![\"\"](\"http:\/\/pdxpeople.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/1200px-Bradfitz-sunglasses-300x200.jpg\")
<\/a><\/h1>\nAbout Brad Fitzpatrick<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\nBorn in 1980, Brad grew up in the Portland Oregon area and ultimately went on to major in computer science at the University of Washington in Seattle.<\/span><\/p>\nBy the late 1990\u2019s the Internet was still the \u201cWild West\u201d and Brad capitalized on the demand for easy to use blogging platforms by creating LiveJournal.com.<\/span><\/p>\nLiveJournal quickly became one of the most popular blogging platforms online, attracting millions of users in little time.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat started out as his passion project quickly turned into a full-time job and Brad was able to become an internet success story when he sold out his interest in LiveJournal to Six Apart for cash and stock.<\/span><\/p>\nShortly after selling LiveJournal, Brad Fitzpatrick moved onto Google.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/pdxpeople.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/brad-fitzpatrick-630x520-300x248.png\")
<\/a>Image credit: GeekWire<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTime with Google<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nAs the creator of livejournal.com, it seemed unlikely that Brad<\/a> would join a company like Google because he previously posted about how the company \u201cswallowed up\u201d great open source programmers who went on to never being heard from or seen again.<\/span><\/p>\nOnce he started working for Google himself he set off on a \u201cmission\u201d to find out what happened to these great minds and confirm if they were still contributing to the tech world.<\/span><\/p>\nBrad famously posted his findings to LiveJournal.com about what happened to the \u201cmissing\u201d open source programmers after they joined Google.<\/span><\/p>\nJust as there are rarely absolutes in anything, there are no absolutes about open source programmers’ activities after joining Google. The main reasons for them sometimes disappearing, as far as I can tell, are:<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n- \n
Many open source programmers are just programmers. They like working on fun, hard problems, whether on open source or otherwise.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n- \n
They’re busy. Google seems to suck everybody’s free time, and then some. It’s not that Google is forcing them to work all the time, but they are anyway because there are so many cool things that can be done. I often joke that I have seven 20% projects.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n- \n
The Google development environment is so nice. The source control, build system, code review tools, debuggers, profilers, submit queues, continuous builds, test bots, documentation, and all associated machinery and processes are incredibly well done. It’s very easy to hack on anything, anywhere and submit patches to anybody, and notably: to find who or what list to submit patches to. Generally submitting a patch is the best way to even start a discussion about a feature, showing that you’re serious, even if your patch is wrong.<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/pdxpeople.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/381x2wpW_400x400-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/h3>\nWhat\u2019s Brad Fitzpatrick Up to Today?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nBesides his ongoing work with Google, Brad<\/a> hasn\u2019t completely eliminated his innovative side projects. Far from it. He\u2019s stayed busy on a variety of side projects that solve everyday problems and make our digital lives easier.<\/p>\nOne side project that he\u2019s been involved with recently is Perkeep (formally Camilstore), an open-source online tool for storing digital information online.<\/p>\n
To learn more about Brad Fitzpatrick click here to visit his website<\/a> or click here to find him on social media.<\/p>\nFor more information about other cool people from the Portland Oregon area click here to bookmark our website.<\/p>\n
Born in 1980, Brad grew up in the Portland Oregon area and ultimately went on to major in computer science at the University of Washington in Seattle.<\/span><\/p>\n By the late 1990\u2019s the Internet was still the \u201cWild West\u201d and Brad capitalized on the demand for easy to use blogging platforms by creating LiveJournal.com.<\/span><\/p>\n LiveJournal quickly became one of the most popular blogging platforms online, attracting millions of users in little time.<\/span><\/p>\n What started out as his passion project quickly turned into a full-time job and Brad was able to become an internet success story when he sold out his interest in LiveJournal to Six Apart for cash and stock.<\/span><\/p>\n Shortly after selling LiveJournal, Brad Fitzpatrick moved onto Google.<\/span><\/p>\n As the creator of livejournal.com, it seemed unlikely that Brad<\/a> would join a company like Google because he previously posted about how the company \u201cswallowed up\u201d great open source programmers who went on to never being heard from or seen again.<\/span><\/p>\n Once he started working for Google himself he set off on a \u201cmission\u201d to find out what happened to these great minds and confirm if they were still contributing to the tech world.<\/span><\/p>\n Brad famously posted his findings to LiveJournal.com about what happened to the \u201cmissing\u201d open source programmers after they joined Google.<\/span><\/p>\n Just as there are rarely absolutes in anything, there are no absolutes about open source programmers’ activities after joining Google. The main reasons for them sometimes disappearing, as far as I can tell, are:<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Many open source programmers are just programmers. They like working on fun, hard problems, whether on open source or otherwise.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n They’re busy. Google seems to suck everybody’s free time, and then some. It’s not that Google is forcing them to work all the time, but they are anyway because there are so many cool things that can be done. I often joke that I have seven 20% projects.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n The Google development environment is so nice. The source control, build system, code review tools, debuggers, profilers, submit queues, continuous builds, test bots, documentation, and all associated machinery and processes are incredibly well done. It’s very easy to hack on anything, anywhere and submit patches to anybody, and notably: to find who or what list to submit patches to. Generally submitting a patch is the best way to even start a discussion about a feature, showing that you’re serious, even if your patch is wrong.<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Besides his ongoing work with Google, Brad<\/a> hasn\u2019t completely eliminated his innovative side projects. Far from it. He\u2019s stayed busy on a variety of side projects that solve everyday problems and make our digital lives easier.<\/p>\n One side project that he\u2019s been involved with recently is Perkeep (formally Camilstore), an open-source online tool for storing digital information online.<\/p>\n To learn more about Brad Fitzpatrick click here to visit his website<\/a> or click here to find him on social media.<\/p>\n For more information about other cool people from the Portland Oregon area click here to bookmark our website.<\/p>\n<\/a>Time with Google<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
<\/a><\/h3>\nWhat\u2019s Brad Fitzpatrick Up to Today?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n