I’ve wanted to post for a while, especially about a personal project I want to work on.

Unfortunately, my employer has a highly restrictive policy regarding Intellectual Property (specifically, they lay claim to anything I come up with while working for them, even if developed on my own time and using my own equipment, as well as any ideas I may have come up with before employment with them, and decide to use in the course of my job). I have a deep problem with this; if you want to pay me for my work, that’s fine, but you’ll have to pay me a hell of a lot more if you want to own the stuff I come up with in my spare time. This is important because, otherwise, where is the separation between work life and home life?

So, for the moment, no posts :-/ I’m waiting to see whether they’re willing to grant specific exclusions for personal projects (I consider this a symbol of respect, and of dealing in good faith). This is important to me, and is something I normally won’t compromise on. I enjoy my work, and like my coworkers, but you can’t innovate if you’re always working to a brief.

From what people tell me, this is becoming increasingly common in the software development industry, but I can honestly say that I will not work under these conditions again; I’d rather switch careers and become a charcutier so I can keep developing for the love of it (working to a brief is challenging, even inspiring, but it’s nowhere near as enjoyable as undirected creation). Money’s nice, but it’s no substitute for doing what you love (and knowing that your ideas belong to you).