As most of you know from previous blog posts, EchoDitto New York recently moved offices. One of the best parts of the move, aside from the shorter commute home to Brooklyn, is that I now get to sit in the bullpen with the developers. I've been working closely with web developers for almost ten years now, and I never cease to be amazed at how much you can soak up just by being in the general proximity of certified web nerds. It's actually kind of amazing.
My second job out of school was at a startup Internet radio company called SOUNDSBIG.com. While the company ultimately went the way of many 1999 dot coms, it opened the doors to a world that has become my professional home. And while the work I did at SOUNDSBIG was fun and interesting, the best part of the job was sitting in the bullpen with the developers. I learned HTML, dabbled in Adobe Photoshop, and even got to borrow a copy of ASP for Dummies (technically speaking, that's where it ended for me, but I did get a lot of admiring glances from MIT grad students on the train ride home from work that day). I learned the merits of Quake (I still remember silently willing my coworkers to stop screaming about the previous night's events), became comfortable with technology, and was introduced to Napster. Ahh...Napster.
Eight years later, I'm back in the bullpen with Phil, Jason, and sometimes Ethan, and the education continues. Not only do I just have to turn my head to get help doing a drop shadow in Photoshop or shout over the Japanese Peace Lily to get answers to any and every Drupal question imaginable, but I've been let in (on occasion), to the secret world of developers. They know about all these websites, widgets and gadgets that are practially life changing. For example, ever been to woot.com? Wait 'till the next "Woot Off" and try to stop yourself from ordering a deeply discounted Rumba. Feel like getting your voicemails over email? No problem! Need helping setting up your iPhone? Look no further.
While I may drive my developer friends a little crazy with my constant giggling and never-ending conference calls, I, for one, love life in the bullpen. Have a great weekend everyone.
