My Biggest Regret as a Programmer • Hacker News Board

Re: My Biggest Regret as a Programmer

#241

Post by aws_ls » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 2:43 PM UTC

drumdance wrote: post #213

andyjohnson0 wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in my late forties and have been a professional developer for 25+ years. I agree with what you said in your comment, but this stood out: "You might be dead tomorrow; you might as well enjoy today." This is not a bad way to live, but as I get older I am increasingly aware that there will be a day when I'm dead tomorrow. And for that reason I'm increasingly less interested in spending time in the state where "time…

I'm about the same age as you. The passage of time is shockingly fast unless I do things to slow it down. I remember moments from my college days that I can pinpoint to the year they happened. That thing that happened sophomore year? I know it happened sophomore year because I did it with my roommate at the time. But nowadays I'll watch a movie on Netflix thinking it came out just in the past year or two, only to dis…

I think, if we have enough leisure time, to an extent we get bored, results in us feeling time passes slowly. I used to get that feeling during summer vacations in school/college days. Not so much now.

So I also struggle with this exact same problem, i.e. some thing which I feel is recent is actually 5/10 years back. I am trying to work on it, so far not so successfully.

Re: My Biggest Regret as a Programmer

#242

Post by Gonzih » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 2:43 PM UTC

okyup wrote: post #140

I agree that programming is a dead end job. It's popular and relatively easy. It doesn't require any special skills. Anyone with an average IQ can learn it. There's low cost and barrier of entry to getting started. It's fun and addicting when you're a kid. Then you get trapped and it becomes monotonous. There's only so good you can get at programming. Beyond that, most of your time is spent on debugging trivial issue…

So programming is not creative in your opinion?

Re: My Biggest Regret as a Programmer

#243

Post by VLM » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 2:44 PM UTC

Zelmor wrote: post #24

He would have been unhappy with the other choice as well, because then it is the programming side he would be missing out on. I would advise everyone to read The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173536 You chose one option out of many, and the others may no longer be a possibility. However, the writer's unhappiness does not spawn from his inability to be successful at what he does,…

"because then it is the programming side he would be missing out on"

Look on the bright side. I can do all the programming I want at night and on weekends, in fact I technically have more time away from work to do it, than at work, and most employers consider "learn at home" to be mandatory, but your average nuclear engineer, infectious disease researcher, forensic accountant, or organic chemist is pretty much screwed in that regard.

For decades I've been expecting capitalization to freeze out home computer users by making everything too expensive for hobbyists yet cheap for a company to afford (think of the example of CNC milling machines, or electronics), and the cloud comes close to ruining hobbyists, but you can still pretty much keep up with the bleeding edge at home in programming, if you want.

Re: My Biggest Regret as a Programmer

#244

Post by wedowhatwedo » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 2:44 PM UTC

Zelmor wrote: post #113

tomp wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

10X the assets => retire 10 times sooner => program when you're retired => no missing out

That's stupid. I am not willing to suffer for 20 years to then enjoy the remaining 30-40 whatever there will be. You don't know how long you will live, and what is your old days worth if you broken in your youth trying to be safe when you are 50? I'd rather work, as some do, 3-4 hours every single day for the rest of my life, than 12 hour days for 10 years and then compensate my lost youth, health and relationships w…

"I am not willing to suffer for 20 years to then enjoy the remaining 30-40 whatever there will be."

I know people who suffered for many years, retired and then died within a couple of years. Don't be so sure you will live 30-40 years after retirement. You can never tell.

Re: My Biggest Regret as a Programmer

#245

Post by debacle » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 2:45 PM UTC

AlexC04 wrote: post #168

Ohhh... man. This is a bit tough to read. After 20 years in programming I've recently started looking into going back for a CS degree (masters or undergrad). But this guy makes me wonder if I should reconsider the MBA option.

If you've been programming for 20 years, unless you're hoping to work in IC or processors, CS isn't really going to help you all that much.

Re: My Biggest Regret as a Programmer

#246

Post by listingboat » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 2:46 PM UTC

Having gone this route - 8 years software engineer enterprise software - 8 years management enterprise software - downturn - back to software engineer mobile - now back to running an engineering team, there are trade offs.

First, what I realized going back to writing code in my early 40s, after 8 years in management, is how rewarding each day was when I was coding. You could get to the end of the day, point at what you did, and realize that you actually accomplished something.

In management, I have rarely felt like that. There is nothing to point to. It's all soft and mushy. Has anyone yelled at you today? Did any of your team get pissed at you? No? Ok, maybe you had a good day.

It's not all about the money or the 'career path'. Sometimes it's about contentment every day.

Re: My Biggest Regret as a Programmer

#247

Post by collyw » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 2:46 PM UTC

exelius wrote: post #218

justaman wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the disconnect between management and the developers is worth discussing. Its important for management to understand the difficulties and decisions made by a development team to properly create a roadmap for the business. I think the author is expressing that the lack of respect for the programmers opinions can be detrimental.

It's more that in a business (which is a power structure optimized for efficiency - meaning hierarchical power structure) the programmers are at the bottom of the pyramid. Involving their input would take far too many layers of overhead; so the decisions get made further up where there are fewer people to consult (and hence more efficient). IMO it is essential in today's world to have competent engineering management…

This is probably why there is so much poor software about.

Re: My Biggest Regret as a Programmer

#248

Post by debacle » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 2:46 PM UTC

byw wrote: post #26

I keep hearing stories of non-technical managers making elementary mistakes when it comes to technical decisions. Many of the things are so widely established, they can be learned by spending a little time reading a few books, talking to a few people. So I have to wonder what the obstacles are here. An aversion to reading? Inflexible management dogma? Distractible lifestyles? Poor critical thinking in general?

Hubris.

Re: My Biggest Regret as a Programmer

#249

Post by Grishnakh » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 2:47 PM UTC

RodericDay wrote: post #189

scandox wrote: post #45

"I can still feel the regret of not seeking the challenge of just leadership." He's right. Programmers need to get into leadership, because they have a chance of knowing what "just leadership" might look like. When non-technical people lead technical people, the chance of getting into a good flow is less (though by no means impossible). The problem is that many technical people are not "people" persons. Part of that…

This is pretty ridiculous. Lawyers, Bankers, and Doctors get to play in intellectual sandboxes, and they get paid really handsomely for it, even if they are completely anti-social people. The reason we get paid less is that we don't have any of their safeguards: - Lawyers aim to become partner. It's very socialist-y this way. The goal working in a firm is to become an owner of the firm and share in its successes. - D…

Yep, this leads me to my biggest regret as a programmer: going into engineering instead of medicine. I really should have become a doctor or some other kind of hospital worker instead: the money would have been at least as good, and I would have gotten to work in a place with lots of women.

Re: My Biggest Regret as a Programmer

#250

Post by feiss » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 2:47 PM UTC

powvans wrote: post #231

drumdance wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm about the same age as you. The passage of time is shockingly fast unless I do things to slow it down. I remember moments from my college days that I can pinpoint to the year they happened. That thing that happened sophomore year? I know it happened sophomore year because I did it with my roommate at the time. But nowadays I'll watch a movie on Netflix thinking it came out just in the past year or two, only to dis…

> I think having kids, which I have not done, might slow time down a bit. It's a paradox best expressed by the old adage: the days are long, but the years are short.

I agree with that. My days are dense, long, tiring and slow, but I can't believe a full year has passed already.

Before having my daughter, days were fast, weeks were faster, and years slipped through my fingers. Time goes faster when you daily routine is always more less the same, and that is more difficult with a child.