His resume doesn't really indicate he didn't join a commune. Leaving Data General in 1979 and joining ComputerVision in 1979 wouldn't preclude joining a commune for a season. However, a letter to the editor in 1981 [1] provides evidence that he left Data General specifically to work for ComputerVision, with both events happening in Spring.
[1] https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1982/02/18/man-and-supermin...