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Programming is a Terrible Job

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Re: Programming is a Terrible Job

#221

Post by aaronem »

tootie wrote: post #185
Swizec wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

protip: Be a very picky freelancer and only work on projects that interest you.

I'm having a mid-career crisis much like OP and the notion of freelancing is enticing. Can you tell me more about how it is more fulfilling, lees frustrating and how you find quality gigs?

I'd like to hear some more on this topic as well; I've got a few freelance clients whom I inherited from the (literally) flaming hulk of the company where I used to work, and I need the money, but the work they need done is so delightful that I'm thinking hard about getting out of freelancing entirely in order to concentrate on doing things I actually enjoy, instead of working every hour God sends. If there's some way to reconcile these increasingly divergent considerations, I haven't been able to find it.

Re: Programming is a Terrible Job

#222

Post by aaronem »

Supermighty wrote: post #84

I've felt this way before. Dejected that the my new job wasn't an exciting candy land of save-the-day hacks and movie montage of elegant code spanning the screen. My expectations were too high. I thought we would always do the right thing to kick out software all grown up ready to take on the world. When the realization set in I got angry. First at the job then at myself. I held it tight knowing someone was to blame.…

I don't want to burst your bubble, but there are bosses out there who a) will read and criticize your diffs and commit comments, and b) will not be anywhere near as capable as you. These circumstances combine to produce a situation where it is entirely possible to be "too clever", which elicits a polite chewing-out and an assignment to go back and replace elegant code with code that any idiot can maintain.

If you know a trick for maintaining a sense of satori in such conditions, you would oblige me enormously by describing it.

Re: Programming is a Terrible Job

#224

Post by EdwardDiego »

iSnow wrote: post #63
pilif wrote: post #47

Of course the day job isn't always fun. That's why it's a job and that's what we get paid for. But: I f'ing love my job as a programmer. There is nothing in this world that I'd rather do. There's nothing that constantly fills me with as much joy as programming does. I admit that I might be a bit lucky here, having founded the company I'm working for; that allows me to pick my battles and find a good balance between s…

I think, as a founder you are missing the point that 99 out of 100 times you are told - explicitly or by work schedule "do not do it in an interesting, performant or elegant way, just get it working somehow and move on"

> that 99 out of 100 times you are told - explicitly or by work schedule "do not do it in an interesting, performant or elegant way, just get it working somehow and move on"

Sure, we're in businesses (well, most of us), and there's little room for gilding the lilly or perfectionists who can't deliver.

That said, I've always found that elegant code is easier to maintain, thus reducing technical debt. If your employer doesn't want to reduce technical debt, you're either working for a start-up that's in a mad rush to 1.0, or you're working for someone who doesn't understand or care about the interest you pay on technical debt, and it may be time to move on.

Re: Programming is a Terrible Job

#226

Post by EdwardDiego »

loup-vaillant wrote: post #54
nicpottier wrote: post #32

There's a reason it is called work and not play. If work was always enjoyable, then they wouldn't need to pay you to do it. I think the author is delusional if he thinks any programming anywhere doesn't have large swaths of time that are a bit mind numbing. And my experience has been the programmers who think themselves 'above that' are the ones that provide the least value. Our job is not to program, our job is to c…

There' a difference between having "large swaths of time that are a bit mind numbing", and having those swaths taking most, possibly all your working time. OP said: > I don't think I ever caught myself writing code for my employer and thinking "hey, I really enjoy this" ----- > Our job is not to program, our job is to create value. It's supposed to be the job of every worker out there. Even janitors (believe me, clea…

> I don't think I ever caught myself writing code for my employer and thinking "hey, I really enjoy this"

Poor guy. I write stuff I enjoy for my employer all the time.

Re: Programming is a Terrible Job

#227

Post by film42 »

Sure, programming is a job, like working on cars is a job. You can be mechanic in a small town, or work for an F1 team. It's your call.

Just take a step back and ask, "what is the company I work for trying to do?" And if you don't like it, or don't think it's cool enough, move along. Again, it's all your choice.

Re: Programming is a Terrible Job

#228

Post by mildtrepidation »

film42 wrote: post #227

Sure, programming is a job, like working on cars is a job. You can be mechanic in a small town, or work for an F1 team. It's your call. Just take a step back and ask, "what is the company I work for trying to do?" And if you don't like it, or don't think it's cool enough, move along. Again, it's all your choice.

This is good advice if you have the experience to be hired for an F1 team. F1 pit crews aren't hanging out at career fairs.

Re: Programming is a Terrible Job

#229

Post by redshirtrob »

Wow. This us uncanny. Replace 'Mensenne primes' with 'Perfect numbers', 'math encyclopedias for kids' with 'Geometry teacher', 'history teacher' with 'spanish teacher', and 'struggling country' with 'midwestern US state in the early 90s' and you've pretty much described my introduction to programming--right down to working on it with another nerdy friend.

I don't think that means much of anything, and I don't identify with the rest of the post, but I find it interesting that someone from another time and place has a nearly identical programming origin story.

Re: Programming is a Terrible Job

#230

Post by d43594 »

I am continually frustrated picking up other peoples shit. I abhor the "get it working" attitude. This industry is full of sub-par engineers and lazy attitudes. No excuse, do it properly and then we can stop this "pass the buck" attitude which is common in this industry.
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