Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

251–260 of 570 posts

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#251

Post by gcatalfamo »

truth_sentinell wrote: post #227
JaumeGreen wrote: post #195

I left programming for dancing. I'd been working at the same job for about ten years, and I started to work on a different group that made the same product with a never technology. I hated that, I found it hard to work in that and I wasn't that productive. Also I had some burnout, some depression, and not much to look forward to... Except for dancing. I had begun some years prior and I became somewhat good, and I eve…

You could save money from your programming job and fund yourself a dancing academy. Or even better, find a way to mix the two. Never stop dreaming!

I'm sorry but dancing is definitely not one of those professions where "if you believe you can do it".

Depending on the specific dancing style there are strict body types and features that you need to have, and not all of them can be acquired by training. So yeah, nature is not fair but feel-good comedies don't always apply to real life.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#252

Post by kobeya »

majewsky wrote: post #138
kobeya wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well there are certifications and licenses for civil engineers. But not other forms of engineering, and 'engineer', unqualified, is not a protected word. In fact for the most part we don't really have protected words (1st amendment and all that).

"Doctor", "Professor", "Judge", etc.

I can call myself any of those things without getting into legal trouble. If the context is that I misrepresent myself to have credentials I do not, that could be a crime yes. But saying I'm a doctor, professor, or even judge doesn't automatically get me in trouble as it would in other countries.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#253

Post by throwanem »

amelius wrote: post #242
cyberferret wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's an Asperger profession; smart but artless. Sorry, but I would have to disagree with you on this. I've been programming now for over 35 years, and really cannot see myself doing anything else. I find I can channel my creativity into programming in many ways, and writing a good piece of code gives me the same satisfaction as writing or recording apiece of music. Yes, I am a musician too, and while they are very…

But at least those jobs don't have the stigma of being (in the words above) Asperger professions. This makes it difficult to share your problems with other people, and of course, also because people in general would, I suppose, find the problems that musicians or theatre writers have more interesting, and more approachable than the problems of a software developer. Also, this makes that a musician can be a "musician"…

I've never felt stigmatized because of my profession, or as though I have to "switch between two worlds". I suppose there's a point to be made that it's not easy to discuss with someone outside the field the difficulties of implementing algorithm X or integrating API Y with service Z, but I imagine the same must be broadly true of any highly technical field. Are biology and surgery and piloting "Asperger professions", too?

If anything, I've often found that the perspective and knowledge that come with my professional experience are socially valuable, rather than the converse. I get a fair bit of my social interaction over beer and cider at a nearby bar, and it's pretty common that, when a conversation gets around to professions, I find myself fielding questions on all manner of subjects from the plausibility of widespread voting machine fraud to the rise of the machines - I spent a good few minutes the other day allaying fears that turned out to go back to that Ars article with the picture of Arnold as the T-800 that turned up here a little while back. I suppose the possibility exists that I did so in a particularly Aspergery way.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#254

Post by namaemuta »

chkywiz wrote: post #205
kristianp wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you considered chartered accountancy?

This is funny without even realising it's a Monty Python reference.

For anyone wondering about this particular sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azkFz1ZbXyU

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#255

Post by jstimpfle »

oneeyedpigeon wrote: post #183
cyberferret wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's an Asperger profession; smart but artless. Sorry, but I would have to disagree with you on this. I've been programming now for over 35 years, and really cannot see myself doing anything else. I find I can channel my creativity into programming in many ways, and writing a good piece of code gives me the same satisfaction as writing or recording apiece of music. Yes, I am a musician too, and while they are very…

> physio ... rubbing shoulders I see what you did there :)

What did (s)he do there? (Not a native speaker if that matters).

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#256

Post by clentaminator »

I think about leaving programming every day. I love programming, but I'm not sure I enjoy software development as a career.

I enjoy coding and understanding how computer systems work, but I don't care for the constant changes in tools and techniques in certain domains of development. I'd rather practise with and improve my existing knowledge of a subject, instead of constantly playing catch-up with someone else's tools and workflow. I also don't care about waterfall, agile, scrum, kanban, scrumban or any other development methodology that I've missed. I hate that my job has me chained to a desk (sitting or standing) instead of being able to use my body. All of this makes me think that real-world software development doesn't really suit me.

I'm about six weeks into a new job after leaving a company I worked at for just over five years. Amongst many other reasons for leaving, I thought that a new environment would change how I felt about continuing a career in software development, but I'm not sure that it has. I'm aware of how lucky programmers have it, but I can't help feeling like I just want something else. Grass is always greener, etc.

What are the career options that allow one to work mostly by oneself in one-to-two week stretches without having to play the development workflow game with the daily standups and so on?

Sadly I'm not sure what I'd do if not programming, but music is a big interest and I'd considered teaching music.

tl;dr Woe is me ;)

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#257

Post by emodendroket »

My original plan out of school was to become a Japanese translator and I still enjoy Japanese-language stuff. But honestly I couldn't deal with the vicissitudes of being a freelance translator while at the same time never making much money. I enjoy this too and it's much more stable.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#258

Post by RikNieu »

cygned wrote: post #140

Call me crazy but I have always had this exit plan. If my business completely fails, I'd give away my stuff and live in buddhist temples, would visit Tibet, travel around and spend my days meditating and helping people. Sounds like an insane idea, but as a Buddhist that would be a fulfilled life for me.

Ha, another one. I'd do the same! Except for the travel part, I'm too broke for that. Perfect for a samana, I guess.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#259

Post by truth_sentinell »

gcatalfamo wrote: post #251
truth_sentinell wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could save money from your programming job and fund yourself a dancing academy. Or even better, find a way to mix the two. Never stop dreaming!

I'm sorry but dancing is definitely not one of those professions where "if you believe you can do it". Depending on the specific dancing style there are strict body types and features that you need to have, and not all of them can be acquired by training. So yeah, nature is not fair but feel-good comedies don't always apply to real life.

Unless you're severely handicapped, I don't understand why wouldn't you be able to dance whatever type of dance you want.

If you have all your limbs and can walk, you can perfectly dance whatever is that you want. If you're fat and can't dance no more that one minute without getting out of breath, get in shape and train endurance. As simple as that.

If you're 5.4" or less and feel intimidated dancing with a taller woman, find yourself a woman of your same height.

You shouldn't be cutting away wings and locking up birds in cages telling them they can't fly.

Mental handicap imposed by oneself -or others, which at the end of the day ends being oneself- is the worst of all.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#260

Post by stunthamsterio »

Writing. I love writing, I've published a couple of technical manuals and I'm currently submitting to various short story anthologies whilst working on another (Self published) manual. Writing leaves me happy and fulfilled and generally free of stress.

Trouble is, it does not pay the bills. I'm currently working very hard to pay off all my debt and once that's done I'll be taking up writing full time and leaving the tech industry behind.

Post reply on HN