Reply to: Why IT contractors don’t always build empires

[AtW]

Chico has been punished with living.

[Churchill]

What's the pay like on those?

Pretty crap but you end up dying spectacularly...

Hmmm, maybe a job for Chico...

[AtW]

Looking at your photograph, have you thought about being the next Bond villain?

What's the pay like on those?

[Churchill]

Ok, I will bet your life on it!

Looking at your photograph, have you thought about being the next Bond villain?

[Xenophon]

Ok, I will bet your life on it!

I sold my soul to the devil in 1989 so mine is not what you would call a pure life, but hey, what the heck - go right ahead and bet it!

[AtW]

Ok, I will bet your life on it!

[Xenophon]

I no longer care about whether I emerge as a clear winner in arguement that involves words - I don't care about others not accepting that I am right so long as I am sure that my point of view is correct and I will bet my own money/life on it, public acceptance of my, often non-trivial for simple minds, path is just a sign that I am probably doing something worth doing.

Alexei - No need to bet your own life on it!

[AtW]

I no longer care about whether I emerge as a clear winner in arguement that involves words - I don't care about others not accepting that I am right so long as I am sure that my point of view is correct and I will bet my own money/life on it, public acceptance of my, often non-trivial for simple minds, path is just a sign that I am probably doing something worth doing.

[expat]

Why?

I used to argue with a lot of people on a lot of subjects, not just on this board but in real life, but then something clicked in me and I have reached new level of sentinence - I don't give a crap if 99% of the world think I am wrong, so long as I know for myself I am doing the right thing, it is fine by me - I will take my chances and see it through, if anything the mistake will be mine and I will learn from it.

So you don't come on here pursuing pointless arguments until you have the very last word? Yes, I can see the point of that.

[ratewhore]

I am not a business, and don't want to be. I am a professional.

Which one are you - Bodie or Doyle?

[AtW]

No, alas, I will insist on getting into argiuments online with people who argue about this

Why?

I used to argue with a lot of people on a lot of subjects, not just on this board but in real life, but then something clicked in me and I have reached new level of sentinence - I don't give a crap if 99% of the world think I am wrong, so long as I know for myself I am doing the right thing, it is fine by me - I will take my chances and see it through, if anything the mistake will be mine and I will learn from it.

[expat]

Why does it matter how it is called?
...
as an IT contractor or just small business owner working from home you are pretty insulated from such people anyway.

No, alas, I will insist on getting into argiuments online with people who argue about this

[AtW]

Like a carpenter you use your tools to (hopefully) build an elegant and robust product.

Much better career choice for a carpenter is to get on a cross apparently...

[AtW]

Why does it matter how it is called? If it does to you, then you have wrong priorities in life.

For me being a small business owner, an IT contractor for occasional contracts, is about being able to pursue my own line of research in my own time - this makes my life much more worthwhile than it used to be when I worked full time as a permie and could claim I was a professional.

The most important thing is to know that you are living to the maximum of your potential, or at least strongly trying to achieve that, this should make you feel good and if some other people have bad sounding names for it then its their problem: as an IT contractor or just small business owner working from home you are pretty insulated from such people anyway.

[Bagpuss]

If you are providing services to clients then you are a business.

If you want to stay a one-man business then fine. Nobody is forcing you to grow.

It just sounds so pretentious to say, "oh no, I'm not trade! I'm a professional, don't you know".

You are indeed correct that the word Professional implies a status and level of achievement which is valued by those who do hold professional qualifications. Calling yourself a professional devalues that status for those who are entitled to it.

If I did a one year postgrad teacher training after my BSc, I could call myself a Professional. However, If I choose to do a PhD or an MSc and become say an actuary I can't. The teacher training qualification is noddy compared to the other two qualifications and so is the career. Infact can't policemen and nurses call themselves professionals? and any numpty could do either of those.