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Ask HN: How happy are you working as a programmer?

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Re: Ask HN: How happy are you working as a programmer?

#401

Post by GrinningFool »

hellameta wrote: post #331
dev360 wrote: post #258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I joke with programmer friends that we should become gardeners instead. I guess the appeal of physical labor is you get to leave work at work.

The appeal of physical labor? People only do physical labor because they are either unlucky or simply lack the knowledge to choose another path. I don't expect that to be the popular perspective on "PC" hacker news but that is the real world for you. Show me a gardener who wouldn't want to make 6 figures instead of breaking their back day in and day out for close to if not minimum wage? Appeal? Yeah right.

I used to landscape - and if it were practical, I'd go back to it. There was a lot about that work that was very satisfying. I wouldn't give up on programming, but it would be something I did just for fun and/or side profit.

Do you know people who do that kind of work? I spent three years working with a decent sampling of them. Sure, some feel that it's drudge work and that they're stuck doing it for lack of options. They get through their day doing the minimum necessary - you can find those types in our field as well. But a lot do take real pride in what they do, and in doing it well.

Of course many if not most would take an office job for more money if they opportunity were there - but that doesn't mean none of them derive pleasure and satisfaction form the work they're doing.

Re: Ask HN: How happy are you working as a programmer?

#402

Post by hellameta »

tdsamardzhiev wrote: post #356
softawre wrote: post #337

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are right. But... I'd be a gardener. If it paid me the same I make now. At least for 3 months a year? I worked at Lowes in college hauling lumber and I miss it dearly (rose colored goggles and all). I was in the best shape of my life, I didn't think about work (lumber?) at home. It was a simpler life.

Last summer I discovered I particularly like gardening. I think I'd be a gardener too if it paid the same.

> I think I'd be a gardener too if it paid the same.

this is exactly my point

Re: Ask HN: How happy are you working as a programmer?

#403

Post by Urbanxassassin »

rifung wrote: post #392
zzalpha wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uhh... I have to ask: what, exactly, were you expecting? Exhilarating highs and a path to millions? It's a job. Most people don't have jobs that'll make them "rich". Be glad you aren't living paycheck to paycheck, or worse, are unemployed because the job you had was optimized away with computers. To be blunt, there's a sense of entitlement evident, here, that I have trouble grokking. You get to spend all day in a com…

I don't know how old you are, but I have a similar experience level with the person you're responding to and I think I and many of my peers relate in some ways. I think the parts he said about getting rich are a bit silly; that's probably more of a personal regret of his/hers then anything else. On the other hand, I think many other people I've talked to who have only worked for a few years kind of feel lost. I guess…

This is why I took a year off after undergrad, forget the naysayers. haters gon hate.

Re: Ask HN: How happy are you working as a programmer?

#404

Post by hellameta »

GrinningFool wrote: post #401
hellameta wrote: post #331

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The appeal of physical labor? People only do physical labor because they are either unlucky or simply lack the knowledge to choose another path. I don't expect that to be the popular perspective on "PC" hacker news but that is the real world for you. Show me a gardener who wouldn't want to make 6 figures instead of breaking their back day in and day out for close to if not minimum wage? Appeal? Yeah right.

I used to landscape - and if it were practical, I'd go back to it. There was a lot about that work that was very satisfying. I wouldn't give up on programming, but it would be something I did just for fun and/or side profit. Do you know people who do that kind of work? I spent three years working with a decent sampling of them. Sure, some feel that it's drudge work and that they're stuck doing it for lack of options.…

I'm not quite saying that it's not possible to derive pleasure and satisfaction from physically laborious work. I am saying that it's a very pretty picture that's far away from real life to claim that that's normal. Most people do not like their job. Most people don't like their job as PROGRAMMERS.

What fantasy world is everyone living in that they love their jobs and derive pleasure from it? What 1%'s of gardeners are we talking about here? I assure you 99% of them would rather not be gardening.

It's very likely if you are doing a physically laborious job you are making very little money, struggling to feed your family, give your kids the spoils they want, your wife is mad that you can't take her on vacation etc. etc.

Re: Ask HN: How happy are you working as a programmer?

#405

Post by vespergo »

I love programming. The first ten years of my career I was doing hardware and networking, nothing programming related as I had yet to learn it.

This has been the best career change that I could have ever had.

I've also worked construction for five years. I don't think I'll ever want another job. Probably because I've already been on the other side and I know what life is like there.

Re: Ask HN: How happy are you working as a programmer?

#406

Post by sebringj »

Saying I love my work is an understatement. I get to work remotely as a consultant paid well over the market price but treated like a long term employee and travel as I please. I know the CEO and VP and its a fairly large company with 5 large high-rise buildings throughout the world, 2 in California. I get to work on my side stuff pursuing my startup AND the boss not only knows about it but thinks its cool as long as I get my stuff done. How can you possibly ask for more than that? The only downside is I don't relate to anyone having to drudge through traffic each day, having an asshole boss or caring if its the weekend or not. Hell yah.

Re: Ask HN: How happy are you working as a programmer?

#408

Post by hellameta »

GFK_of_xmaspast wrote: post #397
hellameta wrote: post #331

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The appeal of physical labor? People only do physical labor because they are either unlucky or simply lack the knowledge to choose another path. I don't expect that to be the popular perspective on "PC" hacker news but that is the real world for you. Show me a gardener who wouldn't want to make 6 figures instead of breaking their back day in and day out for close to if not minimum wage? Appeal? Yeah right.

This is an extremely narrow view of the human experience.

I've made this point elsewhere. But I consider this the realistic view that comes from a good amount of experience and simply using my eyes.

You say narrow - I say broad. For most people the 'job' they do is just a thing that brings money in. They have no feelings towards it - it's just a thing they do. They are more concerned with their family, their relationships in general, how they are going to support their kids, how are they going to pay their damn bills etc. etc.

Under this condition I find it hilarious for someone to justify -- sitting from their computer screen with an IDE open on the other monitor no doubt -- the fantasy happiness that can be had from doing a lower paying and physically more challenging job. I don't know gardening, but I do know construction, intimately, and imagine that gardening as a profession is not too entirely different. Most people who do these jobs are not doing it for some fantasy happiness. They are doing it out of necessity.

Re: Ask HN: How happy are you working as a programmer?

#409

Post by delphinius81 »

My satisfaction as a programmer comes and goes with the project and the team. While I love building programs and working through the logic, the thing that I am building matters more to me than solving the problem. So as long as I and the people I'm working with personally care about the project, I'm happy. If I'm not interested in the project, I'll do the work (work ethic is always important) while finding another job.
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