JP

I talk with a home-based IT professional from Texas. We discuss his start in the industry, the Apple II, the struggle of locating replacement vintage computer parts, taking things apart, (not) putting things back together, creativity, the job market, the decline of broad knowledge, the value of experience, the skill of walking non-technically inclined people through troubleshooting, communication, patience, puzzles, IT through the lens of the pandemic, remote technology, mistrust of the cloud, mistrust of Windows updates, procrastination, connected nature, laziness, Path Tactics, the joy of simple computer gaming, Tetris, escapism, reading, getting banned from the public library, how I learned to use the internet, floppy disks, DOS games, ASCII art, the loss of imagination, wood shop, essential work, needing a break, how God works, the relaxing quality of meeting new people, my hospitality career, my upcoming job interview at a local radio station, the uncertainty of the pandemic, changing careers, taking risks, going on adventures, the fear of being unproductive, life in the country, seeking encouragement, and Zork.