Help, being pushed to "be like Mark Zuckerberg".

[Regoi]

I'm 18, times are hard, I know.My father is getting older as a mechanic,and it's wearing on his body. My parents know about my "computer skills". My mother has seen "the social network" and heard off all these people around my age that have made "millions" online, and all the infomercials that say "MAKE MONEY ONLINE MAKE MONEY ONLINE WITH THIS 3 STEP PROGRAM". And now they want me to "invent" something with my "computer skills" to "get us out of our current situation", as they said. They push this EVERY SINGLE DAY: "I need to you get this internet thing going.", "come on, you need to do this". My father gives me auto parts to sell on ebay as well. The problem is im only a NOOB web designer that has not one client yet. They want ME, a 18 yr old noob of a web designer, to make an income that will sustain a family of five VERY soon. They have pushed this so hard that im stressing out, constantly thinking about how it would even be possible. I just dont know what to do...

[Thewhistlingwind]

Tell them the truth. You can't. And probably never will.

[CreativeReach]

Sorry about that man! sounds hard.

[Regoi]

The problem is because they are ignorant about the internet, they are dead set on me doing it. Because "im good enough with computers that I can invent something like facebook or make a significant income with ebay".
Auto parts aren't really in much of a demand on ebay :/. Im planning to do freelancing, but its going to take forever for me to get a client, so that is out for the near future...

[Thewhistlingwind]

The problem is because they are ignorant about the internet, they are dead set on me doing it. Because "im good enough with computers that I can invent something like facebook or make a significant income with ebay".

Tell them that their perception is a fiction, they don't have to understand why. Or, force the issue and runaway to silicon valley.:popcorn:

[DangerOnTheRanger]

Well:


Learn programming (Python or PHP for web development)
Learn to use a CMS (Drupal, or Django; I reccommend Drupal)
You have the skill now, find something to make!

I'm really sorry, but I can't really give any more detail than that. There are no "sure-fire directions" for making millions with a web site.

I know what you're going through; my parents would like me to make an Android game. I despise Java (which is basically the language of choice on the Android), so I'll have to wait for Python. Hey, maybe making a smartphone app (I recommend Android, much cheaper to dev for than the iPhone/iPad) would be right up your alley. You never know unless you try.

[Regoi]

Tell them that their perception is a fiction, they don't have to understand why. Or, force the issue and runaway to silicon valley.:popcorn:

Ha, I would do that if I could drive, and wasn't going to a community college at the moment, and not living in Texas :|

[smellyman]

Made my first million by 19. This internet stuff is easy.....

[Thewhistlingwind]

Ha, I would do that if I could drive, and wasn't going to a community college at the moment, and not living in Texas :|

I hope you understand that I was joking.

At any rate, don't get me wrong, it's very possible to make a lot of money, but the time you would need to invest and the reasons that you would be doing it might very well give you a stroke. And even after spending your days becoming a l33t h@x0r the odds still aren't in your favour.

[Regoi]

Well:


Learn programming (Python or PHP for web development)
Learn to use a CMS (Drupal, or Django; I reccommend Drupal)
You have the skill now, find something to make!

I'm really sorry, but I can't really give any more detail than that. There are no "sure-fire directions" for making millions with a web site.

I know what you're going through; my parents would like me to make an Android game. I despise Java (which is basically the language of choice on the Android), so I'll have to wait for Python. Hey, maybe making a smartphone app (I recommend Android, much cheaper to dev for than the iPhone/iPad) would be right up your alley. You never know unless you try.

I have some experience in PHP, have a "very" small single player online RPG that I was working on, and may finish. I know python even more, but not in a web development setting. And yes I hate HATE java, but,alas, if I have to then so be it.

[Regoi]

Made my first million by 19. This internet stuff is easy.....

Well that's all well and good, but can you at least give me a hint as to how? :/

[Thewhistlingwind]

Well that's all well and good, but can you at least give me a hint as to how? :/

Once again, I'm pretty sure he was joking, tones don't come out well in text communication.

[Regoi]

Thus showing you how stressed I am trying to find a solution to this lol. The Android dev thing sounds possible, I may try that, not like I have a choice anyways.

[Oxwivi]

Thus showing you how stressed I am trying to find a solution to this lol. The Android dev thing sounds possible, I may try that, not like I have a choice anyways.
Make something Ubuntu-related if possible - you can advertise it here for free! :P

[Thewhistlingwind]

Make something Ubuntu-related if possible - you can advertise it here for free! :P

He's trying to get rich silly.;)

[user1397]

I can relate to your situation a bit, although not in such an extreme way as your parents are behaving.

