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Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?

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Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?

#81

Post by leonth »

I'm a pharmacist, but since my boss knows I'm good with computers, she put me to manage the IT systems used by the pharmacy department. This role is well-defined and there is at least one full-time staff in each public hospital here doing this, but no software development knowledge is required because there is a layer of IT consultants that supports us on very technical things (e.g. server provisioning, network configuration, integration). What I do is mainly defining requirements and provide content (both clinical and non-clinical).

I see HN as a way to keep up with IT in general - especially that all my other colleagues talk about totally different kinds of news. I find discussions well-balanced most of the time, and sometimes wonder "what do HN commenters say?" when I get to a news using other routes.

Yes I am a wantrepreneur, if there is such a word. It's pretty cool to (have the perception of) knowing two industries and try to piece them up together.

Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?

#82

Post by wdewind »

ChadNYC wrote: post #75

I'm a Registered Architect working on Hudson Yards, the largest private real estate development in the history of the United States. I've wanted to be an Architect for as long as I can remember. I write software(originally PC based and now web based) to make my life easier. I started coding Basic at a very young age. It came naturally to me. I took a C++ class in high school, but aside from that I'm completely self t…

> I write software(originally PC based and now web based) to make my life easier.

That sounds cool can you expand?

Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?

#84

Post by cjslep »

Nuclear engineer by formal education, mostly self-taught in the realm of computing. Enough to get an internship at Cisco during college. Here for all the same reasons OP is, with the addition that the community is by far one of the most enriching and rewarding to be a part of, even if I wind up lurking most of the time.

Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?

#85

Post by actuary »

Bootvis wrote: post #9

I'm a consulting actuary. What am I doing here? I've been programming since I was 11 and still do it often. You have to as an actuary. Besides I have some web skills and I'm using to build a startup doing risk management for farmers. In this startup I'm responsible for the whole stack.

Also a consulting actuary, here for the same reason as you. The number of actuaries replying here is pretty remarkable given the extremely small size of the profession.

As far as I know there is exactly one credentialed actuary working in any capacity in SV, but that number can only go up in the future.

Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?

#86

Post by wdewind »

bkohlmann wrote: post #64
bellerocky wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you think about replacing most fighter pilots with unmanned drones? Way of the future or will never happen?

I think unmanned systems will augment, rather than replace manned airplanes. In one way of thinking, we've been using drones for decades...a tomahawk missile is an unmanned vehicle with a warhead.

I'm sure this is a dumb question but why is it preferable to have a pilot in the cockpit if you could keep them on the ground?

Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?

#87

Post by daveloyall »

jiggy2011 wrote: post #63
daveloyall wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Neither have I, but I find myself recognizing hacker traits in musicians, mathematicians, lawyers, chefs, spangers, legislators, tech recruiters, modern bohemians, and grant writers. These are all people that reason about systems. The systems and the tools vary, but the process doesn't.

But is it reasonable to term it "hacking", there's a certain arrogance in trying to apply one's own wording in a way that suggests a particular type of person (a particular type of programmer) as the ideal.

When lawyers start coming up to us and saying "I see what you did there!", let's ask them what they call it. :) Meanwhile...

Actually, the closest term I've come across personally is "systems thinking". (A phrase with its own splendid, storied history, by the way!)

Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?

#88

Post by tonylemesmer »

Product designer / engineer - having said that I have been writing software as a hobby since I was about 7 or 8 years old (I'm 35 now). I see knowing about software, electronics and "technology" as a general knowledge, in the same way that I can speak and read.

Hacker News is a fantastic community, filled with rational, clever and moderate contributors who write stuff which is a a pleasure to read and learn from.

The rest of the popular web seems in thrall by the new stuff and doesn't see things quite so rationally. Its not easy to pull the wool over the eyes of the HN crowd. I love that kind of interaction, where people have a level of understanding that allows genuine technical merit to be apparent.

My new full time job is designing machines to keep sick people alive whilst their bodies are repaired. Something I'd never thought of doing 10 months ago when I worked in consultancy.

Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?

#89

Post by ssivark »

I'm a PhD student, doing research in fundamental theoretical physics. My tastes are eclectic (my undergrad degree was in electrical engineering), so among other things I'm interested in FOSS, computer science, tech and random bits of news and worthy reading material that pops up on HN. I'm also mildly interested in the culture in startups and how skilled workers motivate themselves and bootstrap -- I guess a lot of such soft knowledge would translate to a wide variety of situations (eg: academic research).

And oh, did I forget to mention the static-blog-generator-pr0n? :P

Re: Ask HN: Who isn't in the software industry/not a hacker?

#90

Post by wdewind »

egypturnash wrote: post #21

I'm an artist. I'm engaged in writing and drawing a graphic novel about a robot lady with reality problems. Reading HN gives me things to mull over regarding my own hesitant steps into the world of promotion, sales, and making a business happen on the web. Also I used to dabble in programming back in the days of the C64 and Amiga. I will probably never do any major programming projects but I like to keep up with tech…

Your comic is really awesome but the top 20 or 30 pixels are cut off. Please fix it I want to read!! http://cl.ly/image/2J1h2b0B3C40
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