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

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

#271
post #239

I currently work in a good environment where I'm appreciated and paid well. Not many people in the world can say that, so I have a lot to be thankful for. Programming has done good by me. But I don't love it. Alan Kay is right, it's like building "an Egyptian pyramid with millions of bricks piled on top of each other, with no structural integrity, but just done by brute force and thousands of slaves". There's no eleg…

> It's an Asperger profession; smart but artless. Your point was good, it didn't need this poor stereotyping.

Agreed.

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

#272

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…

Share what you've written! Hats off to you. Can't quite make that kind of leap myself, but trying to get a body of work made up for business and pleasure.

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

#273
As we were driving to lunch one Friday, another programmer and I saw a backhoe in use, and started favorably comparing 'backhoe operator' to 'programmer': you get to work with heavy equipment, you can see the results of your work, when the day is done you go home and don't have to think about it. We laughed and cringed, as backhoe operator sounded like a better job by the time we were done.

For me, I can't do anything else. I'm sure I could learn something else, and I certainly get burned out from time to time. However, I find the whole development process fascinating, I still get a kick out of solving the puzzles and making things work, I am deeply gratified to see something I made help someone else solve one of their problems, and code is affecting more and more of the population for better and worse. There's no place I'd rather be.

There's a scene in 'Heat' where De Niro's criminal and Pacino's cop characters are talking about why they do what they do over a cup of coffee at a diner, and it turns out they're both compelled and couldn't do anything but what they do. I'm not sure what I'll do when the Butlerian jihadists or the twenty-something Angular developers come for me, and I have to go find something else to do, but I think I'll keep at it until then.

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

#274

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.

Besides being reasonably fit and having two legs I can't think of anything else one might need to dance as a profession.

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

#275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 wo…

> 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 think that all it takes for dancing is "not getting out of breath" then I can see why you would think "anyone can do it"

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

#276
post #240

I currently work in a good environment where I'm appreciated and paid well. Not many people in the world can say that, so I have a lot to be thankful for. Programming has done good by me. But I don't love it. Alan Kay is right, it's like building "an Egyptian pyramid with millions of bricks piled on top of each other, with no structural integrity, but just done by brute force and thousands of slaves". There's no eleg…

Well, I have an opposite problem. I work in a different industry, but completely adore programming and solving variety of problems that involve data processing or connecting various systems together.

What's too late? I'm certain you could work in other kinds of development

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

#277

Computational cognitive science. I'm in the process of going back to studying. My employer knows this, as well as most my friends and peers. I plan to spend the next two scholar years (starting in 2017) to take a master in cognitive science. I have worked for 3 years in web development since graduating and have enough money stashed to make the transition. I'll likely write a lot less code, and more maths and english.…

Too bad modern AI developments have absolutely nothing to do with "cognitive science"

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

#278
Yes. And I did. 30 years programming.

Then I got certified in Autocad, got a qualification in Manufacturing Engineering at part-time school, used that to start a degree in Supply Chain Management in the UK. I'm now on an internship in Miami and I already did a semester on exchange in Finland.

Worked out well so far.

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

#279

Not really, but it could easily be the case that most programming jobs suck. That is, it was clear to me from a young age that programming was my favorite thing to do, but the mundane, backward, pointless, political, and/or stupid nature of most jobs can make things unbearable. My solution was to eventually either become a consultant/freelancer, or create my own startup. When I then realized that a tech lead (Staff S…

Would you mind explaining what you mean by targeted individual? Did you do something to attract someones attention in a really negative way? How did this come about through programming?
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