Joe Watkins

I've been developing tools for PHP in the open since about 2012, in that time I've authored: 

• pthreads - the first multi-threading API for PHP
• phpdbg - an interactive debugger, co-authored with other internals developers
• uopz - a runkit like extension to aid unit testing legacy code
• apcu - the user parts of APC, I no longer take the lead in this project
• pcov - a self contained code coverage driver for PHP 7+
• parallel - the next multi-threading API for PHP 7+

to name the most popular and or my favourites .. In that time, I've also contributed some core features to PHP, and been a release manager for the 7.1 series.

I've had tremendous fun writing and contributing, but the fact of the matter is, nobody is paying me to do this: I'm now responsible for so many things that I must choose between spending time with my family, or sitting at a computer screen for few more hours. My family does not reap the rewards of my sitting in front of a computer screen, and as the workload gets larger this becomes more obvious to them, and me.

I have to find some balance ...

So I think it's time to create an ice cream fund for my children, so that they may reap the rewards of my work, and feel like they are getting something from missing out on my company in the evening and at weekends ...