Welcome to my weblog. I hope you enjoy it. I just got fired for it.
The stated reason was gross insubordination, for (finally) having posted my resume yesterday (a no no, since it links me to my company by name … excuse me, my former company, gotta get used to saying that).
The real reason, of course, is this essay and the ensuing controversy that it caused within the company. they’ll never admit to this, of course; in fact, it would border on criminal if they did. Due to the quirkiness of the U.S. legal system, alcoholism is a federally protected disease, recovering alcoholics are a federally protected class, and directly discriminating against employees based on it is illegal. It was probably indirect enough to get them off the hook, but that will only excuse them in the eyes of the law, no further.
Those of my co-workers … excuse me, former co-workers … who know the full story and came here today looking for me to rip my former boss a new asshole will go away disappointed. I can not find it in my heart to hate him; on the contrary, I forgive him, and I hope that someday he will understand why I say the things that must be said, do the things that must be done, and, above all, write the things that must be written. It was becoming nearly impossible to work under a boss who didn’t understand, respect, or even tolerate my decision to talk about a subject that he considered taboo. Now that I’m unemployed, I guess that’s one less thing I’ll have to worry about.
Speaking of which, now I’m really looking for a job. If you’re looking for a top-notch programmer in the Research Triangle Park area in North Carolina (I actually live in Apex but would commute an hour in any direction), or if you have a project and could work with me remotely, please let me know.
Afternoon update: Discuss this on MetaFilter. Thanks to whoever originally posted it; I’ve already received one job lead from someone who said he saw it on MetaFilter. Wow.
Also, thanks to Robert Scoble for his link. In a twisted, depressing, would-be-funnier-if-it-weren’t-true sort of way, it’s amusing to think that I’m the symbol of the New Economy.
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© 2001–present Mark Pilgrim