Honestly, I would just try to really stress to them that it's not that simple of a matter, and that you can try to learn more things and try to be successful using your growing computer skills, but that they cannot depend on that.

If it takes a lot of yelling and screaming to get your point across, so be it, but don't let your parents determine your life (this is obviously my opinion, and I mean no offense by anything said here).

[Thewhistlingwind]

Honestly, I would just try to really stress to them that it's not that simple of a matter, and that you can try to learn more things and try to be successful using your growing computer skills, but that they cannot depend on that.


+1 This is the solution, anything else is just gambling.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from your career choice, I think you've chosen the right one. However, I think you'll rarely find "Miracle worker" in the qualifications required for web design jobs.

[uRock]

Join the Army. 25B is the job designator aka MOS for IT specialist. Easy work, big money. You may deploy, but you will be far from battle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology_specialist

They'll pay for your college and you can get out of the house and you can send money home to the family.

[smellyman]

Well that's all well and good, but can you at least give me a hint as to how? :/


I would wager a guess that there aren't too many self made millionaires browsing the Ubuntu forums....

If it was easy everybody would be doing it.

Now maybe if you had a time machine and could go back to 1998 knowing what we know now.....

[Regoi]

Im a jack of all trades really. I can build computers, repair them, web development, some programming, some web design/development/graphics design, but not enough with any to make an decent income from

[Regoi]

Join the Army. 25B is the job designator aka MOS for IT specialist. Easy work, big money. You may deploy, but you will be far from battle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology_specialist

They'll pay for your college and you can get out of the house and you can send money home to the family.

Army? Hmm, I didn't think about that at all. It seems very out there for me. I will think about it, though.

[uRock]

Army? Hmm, I didn't think about that at all. It seems very out there for me. I will think about it, though.
The Navy, Air Force and Marines are there to choose from as well.

[Regoi]

To be more specific I wanted to do Web Development because then I would have the means of production to make my own money making sites, along with being able to reach mass amounts of users vs. a traditional program, but I want to do networking just as much if not a very big second, which branch would cater to that? Still military service is very out there for me, as I always envisioned myself as working in the private sector/self-employed.

[earthpigg]

Satirically ask your father why he hasn't yet use his "Mechanical Skills" to "make millions" -- Henry Ford did, after all, and so did William Boeing. Maybe this will remind them that the internet isn't magic.

If you are 18 and they are putting this type of adult pressure on you, toss a little back their way. You are a teenager and a young man, not a skapegoat.

All of that being said, if you are really desparate and want to contribute something to the family communal pot, spend 5 minutes studying, go get your A+ certification, and then go be a geek squad flunky part time at best buy.

Don't drop out of college for this, but maybe give it a dozen or 20 hours a week and contribute half of your earnings to your parents (or pay fair market value rent for your room), reserving the rest for your education. I think that is reasonable - I lived for 6 months with my mom after I'd graduated high school, paying fair market rent every month.

EDIT: I also come from a blue collar family and received zero assistance after I graduated high school. Stay strong, get your edumicashion on, and you can make it. Your parents may not realize it, but being able to take care of them in old age is more important than having HBO or the fancy boneless chicken or whatever other luxuries can be cut today.

[uRock]

To be more specific I wanted to do Web Development because then I would have the means of production to make my own money making sites, along with being able to reach mass amounts of users vs. a traditional program, but I want to do networking just as much if not a very big second, which branch would cater to that? Still military service is very out there for me, as I always envisioned myself as working in the private sector/self-employed.

There are military communications systems that do the basic every day networking like we use and there are networking technologies that are light years ahead of the civilian market. You could easily do a 4 year contract, then find yourself on a nice comfy DoD payroll. I have been seeing job listing for network security engineers starting at 45k and topping out at 150k. The money i there to be made, but you have to get your feet wet to get there. Best bet is to talk to a few recruiters, then ponder on it.

Even going National Guard could be worth it.

[Regoi]

There are military communications systems that do the basic every day networking like we use and there are networking technologies that are light years ahead of the civilian market. You could easily do a 4 year contract, then find yourself on a nice comfy DoD payroll. I have been seeing job listing for network security engineers starting at 45k and topping out at 150k. The money i there to be made, but you have to get your feet wet to get there. Best bet is to talk to a few recruiters, then ponder on it.

Even going National Guard could be worth it.

Would it be possible to do the same as described if I joined the National Guard? And when it comes to network security engineering, I want apply my knowledge of networking more than research, if that is possible

[uRock]

Would it be possible to do the same as described if I joined the National Guard? And when it comes to network security engineering, I want apply my knowledge of networking more than research, if that is possible

Anything is possible. If you can come up with a security solution, then someone will listen. National Guard has the same jobs as the Active Army, but less slots.

