The 418

I grapple more often than I'd like to admit with a sense that I don't entirely 'belong' in the tech community.

I don't enjoy trying out every shiny new tool or framework that comes out seemingly every week. I don't generally want to code after I'm done work for the day. Going to tech meetups can be challenging to attend at times, and hit or miss when I am able to attend them.

Recently while taking time off though, it occurred to me how many folks I've met in the tech industry that are not just doing interesting things within tech, but outside of it too.

And, on further reflection, the times I've felt the greatest sense of belonging in the community was when I was having conversations with folks that went from laughing about a development mishap we've both experienced (bad git rebase && git push --force anyone? ) to hearing about a challenging knitting project that they were undertaking, or a new experimental ragu dish that they made that past weekend.

I realized that what I wanted to have was a space that brought folks together to not only discuss interesting ideas related to technology, but also highlighted all the incredible things people do outside of tech.

With my friend Christina Burger, we decided to create a zine called "The 418" to be that space.

The 418: A zine celebrating the vibrant souls of the tech industry

We decided to call it "The 418" because we wanted folks who read this zine to feel like they're part of a conversation involving the exchanging of ideas and fun stories over a cup of tea with friends while reading it. Given the history of the 418 HTTP status code, we couldn't think of a more fitting name for the zine than this.

We're still working out all of the different pieces that will go into this, but these are some that we're looking to include, submitted by various contributors:

• thought-provoking essays;
• programming puzzles;
• spooky stories of software development mishaps;
• art, books, and/or articles we're reading right now;
• fun recipes, art projects, or something similar folks want to share with the community;
• a recommended tea to have while reading each edition.

Alongside the goal of creating a fun and thoughtful space for our community, we also want to give back to it with this project. We plan on donating a portion of the profits to causes close to our hearts, creating a positive ripple effect in our tech ecosystem.

If this sounds like your jam, head over to The 418 and leave us your email so that we can keep you updated.

I hope you'll join us for the ride.