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Anyone else feel the constant urge to leave the field and become a plumber?

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Re: Anyone else feel the constant urge to leave the field and become a plumber?

#251

Post by jackcosgrove »

nkozyra wrote: post #166
jedberg wrote: post #64

This last summer/fall really put things in perspective for me. We did a major outdoor renovation at our house, which involved landscapers, plumbers, electricians, and carpenters. Every day these guys would show up at 8am and long sleeves and jeans and hard hats, work super hard, pee in a port-a-potty, and be exhausted by the end of the day. They worked out in the 100 degree heat as well as the rain as the job got nea…

There's something so insidiously, backhandedly condescending about tech workers pining for the simplicity of an honest day's job that drives me nuts. Yes, there are almost always jobs with less strenuous requirements on time, fewer requirements and late nights. But the average tech worker has a pretty good gig. And if they don't they can go down the street in 2022 and get one. Trades scratch a similar itch to develop…

> Did this behavior start with the coda of Office Space or has it always been a thing?

No, it's such a cliche that's why Office Space chose to use it.

The movie Lost in America explores this theme much more generally.

The funniest thing about the end of Office Space is that by "dropping out" of software during the Y2k era and entering the construction field, the protagonist is just swapping one bubble for another, software for housing.

Re: Anyone else feel the constant urge to leave the field and become a plumber?

#252

Post by throwaway1966 »

I've decided that I will soon be done with tech after 35 years. I find the tech industry exhausting and disappointing. It is really hasn't gotten any better than it was when I started and in some significant ways it is worse. The whole practice of software needs [citation needed] and [condemned by the board of health] notices slapped on it. Ignorance reigns and there is new ignorance every day lest anyone ever learn anything. Cliquishness, fetishism and cargo culting are rampant and that is not even commenting on the fringes like cryptocurrency. The scabrous larcenous fucks who want to take over the internet with "web3" might likely succeed because the investor class is filled with rapacious sociopaths and grifters who will happily ally themselves for another quick buck.

It is all shit and it is not fun any more.

Having spent several summers working manual labour and others spent working as a school janitor I certainly don't long for those jobs. I will probably spend my time on personal health and volunteering including tutoring. I will presumably continue to write software for my own enjoyment but I am indifferent about even participating in open source as it has become, too often, a cudgel used by one company or faction against another rather than a societal good.

Re: Anyone else feel the constant urge to leave the field and become a plumber?

#253

Post by 11thEarlOfMar »

nkozyra wrote: post #166
jedberg wrote: post #64

This last summer/fall really put things in perspective for me. We did a major outdoor renovation at our house, which involved landscapers, plumbers, electricians, and carpenters. Every day these guys would show up at 8am and long sleeves and jeans and hard hats, work super hard, pee in a port-a-potty, and be exhausted by the end of the day. They worked out in the 100 degree heat as well as the rain as the job got nea…

There's something so insidiously, backhandedly condescending about tech workers pining for the simplicity of an honest day's job that drives me nuts. Yes, there are almost always jobs with less strenuous requirements on time, fewer requirements and late nights. But the average tech worker has a pretty good gig. And if they don't they can go down the street in 2022 and get one. Trades scratch a similar itch to develop…

It may be self-selecting tech workers who feel excessive stress from their job, or, really are disastisfied and ready for a change.

I can confess to passing the person holding the STOP and SLOW sign at a construction site, and even saying out loud, "Now that's a job I could do."

But when the fog clears, and the paycheck lands in the bank, it's, well... nah. I'd rather put up with the stress or ennui and have the cash.

Re: Anyone else feel the constant urge to leave the field and become a plumber?

#254

Post by indymike »

TheCoelacanth wrote: post #167
JKCalhoun wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your contractor, on the other hand, may well have got a few rounds of golf in during the day time. A neighbor owns a painting company. He goes around the various job sites in the morning, sees that everyone has their marching orders for the day, returns in the afternoon to check in on the progress. In between the morning and afternoon though? He does what he pleases. I believe he started the company with a buddy, the…

Well, yes, owning things is definitely the best job, regardless of what industry you're in. It's not the typical path for any job, though.

> Well, yes, owning things is definitely the best job, regardless of what industry you're in.

Unpopular opinion: being an owner is hard. You think it's easy until $80k doesn't come in on time and you have to make payroll by mortgaging your house, or you have to wake up at 2 am because a developer got arrested by INS (even though they were a US citizen), or you have to deal with a $150K medical bill that your insurance wouldn't cover... etc... Or an employee tries to make a copy of your code and launch a competing business...

