Drug Dealers vs Software Developers

Date Received: Mon, 16 Feb 1998

Eerie coincidences?

Drug dealersSoftware developers
Refer to their clients as "users".Refer to their clients as "users".
"The first one's free!""Download a free trial version..."
Have important South-East Asian connections (to help move the stuff). Have important South-East Asian connections (to help debug the code).
Strange jargon: "Stick," "Rock," "Dime bag," "E". "Stash" "Hit (LSD)" "Source" Strange jargon: "SCSI," "RTFM," "Java," "ISDN". "Cache" "Hit (WWW)" "Source-code"
Realize that there's tons of cash in the 14- to 25-year-old market. Realize that there's tons of cash in the 14- to 25-year-old market.
Job is assisted by the industry's producing newer, more potent product. Job is assisted by industry's producing newer, more potent products.
Often seen in the company of pimps and hustlers. Often seen in the company of marketing people and venture capitalists.
When things go wrong, a "fix" is just a phone call away but may be expensive When things go wrong, a "fix" is just a phone call away but may be expensive
A lot of successful people getting rich in this industry while still teen-agers A lot of successful people getting rich in this industry while still teenagers
Their product causes unhealthy addictions. DOOM. Quake. SimCity. Duke Nukem 3D. 'Nuff said.
Do your job well, and you can sleep with sexy movie stars who depend on you. Damn! Damn! DAMN!!!

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