On Fri, 2015-08-28 at 13:08 +0000, Chris via Digitalmars-d-announce wrote:
> 
[…]
> I agree (I think it's the first time I agree with you!). Age is a state of mind. I've seen people in their 20ies who only think about a pension plan and watch TV every evening until they fall asleep.

Maybe we should get back to disagreeing, but only after this bit of this thread. :-)

> The thing is that in Europe people are not "lazier", it's just harder to get going. You are fighting against structures that have been there since the Middle Ages (or longer). I don't know about the US, but in the "New World" (we stole from the inhabitants for whom it was an old world) there are indeed more possibilities. In Europe they regulate the ordinary citizen to death, often it's not worth the hassle.

There no doubt that there is a difference in society and business USA compared to Europe: at least in Western Europe there is a fundamental commonality in the extant business culture. Yes, the European way is a consequence of the history, as indeed is the USA culture.

There is no doubt that (at least until Big Money took over most, if not all, startup funding in "The Valley") there was a much more vibrant startup culture in the USA than in the UK (I cannot speak for the rest of Europe).

Although the tax system hinders startups in the UK, there is an increasing startup culture in the IT industry, at least in London, as people continue to find the various little pots of money (which have been around for years and funded most of my 2000-2004 venture). The problem is that the big corporates see activity and then move to stiffle it. In Shoreditch, the corporates moved into startup area, the rents shot up and so you either use the Google incubator or go elsewhere. Effectively Shoreditch startup activity has been killed off. I am hopeful Elephant & Castle or Borough become the new Shorditch.

Startup still happen, but it is now really to create the technology to be bought by a corporate before sales, so for small value. Serial entrepreneurism is the thing now. I suspect "The Valley" is now like this: the opportunities for a new Microsoft or Google are much smaller, at least until there is a new disruptive technology a la Facebook.

-- 
Russel.
=============================================================================
Dr Russel Winder     t:+44 20 7585 2200   voip:sip:
russel.winder@ekiga.net
41 Buckmaster Road   m:+44 7770 465 077   xmpp:russel@winder.org.uk
London SW11 1EN, UK  w: www.russel.org.uk skype:russel_winder

On Friday, 28 August 2015 at 16:12:47 UTC, Russel Winder wrote:
> On Fri, 2015-08-28 at 13:08 +0000, Chris via Digitalmars-d-announce wrote:
>> 
> […]
>
> Startup still happen, but it is now really to create the technology to be bought by a corporate before sales, so for small value. Serial entrepreneurism is the thing now. I suspect "The Valley" is now like this: the opportunities for a new Microsoft or Google are much smaller, at least until there is a new disruptive technology a la Facebook.

I find this quite interesting - the "Don't fall in love with your business" mentality is truly there. Maybe it's the romantic in me, but I like to think that if I do ever create a company, I'd like to be the one to run it into the ground, thank you very much!

On Monday, 24 August 2015 at 18:43:01 UTC, Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
>
> Following an increasing desire to focus on working on the D language and foundation, I have recently made the difficult decision to part ways with Facebook, my employer of five years and nine months.
>
> [...]

good luck focusing on the D.

On Thursday, 27 August 2015 at 20:29:49 UTC, Andrej Mitrovic wrote:
> On 8/27/15, BBasile via Digitalmars-d-announce <digitalmars-d-announce@puremagic.com> wrote:
>> On Thursday, 27 August 2015 at 18:03:37 UTC, Colin wrote:
>>> On Thursday, 27 August 2015 at 16:01:54 UTC, BBasile wrote:
>>>> On Monday, 24 August 2015 at 18:43:01 UTC, Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
>>>>> [...]
>>>>
>>>> That's courageous, particularly past 50 yo. It's a different culture, past 50 yo in Europe people choose security, but in USA, past 50 yo some people still take the risk to try something new. Awesome.
>>>
>>> Andrei is past 50? Doesn't look it!
>>
>> And Walter who was involved in the 80's in the team who made MS DOS... do you think he's 20 yo ?
>
> Hmm.. ? This is the first time I've heard of this. He's one of the very first people who have developed a C++ compiler, but MS-DOS?

Right, this is an error. The day i've read his bio here http://www.drdobbs.com/architecture-and-design/how-i-came-to-write-d/240165322 I should be very **tired**. "I found myself part of a programming team developing software for MS-DOS". This is the origin of the error. Sorry I didn't mean to spread bullshits...

On Monday, 24 August 2015 at 18:43:01 UTC, Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
> I encourage others to respond in kind.


just make sure there is a way to make small recurring donations the way the Perl Foundation does and there will be others ... maybe not from royalties, unless payment for "work for hire" qualifies :)

On Friday, 28 August 2015 at 17:52:43 UTC, Nhale wrote:
> good luck focusing on the D.

downvote

On Monday, 24 August 2015 at 18:43:01 UTC, Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
> Following an increasing desire to focus on working on the D language and foundation, I have recently made the difficult decision to part ways with Facebook, my employer of five years and nine months.

When I read this post one of the things that crossed my mind was how Andrei could afford to do this, but personal economic issues tend to be sensitive matters so I didn't presume to ask. It seems that someone else asked it (very directly) on reddit, and Andrei replied. His answer is basically that he's taking a large pay cut to do this:

    https://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/3ioy9b/andrei_alexandrescu_c_guru_leaves_facebook_to/cuip1pd

Given the implicit donation (the financial opportunity cost) that Andrei is making to D, I just wanted to say: thank you.

On Monday, 24 August 2015 at 18:43:01 UTC, Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
>
> Following an increasing desire to focus on working on the D language and foundation, I have recently made the difficult decision to part ways with Facebook, my employer of five years and nine months.
> 

I understand very well the difficulty of decisions of such kinds, that's why you have all my respect.

On 08/28/2015 02:59 PM, bachmeier wrote:
> On Friday, 28 August 2015 at 17:52:43 UTC, Nhale wrote:
>> good luck focusing on the D.
>
> downvote

"The D" jokes almost make me miss the "C++? You should be using A++! Durr hurr hurr" jokes from non-programmers who thought they were being original and clever.

Almost.

On Monday, 24 August 2015 at 18:43:01 UTC, Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
>
> Following an increasing desire to focus on working on the D language and foundation, I have recently made the difficult decision to part ways with Facebook, my employer of five years and nine months.

Wow, I was really shocked to read this. It takes a lot of courage to do something like this. I wish you and your family all the best luck with this decision, and I'm sure it will be very positive for the D community.