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Being a Developer After 40

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Re: Being a Developer After 40

#511

Post by tenementfunster »

jdcarter wrote: post #470
heckerboy wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Curious, where did you move to? I am also looking to leave the valley someday, but am afraid that the jobs won't be as plentiful as they are here.

I left the valley in 1991, right before the "web 1.0" bubble burst. I moved to Boulder, Colorado. It's wonderful here. There's tech companies--including an active startup scene--but people are far more balanced, even the nerds.

Yeah but Boulder has some pretty crazy bubble issues of its own... I'm in the process of heading back to Denver in a couple months because I can't deal with it anymore. Sure, Denver's tech scene is bush league compared to Boulder's but there's only so much hippy-dippy I can deal with.

Re: Being a Developer After 40

#512

Post by YeGoblynQueenne »

flexie wrote: post #112
YeGoblynQueenne wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, that's supposed to be good business sense: you pay less money for the same amount of work. In truth though, you get what you pay for, always. Software works the same regardless of who writes it, where they live, or how much you pay them, so if you pay less for a piece of software you'll just get a piece of software that's worth less money. It's exactly for this reason that big corporate software is generally sh…

The device you used to type in your opinion was likely produced in Asia. This enabled you to pay less without getting less. You can in fact get a Bulgarian developer which is just as good or even better than many Western European or American developers (I have hired a few) and for a fraction of the price. Meanwhile they may still be paid very decent amount of money that allows for them to have a standard of living ex…

>> You don't always get what you pay for with developers or any other services or products. Sometimes, but not always.

If you paid people a lot more money you'd get a lot better software.

You get what you pay for alright, regardless of whether you recognise it as such or not.

Re: Being a Developer After 40

#513

Post by pasquinelli »

jaegerpicker wrote: post #505
pasquinelli wrote: post #438

"you were, are and will be a software developer, that is, a relatively expensive factory worker, whose tasks your managers would be happy to offshore no matter what they tell you." this is exactly my experience. writing software really doesn't require any great creative mind or cleverness. i'm a pretty mediocre programmer. i got roped into programming as a kid by, first of all because i wanted to make video games, bu…

I'm really sorry for you, there ARE better places to spend the majority of your life if you feel this way about your job. I'm a developer turned manager, I care deeply about the code we write. My Boss (Director of Engineering) and his Boss (CTO) care about the code we write. Hell even our CEO cares, though for different reasons. Good well designed code is not easy and it does take creativity. If you don't work for a…

i feel a lot of bad ways about my work, it's true, but i really don't see it so much in my original comment. i was just elaborating on a comparison likening programmers to factory workers. i wouldn't necessarily say i'm a factory worker, but i think there is a comparison to be made. is that so awful? is it so awful to work in a factory?

for what it's worth, i'm not sorry for me. i don't like my job, but i've never been satisfied with a job. i don't want to work a job, i want to do my own work, but that's very, very rare to do full time. maybe someday, if i'm incredibly lucky. in the meantime, i have bills to pay. my current job's pretty cushy, affording me a bit of flexibility on time, and enough free time to make progress on my own stuff.

Re: Being a Developer After 40

#514

Post by YeGoblynQueenne »

flexie wrote: post #263
AlexeyBrin wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From my traveling experience the cost of food in large cities in Bulgaria and Romania is about the same as the cost of food in Canada. Yes, they have (much) lower wages there and they will accept your low offer because they have no better choice to make more money. Please don't delude yourself in believing you pay them a fair/decent price. You just pay them better than what they could make locally.

Oh, please. From my experience living in the US and now living in the capital of Bulgaria I know that the price of food, housing etc. is way lower here than in the valley or NYC. Easily 3 times cheaper. And the tax is lower too. But don't take my word for it: https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/sofia/s... ? A decent full stack developer in his early 20s with no or little college education and 2-4 yea…

So, do you sell your product(s) in Bulgaria, or in the US?

Re: Being a Developer After 40

#515

Post by hollerith »

jdcarter wrote: post #470
heckerboy wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Curious, where did you move to? I am also looking to leave the valley someday, but am afraid that the jobs won't be as plentiful as they are here.

I left the valley in 1991, right before the "web 1.0" bubble burst. I moved to Boulder, Colorado. It's wonderful here. There's tech companies--including an active startup scene--but people are far more balanced, even the nerds.

>I left the valley in 1991, right before the "web 1.0" bubble burst.

Huh? I think you have the wrong year!

The web existed in 1991, but it was still . . . embryonic. No one had yet made any money on it.

Re: Being a Developer After 40

#516

Post by hollerith »

jdcarter wrote: post #470
heckerboy wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Curious, where did you move to? I am also looking to leave the valley someday, but am afraid that the jobs won't be as plentiful as they are here.

I left the valley in 1991, right before the "web 1.0" bubble burst. I moved to Boulder, Colorado. It's wonderful here. There's tech companies--including an active startup scene--but people are far more balanced, even the nerds.

>I left the valley in 1991, right before the "web 1.0" bubble burst.

The web existed in 1991, but it was still . . . embryonic. I think you mean 2001.

Re: Being a Developer After 40

#517

Post by frostymarvelous »

>Software companies have become sweatshops where you are supposed to justify your absurdly high salary with insane hours and unreasonable expectations.

Sadly, I've felt this way for the past two months since I took my new job. I had to take a pay cut for it. Sadly, I think the new company thinks I'm being overpaid and the demands are crazy. All of a sudden, I understand so many of the WTFs on TDWTF!

Re: Being a Developer After 40

#518

Post by [deleted] »

frostymarvelous wrote: post #517

>Software companies have become sweatshops where you are supposed to justify your absurdly high salary with insane hours and unreasonable expectations. Sadly, I've felt this way for the past two months since I took my new job. I had to take a pay cut for it. Sadly, I think the new company thinks I'm being overpaid and the demands are crazy. All of a sudden, I understand so many of the WTFs on TDWTF!

[deleted]

Re: Being a Developer After 40

#519

Post by frostymarvelous »

dradtke wrote: post #362
frostymarvelous wrote: post #271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You won't understand because you fall in that category. But trust when it's said. You avoid certain challenges because of your race and sex and that is a given. That said, that doesn't mean that you sailed through life on a magic carpet with things handed to you.

> that doesn't mean that you sailed through life on a magic carpet with things handed to you. See, this is why people get frustrated when people tell them to check their privilege. White men are told all the time that they have life so easy, but almost never have their own frustrations or life experiences validated. I'm very grateful for everything I've had relatively easy in life (loving parents who never divorced a…

You're a wise man my friend.

Re: Being a Developer After 40

#520

Post by walshemj »

philbarr wrote: post #164

> A British roundabout with 6 intersections... There's one of those in Hemel Hempstead. And surprisingly it works really well... On a related note, if you have the chance to go to Hemel Hempstead, don't.

I think its only 5 now - and the fun thing about the magic roundabout is you can go either way round.

I must admit I used to when riding a bike round there chicken out and use the under pass.

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