I was working with the FBCB2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_XXI_Battle_Command_Brigade_and_Below) project back in 2000/2001 and even briefed a senator on how it was used. The article I linked doesn't really tell much about the system and I am not sure what is public info about the system, but I can tell you that it ran on the world's most secure networking technologies. That was more than ten years ago. I'm sure that I'd be impressed with the system's growth.

[Irihapeti]

It sounds to me like you need someone to talk to, who isn't involved in your situation, who can help you to sort through all the stuff that's going on and help you come to a good decision.

At a time like this, it's easy to grab at the first halfway-decent-looking solution that comes along because you are anxious, and end up making a decision that you later realise didn't do what you wanted. Been there, done that when I was about your age. :)

Does your community college have any kind of counsellor whom you can go and see? Or maybe there's someone at your local church or other group you could talk to.

Very often, we have more options than we think, but we need someone else with a different viewpoint to help us to see them.

[3rdalbum]

Ask them if they've heard of the "Dotcom bust". A few people have made millions from the web, but more people have lost money from the web. You need to have an excellent idea, a good source of funding, and the skills to pull off whatever project you want to do.

[Grenage]

While joining the armed forces is not a bad thing, for the love of God don't 'sign up' just to solve your current predicament. It's as easy (well, not quite) for you to be a major internet success as it is for your father to become the next Toyota.

If you do go the internet route then it doesn't have to be code-based, it just has to be content people want. considering how many people spend all day asking what people want - it's not an easy thing, and there's a lot of serendipity involved.

[red_Marvin]

Satirically ask your father why he hasn't yet use his "Mechanical Skills" to "make millions" -- Henry Ford did, after all, and so did William Boeing. Maybe this will remind them that the internet isn't magic.

I was thinking this too, where are the flying cars?

[jhonan]

If Caractacus Potts can do it...

[Paqman]

My father is getting older as a mechanic <snip>
My parents know about my "computer skills".

Ask him why he hasn't revolutionised the world with his new type of Stirling engine. Surely he could just use his "mechanic skills"?

[grahammechanical]

It is a pity that you did not invent Skype. Then, we can all send you begging emails. My problem is that I am an eccentric millionaire without the millions. I have the ideas but not the means to turn them into reality. Although to tell you the truth, Windows 7 was not my idea.

Do you have a job? I hope that this family of five that you speak of are not your children. You may need to give consideration to moving out of the family home. That would ease the financial burden on your mother and father. It might ease their stress and your stress.

Regards.

[Eldera]

It sounds to me like you need someone to talk to, who isn't involved in your situation, who can help you to sort through all the stuff that's going on and help you come to a good decision.

I agree strongly with this. Also, is there someone you could get to talk to your parents? Perhaps even get them into family counseling? Your parents seem to be having issues with their responsibilities to support the family and are trying to push that on to you. That is their responsibility, not yours. It is unrealistic of them to think that you can solve all their financial problems with your computer skills. They may need some professional mental help to face the reality of what you can and can't do.

It is OK for you to give them what help you can as a teen age son of the family. As others have suggested: contribute part of your income from a part time job or pay fair market rent; but your focus now should be on getting an education and finding a career path for yourself; not in being responsible for your family. You must make your decisions based on what it right for you as a person not on what your parents feel is right for the family.

All of the posters here are pulling for you. Irihapeti is right. Get some help at least for yourself, and for your family if there is any way to arrange it.

Have a great day, Eldera

[Elfy]

It sounds to me like you need someone to talk to, who isn't involved in your situation, who can help you to sort through all the stuff that's going on and help you come to a good decision.

Agreed.

You need to talk to someone that you know about this, starting an account on a forum to ask complete strangers probably isn't the way to go about it.

[speedwell68]

I'd explain to them that Mark Zuckerberg and the like simply got lucky, Facebook could have been the biggest flop in the history of ever. Zuckerbrg's thinking was just applied in the right place at the right time.

[Random_Dude]

There are so many people in the world with computer skills (and probably better than Zuckerberg's) that are not rich.
Maybe you can try to make them understand this.

But the best solution would probably be to talk to a person that you know and trust about this issue.

Good luck.

Cheers :cool:

[BeRoot ReBoot]

Kindly explain to your parents that for every Mark Zuckerberg, there are millions of computer geeks living in their parents' basement who will never contribute anything of substance to humanity. (inb4 Zuckerberg didn't contribute anything of substance to humanity)

[Elfy]

We've been mulling this thread over amongst ourselves - closing the thread.

The Op really needs to seek help from people he knows.