What's happened since you joined CUK?

[Whorty]

All you know about me is that I drink less than when I started on here and do less exercise.

Maybe knowing I like Tim-Tams and used to own a lake will help him hack into my Tesco clubcard account

[pjt]

Been a member since 2008 when I picked up my first contract. Since then I've had too many contracts to mention with 6 clients. Seem to have managed to carve out a fairly good niche with my only bench time being 2 weeks when a contract fell through at the last minute. Until recently I've been thinking I'm going to be contracting till retirement but thats looking a bit less likely with IR35 and whatever next the government throws at us. Apart from that 3 house moves 2 kids and lots of time abroad. Contractings been good for me long may it continue.

[edison]

Member for 7 years.

Had a great 'career' - somehow I have effectively been promoted three times all the way up to Head of IT. I don't know why I tried to climb that greasy corporate ladder as a permie.

6 clients, one of which was a former employer.

Worked in 10 European countries. I learnt that Switzerland is wallet bustingly expensive. Food in Germany wasn't as bad as I expected. People in Italy seem mad. People in Scandinavia are fun and friendly and people in Serbia are just scary.

Dabbled with idea of going back to perm during long bench time after 1st contract but soldiered on.

Thankfully, I haven't added to the two kids I already had but I did add a dog.

[mudskipper]

Joined September 2009

Became a contractor in October and haven't looked back.

Noteable achievements in that time -

Cycled from Lands End to JoG
Did an OU degree
Became a countdown Octochamp
Done a fair bit of travelling both for pleasure and with work
Paid off the mortgage
Celebrated 30 years of marriage
Completed over 350 parkruns
Won 20k on the lottery

[Uncle Albert]

3 of my children weren't born when I first joined (under a previous name and a previous forum, possibly even two back). They are now all at university.

We had posters like Roger Rabbit and Threaded. We had forum invasions by Cornish farmers. We had, and lost Fleety and doodab others disappeared like HairyArsedBloke and DodgyAgent.

We had Tornado flying scammers with bowls of pasta in their laps.

AtW may finally have got a sofa bed into his flat above Nandos.

I've contracted, been perm and created my own business within this time. Am now back contracting but have a plan B bubbling away.

All in all, MyCo's clients have paid for a reasonable number of hours spent here.

[NickFitz]

Been contracting since 1999, except for one year as a permie during the dotcom slump (though that started as a contract). Joined CUK in summer 2007 seeking advice on going direct with a client, as I'd been approached in an Islington pub after the @media web development conference (of blessed memory) and asked to come and work on a project at Yahoo! Europe.

Had twenty or so contracts since then covering a variety of industries, including (but not limited to) commercial radio, those promotions where you enter the code on your crisp packet to see if you've won a telly, metals trading systems, Freesat box user interfaces, Cambridge University's examinations syndicates, and more than one attempt to beat vBulletin into shape so it can handle the demands made on it by you lot on the CUK forums

Two heart attacks: a minor one treated with a stent, the other one equally minor on first blush but turning out to need a double bypass.

Haven't moved. I never go anywhere much, though I did go to visit my great uncle's grave in Cuinchy, France, on the hundredth anniversary of his death in the Spring Offensive of April 1918.

And I posted a few links to give people something to read on the first Monday back after New Year 2010, as I was taking a bit of bench time following a hectic year contracting in Yorkshire and Cambridge. Made a rod for my own back there

[NotAllThere]

I learnt that Switzerland is wallet bustingly expensive

Only if you're poor.

...and people in Serbia are just scary.

I liked them. I stayed at a farm and they slaughtered piglet my kids had been playing with. Utterly delicious. My kids agreed - and yes, they did know.

We had forum invasions by Cornish farmers

Say whut? I must have missed that.

We had, and lost Fleety and doodab :

I don't remember Fleety. But doodab, yes. Pancreatic cancer. Three months.

All in all, MyCo's clients have paid for a reasonable number of hours spent here.

At a deep level, that's what really matters.

[DaveB]

Signed up in 2005 having been offered my first contract and needing advice on IR35....

Since then a steady stream of contract work, agency and direct, except for a barren spell during the dot.com downturn when I resorted to permiedom. Ended up getting made redundant and walked out with £15k in my pocket and a 3 month contract signed the same day. Not looked back since.

Record for concurrent clients is 3. That was definitely a Type 2 Fun scenario.

Successfully avoided any kind of management responsibility.

Now on our 2nd dog, also having had 2 cats along the way.

Mortgage seems to have got bigger somehow

Acquired several bikes, ridden some of them quite a long way.

Met several of the denizens of this place at various time and got drunk. Expensively on occasion. Often at the top of tall buildings.

Have escorted a certain Mod to their Hotel in order to make sure they actually got there.

Have carried same Mod down the street on a different occasion, or maybe the same one, it's hazy.

Have never organised the forum Xmas party. Still don't intend to. (see comment on management responsibility)

[TTT]

I joined 9 years ago: 12 contracts, 8 countries, now I can speak (basic) French, Spanish & English , almost paid off my mortgage, got few health issues, still living in London, learned how to play ice hockey, office politics & ping-pong

[vetran]

Only if you're poor.I liked them. I stayed at a farm and they slaughtered piglet my kids had been playing with. Utterly delicious. My kids agreed - and yes, they did know.
Say whut? I must have missed that.I don't remember Fleety. But doodab, yes. Pancreatic cancer. Three months.
At a deep level, that's what really matters.

Long Pig?