ThePowerOfGeek

I didn’t switch into IT, I’ve basically been in IT since I started working (which was quite a while ago). But hopefully I can help.

I think you’re off to a good start with the minor in comp sci. That will help. Certs can help too, depending on the nature of them. I wouldn’t go all-in on super-expensive certs, but if they are affordable and hands-on they’re probably worth it.

Depending on which area of IT you want to the get into, just keep learning/relearning skills and building up your knowledge in your spare time. That might be a bit more expensive if you’re going into the hardware/network side of things (especially right now). Maybe look online for used hardware you can buy to build up a home lab. But for software development it’s not too bad, since there are lots of good open source tools out there.

If you are taking the software path, I suggest finding an open source project and helping them out, since that’s a great way to learn and it’s good for the resume. But also know that (from what I’ve heard) the software development field is BRUTAL right now for entry level/junior devs. AI and corporate layoffs are making it a tough field to find a position in.

If you have a knack for networking, especially messing around on networks, cyber security might be a good avenue.

Good luck!

Yeah, sparkling water with a dash of lemon juice is great for me. Very refreshing and basically no sugar or calories.

• Download Kiwix and a full copy of Wikipedia and other useful wikis as ZIM files.
• Make sure my media library has as many movies and shows that I’m interested in as possible.
• Download the entire Guttenburg library of books.
• Grab any free legacy games and media from archive.org that looks interesting.
• Get a meshtastic device and get familiar with it.
• Get familiar with my long-range radio (and probably finally get a HAM radio license).

I’m curious about this too. I know that on the latest version of Ollama it’s possible to install OpenClaw. But I assumed you needed to point it to a paid API (Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, etc.) for it to really work. But yeah, maybe it works with Qwen 3 or similar models?

I guess a major factor to this is what your system resources look like, especially howmuch RAM you have. And therefore which model you are hosting locally.

It can be a factor for some. Personally, I think I’m happier now overall than I was a couple of decades ago. Not to say I don’t get cranky and irritable sometimes, because that definitely happens. Maybe moreso now. But I think that’s because I just don’t have the tolerance for nonsense.

But I’m fairly content with life. And my attitude towards people who have different lifestyle to me had mellowed out, because life’s too short. I think that has helped with my overall happiness quite a lot.

I’d be even happier if the wider world wasn’t going to shit. But eh, it is what it is.

I’ve been down this path. Getting people to switch was a mixed bag. Some did and have stuck around using it. But others either refused (“another messaging app?!”) or wanted to but ran into problems using Signal.

I’ve also run into problems connecting with people on Signal. They just aren’t findable, even with their privacy settings relaxed and with me trying several formats of their number. After troubleshooting and having other people try, it seems random and makes no sense.

So the three biggest downsides of Signal are: a) users having to juggle yet another messaging app (because their friends/family are scattered across several and they find this overwhelming already); b) Signal looking a bit ‘ugly’ of not as useable to some people; c) people getting frustrated at not being able to connect with friends who are already on there.

The biggest upsides to Signal are a) it’s not Meta or some other corporation trying to profit from exploring its users; b) it’s a clean and simple UX (IMO) that doesn’t try to do too much extra; c) the organization behind it takes security very seriously.

Great point!

They got monetized by corporations, just like so many other specialized information sources.

Like you, I remember earlier days on the web where you could find all sorts of stuff for free, if you knew how to search. That included reverse phone number searches, finding people online, etc. Now it’s all trapped behind paywalls. I get that maintaining it costs money. But it’s still a bit disheartening. I guess the silver lining is that it makes it a bit harder for people’s sensitive information to be accessible to everyone (unless they pay for it, of course).

Another information category that’s gone down this route is genealogy information. Most of the good stuff there’s is being held hostage by ancestry.com and similar sites. And most online newspapers now hide their articles behind paywalls of one kind or another (there are ways around them usually, but it’s still a hassle).