Haha, you took the "This" right out of my mouth. At my community college, our capstone Network Ops course was based on packet analysis with Wireshark. It really solidified my understanding of the network flow in a way that gave me a true sense of visualizing The Matrix. I will need to follow up on your suggestion on DIS... a quick Wikipedia jaunt reveals it to be something I would like to invest more time in. Many thanks for the tip.

I was going to point out this Slashdot post from days past: The Games Programmers Play. SpaceChem was one of the featured games.. and it certainly gets a thumbs up from me.

I buy a smartphone to have what it is: a pocket-sized computer with internet on-the-go. I admit that the phone-app is rarely used, but even when it is I use a headset so I wouldn't expect to have problems with a phone being "too large." So long as it can still fit in my pocket, bigger is better in my opinion. If I spent more time on the phone it might become a factor. I suppose I just didn't realize it was hard to find smaller phones.. I would probably get an old-school cell phone if I was having problems, but I don't mind walking around with 5 gadgets at a time.

Well, I can think of several projects that I would like to contribute to for myself, but I feel that the choice should be highly personal. You would want to look for a project that you have some domain knowledge or familiarity so you know what you are trying to accomplish (especially from a PM point-of-view), but you would certainly want to work on a project that is interesting and gives you a sense of fulfillment.. particularly important if you aren't expecting a pay-check at the end of the day. Consider FOSS games or mod-communities, software you use often and want to help improve, linux distributions, there are lots of options.
I got a taste of PM when I volunteered for an organization that helped coordinate the development of open source health information technology software between several companies. I had been studying HIT and I ran across them while doing research for school. I sent them an email offering my services and I found myself as an intern of sorts. It was good experience and a chance to network doing something I found interesting, even if I never got a paycheck. They were a somewhat more professional organization than many FOSS projects, but I found myself working with and assisting the lead PM.
Anyhow, MediaWiki might be a good start, though they probably already have experienced PM's. Try reaching out to them and explain your situation. You won't get as much direct experience being an assistant PM, but you might end up finding something better: a mentor. Experience with a high-profile project wouldn't hurt either.

If I read you correctly, you are referring to IT project management. From what I have seen, it is very uncommon to find a project manager position without first having some verifiable experience managing IT projects. IMHO, you will get closer to accomplishing both of your objectives (skill maintenance, PM experience) if you reach out to some open source software projects and offer your assistance. Many OS projects don't have the manpower or skill-sets needed to effectively wear that hat and develop software at the same time, and would welcome someone who could help with coordination, planning, and other related tasks. Obviously, getting someone to pay you at this stage of your career will be tough, so you should make it a hobby: find the most interesting project you can find and offer your services. Make sure you get along with the dev's, of course. There are some good books on the subject as well, but that is for another post. If I knew of a better way to build up PM chops I would suggest them, but this is usually one of those sub-fields that people with related and proven experience get promoted into from the trenches. Good luck!

Heh.. guilty as charged. Allow me to beg for forgiveness, it was a first-time submission newbie-error.. We tend to learn more from our mistakes than our successes, especially when it is made on the internet in front of millions of people ;-) I spent my review time fixing the capitalization, which I probably got wrong anyway.

Obviously, every situation is different.. doubt that needed to be said, but it is best to get that caveat out there. I recently started at a company that has been outsourcing much of their development. Our lead dev here in the states is a native-born Indian, so he probably has an easier time coordinating the contractors than most state-side organizations. Unfortunately, he has found himself spending the majority of his time coordinating and managing the over-seas developers that it really cuts into his productivity. Bear in mind that this is not a simple management issue.. obviously a lead dev needs to spend time managing her team, but they require near constant supervision to ensure that they stay on task and don't waste time on dead-end tangents. Taking into account the time difference, it can be very difficult for him to stay on top of them while also working with the rest of the organization stateside. Being a very experienced developer and team-leader, he recognizes that the cost savings result in significant hidden overhead. That is the primary reason why we are now working on building a state-side team. Considering he already speaks their language and knows their culture, unless you have similar advantages you will probably not find yourself having an easier time than we did.

Bearing that in mind, I think your hesitation is grounded in logic.. in my humble opinion, you would probably get better results by fishing in the market of community colleges.. find some young, starving students and train them into what you need. That is a strong, long-term solution that will probably take some time to really bear fruit, but should have similar costs and results in the short-term to an outsourcing strategy. Treat them well, and you will have a loyal, dedicated, and competent team.

I think the relevant facet of this conversation involves their new cash auction-house revenue stream. While eliminating piracy is probably a very appealing notion to them, it alone doesn't justify such a ridiculous notion as an online-only single-player game. On the other hand, the only way their auction house will realize any value is by preventing the "dupes and haxx" and I can think of no surer way of providing that security than by separating the user from the most important parts of the program and tightly controlling the experience from their end. It could even stand to make Blizzard quite a bit of money, though they made a serious mistake that would ruin a lesser-company: the price point. From my perspective (I haven't played it), if the entire game is modeled to support the auction house in a way that diminishes the user experience then it shouldn't be treated and priced like a full game.. especially if you don't own a playable copy of the game after purchasing it. In which case it would seem to make a lot more sense to set it up as a freemium, free-to-play kind of thing.. vastly widening the audience and the participation in their auction house. I would be all over that. Their loss.. this seems like a game designed by committee, lacking the courage and fortitude to actually embrace any one vision or another.

Notice that I have refused to address any of the allegations of dated graphics or diluted gameplay.. I haven't played it, and I probably won't. Personally, I have been really digging an old-school diablo 2 clone called Path of Exile that is currently in closed beta.. Lots of fun, highly recommended to any D2 fans lamenting a sequel they will never get. While it is online only as well, their model is looking pretty tight: free-to-play with an in-game store that will only sell cosmetic and non-gameplay related items, like extra character or storage slots. You can buy into the beta by purchasing store credit.. and it was totally worth it. IMHO.

Seems like sound advice. Thank you for tracking down and providing a functional link, it was a good read. Your post would have received a mod point if I had any!

China's current premier has a background in both geology and engineering. His predecessor was an electrical engineer. I don't know how that affects their political capability or decision-making, but I have difficulty seeing the skills and thought processes of an engineer translating well into the leadership of a global super-power. On the other hand, I don't think our politicians have much aptitude in that regard either, so who am I to judge? Different cultures have different leadership requirements, perhaps a state in the midst of reconstruction really needs an engineer to get their infrastructure back online.

In this specific situation you are correct. This individual needs to stand up and establish boundaries and consequences. However, the deeper question is worth discussing: how screwed is a person if a housemate draws legal fire on their collective heads? Not every household is as aware of the internet habits of each computer in the house. Not every house has a decent network admin. In fact, the offending party might BE the network admin working under the assumption that their actions won't affect their housemates! The real question does lay at the crux of the legal and technical world, and just because the question is phrased in a context that implies deeper conflict doesn't mean that it is not worth discussing. I for one am glad that this question came up because I had similar questions. My situation is not the same, but I am glad that I read some of these responses in case a similar situation ever arises! In fact, the lawsuit intimidation scare-tactics is based on the ignorance of the defendants.. I don't see how more discussion on the topic isn't worthwhile. At least, that is how I see it.