Networking « michael’s thoughts

Networking

One of the things I’ve noticed after moving back to DC is that I’m not as “plugged in” as I was when I was living in Silicon Valley. I read a lot of web sites and I manage to keep on top of most of the big news in the tech world, but it seems like I have less interesting conversations here. Which is somewhat ironic, because I consider California (yes, including the bay area) to be a bit of an intellectual wasteland. One of the things that bugged me about living out there was that everything was rather vapid.

Even educated tech industry people seemed to have a pretty limited view. Sure, they might be up on all the latest coding practices or whatnot, but I didn’t find too many people to have broader interesting conversations with. Perhaps I’m an East Coast snob, having grown up out here, but when I was living in California I missed the more cosmopolitan intellectualism of the East. But now that I’m back, I don’t really find it any more.

I think the smart and interesting people are out there, but it’s so much effort to find them! I’m sure it’s not helped by my being a bit of a hermit, but even if I were properly motivated I’m not sure how easy it is to find. I have profiles up on the various social networking sites, but I find them more as yearbooks for grownups than actual networking tools. I don’t meet many new people that way.

I used to go to Ryze mixers in the Bay area. There are Ryze mixers out here as well, although I’ve not been. Perhaps I need to get off my ass and do it, instead of lamenting. Going to DC (or Arlington or wherever) from the ‘burbs isn’t really all that far, but it’s hard to get motivated after work to deal with the traffic disaster that is the Greater Capital Area. What to do, what to do?

If anyone knows of any cool networking/whatever type groups in the Northern VA area, I’d be interested to hear about them.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 11th, 2005 at 7:10 pm and is filed under dc, life.

trmadol

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Michael Ridley

Jack-

Thanks for the comment! Yeah I haven't been aggressive at all lately on the networking/social development front. Been in very much hermit mode myself, and somewhat enjoying it (or at least enough not to be motivated to go out and pound the pavement).

Do let me know if you hear of anything cool, though.

-m

Jack Elias

I agree wholeheartedly (if a little belatedly) with your post here. I moved to the DC area about 15 months ago, after 25 years in Colorado (and 1 year in FL). I grew up, however, in New York. It seems that it is really difficult to meet like-minded people around here, much more so than anywhere else I've lived. As a result, I have few friends. OK, I don't have any friends, at least not any that weren't already friends of my sister-in-law and brothers-in-law who already lived here.

My only explanation is that the DC area is very transient. People come and go with the political and economic ties. Everyone here seems to be from somewhere else, except for those whose families have been here for 200 years or whatever. It isn't really that far to go into the city, but I rarely do it. The hermit syndrome I guess.

I'll let you know if I hear of any interesting ways to meet people, other than drinking in bars, which seems more geared to those a bit younger than myself.

Oh, and "traffic disaster" is an apt description of driving around here. It's truly dreadful.