Life is hard.

Re: Anyone else feel the constant urge to leave the field and become a plumber?

#255

Post by Trasmatta »

jedberg wrote: post #64

This last summer/fall really put things in perspective for me. We did a major outdoor renovation at our house, which involved landscapers, plumbers, electricians, and carpenters. Every day these guys would show up at 8am and long sleeves and jeans and hard hats, work super hard, pee in a port-a-potty, and be exhausted by the end of the day. They worked out in the 100 degree heat as well as the rain as the job got nea…

> I used to have thoughts about how it would be nice to have a job with totally spelled out requirements that end at 5pm and then you have the rest of the day off

In addition to your other good points, I used to work construction, and it was never like this. Requirements were not spelled out, and we constantly had to deal with unexpected issues, or ridiculous homeowners with dumb ideas. Timelines and deadlines were harsh, and you were often blocked by somebody else's work, but were still expected to finish by a given date.

Re: Anyone else feel the constant urge to leave the field and become a plumber?

#256

Post by banana_maker »

dsego wrote: post #74
banana_maker wrote: post #22

Occasionally that thought pops up. Then I remember I’m making insane amounts of money, from the comfort of my desk in my house. At 25 I’m making more than my parents ever did, with a fraction of the physical effort. If I really hated it, I could save up for some time and do something else, because again… I’m pulling insane amounts of money for software work. Trades like plumbing, electrical work etc are -hard- work.…

> I recognize that I have the privilege of not sacrificing my body and health for my income Oh, sitting in a chair in front a screen for hours on end does wonders for the body. It's still early, you'll appreciate it in ~10 years.

You and the other commenter have got to be joking.

My point was that office-work is far away preferable to daily physical labor. I’ll take sitting over throwing out my back, blowing out my knees and having constant pain. Not to mention the hazards of working with chemicals or industrial equipment or electricity, and so on.

Of course there are options that I use like exercising and standing desks. My point was that this is a significantly better situation health-wise than working in trades. And that I have the privilege of doing that.

Re: Anyone else feel the constant urge to leave the field and become a plumber?

#257

Post by jeffrallen »

laxatives wrote: post #121

A professor of mathematics noticed that his kitchen sink at his home leaked. He called a plumber. The plumber came the next day and sealed a few screws, and everything was working as before. The professor was delighted. However, when the plumber gave him the bill a minute later, he was shocked. "This is one-third of my monthly salary!" he yelled. Well, all the same he paid it and then the plumber said to him, "I unde…

Upvote for LoL.

Re: Anyone else feel the constant urge to leave the field and become a plumber?

#258

Post by CodeGlitch »

cpsns wrote: post #108
banana_maker wrote: post #22

Occasionally that thought pops up. Then I remember I’m making insane amounts of money, from the comfort of my desk in my house. At 25 I’m making more than my parents ever did, with a fraction of the physical effort. If I really hated it, I could save up for some time and do something else, because again… I’m pulling insane amounts of money for software work. Trades like plumbing, electrical work etc are -hard- work.…

> I recognize that I have the privilege of not sacrificing my body and health for my income. Sitting for longer periods in any amount is incredibly bad for one's health long term, every study on the subject has confirmed this. You are sacrificing your health, just in a different way.

I set a timer that goes off every 45 minutes. At which point I'll walk around for a couple of minutes and do some push ups and pull ups.

In the mornings I walk my daughter to school: 25 minutes exercise.

At lunch time I'll take a 30 minute walk.

There's no reason to be unfit as a software developer.

Re: Anyone else feel the constant urge to leave the field and become a plumber?

#259

Post by malshe »

RHSeeger wrote: post #107
malshe wrote: post #58

OT but still tangentially relevant - In the cold wave a couple of weeks ago in Texas, our pipes froze and the tap on the outside of the house burst. We were not sure about the extent of the damage so we called a plumber. He charged a cool $350 to simply replace the tap. Took all of 15 minutes.

> We were not sure about the extent of the damage > He charged a cool $350 to simply replace the tap No, he charged you $350 for his knowledge that replacing the tap was the right solution in this case. If all you had to do was replace the tap, you could have done that yourself and saved a bunch of money. But you didn't know that was all that needed to be done; he did. You paid for his knowledge, not simply the act o…

I’ve seen this argument a lot. It’s was just changing a tap. I don’t have to pay $350 to just someone look at it and tell me your don’t have any damage.
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