writing linux based embedded operating systems and do a lot of middle tier programming in C and C++, and to a certain extent Java. 20% of my job is supposed to be contributing to the linux kernel ( open source ).
I know. I didn't want to mention it because it gives the wrong impression. I grew up on a farm in rural Kansas and happen to have a natural aptitude for math. I've been wanting to ask this question or a while and was trying to avoid presenting my own info. Every time I tell people in person what I do, the answer is always the same "Wait what, you write software?" Even when I try to explain it to software developers they still don't understand what I do.
Well, let's just say you and I have a lot of the same base skillsets, just different specializations.
Rural Nebraska for me though. Got lucky and didn't get born in Kansas.