 
breaks, and fresh noobs appear every Fall.) Also, working with people 
can be rewarding in different ways!

Best wishes!


Mike


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From: Bald Eagle
Subject: Re: Just saying hi
Date: 25 May 2021 16:40:00
Message: <web.60ad5f9338738d471f9dae3025979125@news.povray.org>
Hi Christoph,

You should KNOW that you are always welcome here.
You were a POV-Ray user before you took on the mantle of being a developer all
on your own, and you can decide what you want to or don't want to do.  I can
tell you from my [vast] experience what a tremendous shitshow life can be, and
how all manner of nasty surprises can come out of nowhere and T-bone you.

You haven't burned any bridges, and you shouldn't let the inertia of not being
here set in and - grow.  Take a break, find your balance, and know that you have
_friends_ who care, give a crap, and want good things for you - whatever they
might be.

I've experienced a lot of hard losses, and I am truly sorry for yours.

Sometimes things just knock you out of - the track of your life - and you wind
up finding a different way.


> Most of all though, there's one thing this line of work does _not_ do:
> It does not _captivate_ me. And I found out that's actually not a bad
> thing. Not for my well-being anyway. While I did still find myself "in
> it" while teaching, at the end of the day I could easily set it aside. I
> can't remember ever having done that as a software developer. Not unless
> I had just happened to have cracked a particularly tough nut at the end
> of a day.

Right-o.  I've put in 114-hour weeks, and having a simple job with no after-work
responsibilities is exceptionally liberating.

> With that lesson learned, I have decided for my own sake to never go
> back into software development as a career. And I've also become wary of
> picking it up as a hobby again.

Yeah - I probably wanted to be a chemist since I was 5.  And now, well, that's
over and done with.

> For now, I just want to say "hi". Let you know that I'm alive, and
> reasonably well. Try to explain a bit why I left so abruptly without a word.

Thanks for that, buddy.   There were a lot of people worried about - and for
you.  We had some data that indicated you were "alright" - but the circumstances
indicated also that something was not alright.
For a while, I was actually betting that it was a girl...   ;)  :P


> I think in the near future I'd like to once again pick up communication
> with you folks. Chime in here and there in the newsgroups. Maybe answer
> a few questions now and then, maybe even give a few thoughts about the
> programming side of things.

You are ever welcome to come and chat and play - just make some pretty pictures
for no other reason than that.

> Whether I'll get back into active POV-Ray development I really cannot
> say at this point. What I can say is that it hurts not to.

Yes.  There are things that are difficult to return to - but you need to make
your own decisions, on your own timeline, and you need to just take the time to
wrap your head around everything about your life that is different --- and that,
my friend, can can a substantial amount of time.

> Hi everyone.

Hi again, Christoph.  It is truly a treat just to see you here and know that you
are - all things considered - ok.

Best wishes, and I hope you find happiness and success going forward.

- Bill


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From: clipka
Subject: Re: Just saying hi
Date: 25 May 2021 19:21:06
Message: <60ad8662$1@news.povray.org>
A huge shoutout at this point for William F Pokorny. From a cursory 
glance, it looks like he's kept the ball rolling after I dropped it, 
wading through other people's (mostly my) broken and/or half-finished 
code to troubleshoot bugs and other nasties.

Thanks, Bill.


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From: Chris Cason
Subject: Re: Just saying hi
Date: 25 May 2021 20:39:48
Message: <60ad98d4$1@news.povray.org>
On 26/05/2021 06:35, Bald Eagle wrote:
> You should KNOW that you are always welcome here.

100% this. No bridges burned (or even slightly singed). Sometimes things 
happen. We understand.

I myself have just now taken a month off from my day job (first long 
break in like 15 years) because I was simply burned out and couldn't 
function well. The only recreation I enjoy (kayaking, also my only 
exercise) was closed off to me last year when we had COVID lockdown and 
not being able to do this for a long time led to other complications - 
meaning even now that it's allowed I haven't been able to get out again.

It seems nowadays many more people have a poorer work/life balance than 
say 25 years ago (I'm one of them) and for some this has both physical 
and mental repercussions.

Honestly I think having the same hobby as your day job isn't always a 
good thing; yes you can enjoy your job more as hey someone's paying you 
to do stuff you used to do for fun - but IMO there's got to be other 
things in the mix to keep your mind healthy otherwise it ceases being 
enjoyable.

TL;DR sometimes one just needs to step back and say "that's enough, at 
least for now, I've got to do something else".

-- Chris


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From: Cousin Ricky
Subject: Re: Just saying hi
Date: 25 May 2021 23:59:10
Message: <60adc78e$1@news.povray.org>
On 2021-05-25 8:01 AM (-4), clipka wrote:
> It's been a while, I guess.
> [snip]
> Hi everyone.

Nice to hear from you!

Sorry for your losses, and I hear you on the software career.


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From: Tor Olav Kristensen
Subject: Re: Just saying hi
Date: 26 May 2021 05:15:00
Message: <web.60ae106a38738d478e52cc8789db30a9@news.povray.org>
clipka <ano### [at] anonymousorg> wrote:
> It's been a while, I guess.
>...
> Hi everyone.

Hi Christoph

It's good to hear that you are still around.
Best wishes from me.

--
Tor Olav


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From: William F Pokorny
Subject: Re: Just saying hi
Date: 26 May 2021 06:39:47
Message: <60ae2573$1@news.povray.org>
On 5/25/21 8:01 AM, clipka wrote:
> It's been a while, I guess.

:-) Life. Welcome return to our ray tracing campfire.

Bill P.


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From: Pekka Aho
Subject: Re: Just saying hi
Date: 7 Jun 2021 07:10:00
Message: <web.60bdfd6238738d47d0cd701047dba873@news.povray.org>
Indeed great to hear from you! Take care and all the best, and worry not, we
shall always hold a spot here around the campfire for you! :)

Cheers,
-Pekka


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