I dislike the use of the word "coding" here. I don't enjoy coding that much. Typing text into the computer is menial work. What is being described here is more generally called programming. If I spend my entire day typing code then it's a bad day. There are no castles in the sky, only text on the screen. The castles are made in my head. Coding is just a necessary evil to get my ideas from my head into the computer. But it is necessary, as there is definitely joy in running your own program for real, rather than just in your head.
Why I Love Coding (2012)
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Re: Why I Love Coding (2012)
#62I feel like I’ve lost most of my interest in it. It’s been years since I’ve been truly excited by it and and motivated to do it, but I had been on and off the edge, losing interest for long periods of time before a random spark of motivation would bring it back, only to go out within a few months at most, and after the most recent spark, I’m not sure if I can see myself coming back to programming. It’s a strange feel…
I've also lost interest many times during my 25 years of coding, but now I feel excited as ever again. One of key realizations has been that I'm more interested in people than machines (even though I feel the same fascination figuring out how something works). In the end, software is almost always for people to use. Things like programming language design easily get regarded as highly technical, but it's so much abou…
> Another one has been learning how software fits the bigger picture. In order for a company to succeed with software, things starting from vision, strategy, execution need to be in line
This was something that I experienced in my career trajectory. My first shift from pure programming was to requirements definition, which I enjoyed. I then got involved in specifying the need for systems in the first place - developing business cases and evaluating solution options. I'd by then realised that by the time someone starts writing requirements, someone else must already have done some work to secure funding, teams, etc. Luckily I was (mostly) able to stay tech-focussed rather than moving into pure management. Some of the most technically challenging work was at the end of my career - looking at how systems could be affected by / drive organisational transformation. And being able to confidently brief very senior decision makers on how their organisational structures (often stovepipes) were actually driving inefficiencies, duplication and nugatory work at the systems development and operations end.
Re: Why I Love Coding (2012)
#63There really is a special kind of satisfaction when you see something you wrote actually work. I remember the first time I made a sprite move around the screen with arrow keys, I probably moved that guy around for several minutes just out of pride. I'm sure we all have similar memories.
Pentesters when they get their first shell
Re: Why I Love Coding (2012)
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
Time to find a new employer then.
I have changed job numerous times in the last decade. It's the same shit everywhere. Poorly paid jobs writing fresh projects, or better paid senior roles trying to keep the crap projects started by a junior running a few years down the line.
You may have bad luck then. Anecdotal evidence from myself and friends tells me that there are better outcomes too.
Re: Why I Love Coding (2012)
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have been in a more management or consulting focused role for 3 years now and i already fear that i am loosing my effectiveness as a programmer. How did the transition back to programming go for you?
I second this question. I find that "potentially loosing [..] effectiveness" is the least of the problems though, but that a few years of experience in management makes one essentially unhirable for positions that even involve some coding. I saw this from both sides of the table: as employee and hiring manager. It's also not a money problem, accepting less for a coding position does not work. A career path back to co…
Why does management experience make you unhirable?
I do program every now and then in my spare time, but not to the extent the original commenter does in his spare time.
Interview wise i am doing fine, albeit not for FAANG type roles.
Re: Why I Love Coding (2012)
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
I second this question. I find that "potentially loosing [..] effectiveness" is the least of the problems though, but that a few years of experience in management makes one essentially unhirable for positions that even involve some coding. I saw this from both sides of the table: as employee and hiring manager. It's also not a money problem, accepting less for a coding position does not work. A career path back to co…
Probably the case. Being older than 35, in this industry, is also a killer. I just gave up looking for work, and am working with some folks on a nonprofit startup. It's great. best decision I ever made.
I am 31 so maybe i have a chance to switch back for a few years, fingers crossed. Thanks for your replies.
Re: Why I Love Coding (2012)
#67I love coding too, basically for the same reasons. There’s something about creating things from scratch, making them better, and debugging issues that can’t be matched by other hobbies. You just have more control and speed in working on things versus physical things like working on an engine. That said, I don’t like the business of coding. Doing coding for a living strips away a lot of the joy out of it, but this is…
> I don’t like the business of coding. Doing coding for a living strips away a lot of the joy
This is sad but I think a lot of people have the same experience. Then again, I had a recent programming job that I really enjoyed. I think the team you're in and how they work has a huge influence on keeping the joy.
Re: Why I Love Coding (2012)
#68Coding at work sucks. Coding at home is great as a hobby.
If you're lucky enough to actually write code (or preferably, solve problems) at work then you're already quite lucky. I seem to spend all my time in meetings, preparing presentations, performing sysadmin tasks, testing things owned by other teams or external providers, looking things up for people, "resolving" tickets, communicating with other teams, chasing other teams, debugging internal infrastructure, doing code…
Coding is hell in the wrong environment. Requirements always changing, not being allowed to go back and fix or improve things...
Re: Why I Love Coding (2012)
#69I love coding too, basically for the same reasons. There’s something about creating things from scratch, making them better, and debugging issues that can’t be matched by other hobbies. You just have more control and speed in working on things versus physical things like working on an engine. That said, I don’t like the business of coding. Doing coding for a living strips away a lot of the joy out of it, but this is…
I think a big part of the “joy”, is pursuing your own idea of what would be cool to make. Start a side project, and not one you think would be lucrative, or that other people would be impressed by. Just something you yourself are fascinated with, even transiently.
Pursuing your own idea of what's cool to make is sometimes possible in paid work too. Within constraints, to be sure, but it can be one of the great joys of being a dev on a product team.
Re: Why I Love Coding (2012)
#70I love coding.
Only issue I have is that I don't talk to many people during the day. I rent an office and I just sit at work the whole day. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but I wish there was a setting in which I could network with more people. What has worked for you?