111–120 of 125 posts
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Software also requires far more maintenance and modification. Whereas building a bridge takes more work than maintaining it software is often the opposite
While true, nobody asks you to turn a bridge into a tunnel the day after the first cars drive across it either.
No you are not allowed to rewrite or refactor. Only add!
Thanks and hats off to all people doing useful work everywhere. From store clerks to firefighters, from office administrators to CEOs of companies providing useful products/services at a large scale. We need each other. On the topic of engineering specifically, yes engineers build reliable complex systems that make the world livable. Software engineers also build the invisible bits that runs the digital infrastructur…
> From store clerks to firefighters, from office administrators to CEOs of companies providing useful products/services at a large scale. I run a small software business, but also work part-time as an EMT and volunteer as a SAR medic. I make approximately 12x more from my software business per hour worked (and I'm the lowest paid employee in the business) than I do working as an EMT (and obviously the volunteer isn't…
Over the past few years, I've been taking driving very seriously in terms of skill development and practice. One ritual I've started doing is thanking my car after every drive. For the privilege I'm afforded by being able to drive freely unlike most of the world. For the car itself for holding up so reliably. And for the hundred+ years of engineering man hours and passion given to get where we are today. In any popul…
You seem to suggest cars save more lives than they take. I am not sure that's the case. Especially knowing the car injury stats and secondary effects of different kinds of pollution.
Motor travel let us distribute food, medicine, and specialized labor that would otherwise be impossible/impractical to do.
Sure you can argue that's not worth the non zero number of lives lost in the process, but we wouldn't be able to live the modern lifestyles we have today without it.
Like being able to go to a hospital filled with teams of experienced specialists to get better treatment.
People would probably die if I was an actual engineer, so I'm deeply appreciative that I can enjoy infrastructure and whatnot without having to worry about it crumbling above/beneath me.
Most infrastructure relies on software as well. I mean just look at the Southwest kerfuffle for a current example
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Yeah, but you have patent protection. Software engineers don't have that in all parts of the world.
China doesn't care about patents and will manufacture your design for 1/3rd of the price.
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> From store clerks to firefighters, from office administrators to CEOs of companies providing useful products/services at a large scale. I run a small software business, but also work part-time as an EMT and volunteer as a SAR medic. I make approximately 12x more from my software business per hour worked (and I'm the lowest paid employee in the business) than I do working as an EMT (and obviously the volunteer isn't…
Wow, so is it like $40h vs $480/h?
Yes, but. Most real world engineers could also be software engineers too. I studied Mechanical Engineering and had to learn Fortran and Pascal as part of my undergrad. What I find strange is that some of the best software engineers are not as strong at Math as you would expect. Of course there are exceptions (and no doubt they are all here on HN!). So while real world engineers can cross the divide to become software…
The reason software engineers make more money than other engineers is quite simple. Software scales a lot better than hardware, so a lot more money can be made with it. Thus more business are built on it, thus demand for those who can build software, thus higher pay. That software engineers be pampered or not is a result of demand being high for the skills. In the long term, it's not a matter of industry culture (as…
Software also requires far more maintenance and modification. Whereas building a bridge takes more work than maintaining it software is often the opposite
There's a reason software companies are making fortunes. The margins are incredibly high, high enough to more than compensate for inefficiencies such as lavish office spaces, low employee utilization, etc.
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> Most people don't want to be stuck in frony of a computer working om intangible code either and that's why you get paid more. I feel like this hits the nail on the head. Neither me nor anyone else I know would work as a software engineer if the pay were significantly lower. I daydream of stacking shelves. If that paid half, I’d absolutely take it over software engineering. But it only pays 1/4, so I kill myself in…
FWIW, I would work in tech even if I won a huge lottery so it isn't none just not most. I did work physically demanding and outdoory jobs, not for me. I need constant cerebral engagement with little human drama. I spent many evenings and weekends doing techy stuff to be where i am. I spent and am spending all of my holiday season offtime learning/studying.
With that said, I'm absolutely burnt out on endless meetings, bs deliverables, mismanagement, and cargo-cult testing nonsense on Yet Another Crud App.
I too spend substantial time reading about build systems, programming languages, etc. I want nothing more to work on something at least marginally interesting with the opportunity to learn from my peers. That's not at all present in my current circumstances.
I wouldn't do _this_ given a hypothetical lottery windfall.