- Work as a system administrator with final responsibility for a network.
Partly Done since 1996! I had responsibility for most of tertius.net.au and notdoneliving.net running up to 40 mailing lists, installing and upgrading the hardware and software, securing the system after a cracker broke in (grf!) and so on. It's only my private systems though so I don't really figure it counts. When I wrote the goal I meant professionally.
- Work as a researcher, probably researching something to do with artificial intelligence.
Replaced after 1998! I've now been out of the AI arena for so long that it's hard to see me getting back up to speed enough to research it, even if I did get well. And my priorities and goals have changed enough that I can't really ever see me putting in the time and effort to get back 'up there' to the cutting edge of AI research. You never know though, priorities change.
- Work as a programmer/software engineer, or at least in a job where programming/software engineering is a major role.
Partly Done in 1999-2000! I programmed for Netizen (website now defunct) when I was well enough. It counts as 'partly' because never was well enough to do more than a few hours a week.
- Write, advertise and sell a software package.
Partly Done in 1995! With Thorfinn's help, I wrote and sold PFind, a simple program to help patent attorneys search through foreign-language documents by imputing search strings in ASCII. Given that the program was so simple and that we only sold 10-20 copies, I don't think it completely counts but it's a good start.
Partly Replaced in 1999! This isn't really one of my goals anymore. I'm now more interested in open source software - what I program I give away. - Work in a job where technical writing is part of my duties.
Partly Done in 1999-2000! Part of my work at Netizen (website now defunct) was to document stuff.
- Work as a teacher or tutor.
Partly Done in 1998! For a few months, I taught flute to my younger brother each week. I only partly count it because it was somewhat informal.
- Volunteer part-time for at least a year somewhere where I can use relatively unique skills, for example teaching computer skills to people with disabilities.
- Do some job involving a major amount of manual labor (eg fruit-picking, gardening).
Possibly Replaced in 2001! Certainly not something I could do unless I'm 100% well and that seems unlikely.
- Work for an ISP, or start my own.
Partly Done in 1999-2000! Netizen (website now defunct) isn't an ISP but it's close enough for the purpose.
- (Added 2003) Work on the set of a movie or TV show, behind the camera doing something that could be quite small, but something that let me watch the actual stuff being filmed (ie grip rather than wardrobe!).
- Own and run a full-time business.
Partly Done in 1995 and 1999-2000! I started 'Computing RJ', a software/Internet consulting business in 1995- I wasn't well enough to work full-time at it though. Then, starting in 1999, I part-owned and helped to run Netizen (website now defunct).
- Sell something I've hand-crafted.
Done in 1995! In a fit of boredom and total gothic weirdness I created and sold a bunch of tiny black coffins! Yes, I'm odd.
- (Added June, 2003) Work as a radio station techie, or "knob twiddler". Panel operator. Whatever its called, the one who doesn't talk! I have no ambitions of talking on the radio, I just want to mix things and help the programs end up on the air at the right time.
- (Added July, 2003) Work as a veterinary nurse.
- (Added May, 2004) To work with animals in some way where I am in charge of looking after them.
