Coding as a Career Isn't Right for Me • Hacker News Board

Re: Coding as a Career Isn't Right for Me

#121

Post by palimpsests » Sun, Jan 31, 2016, 12:51 AM UTC

tomreece wrote: post #88

mabbo wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That said, I've met a few developers where it's just their job. They aren't passionate about code they way I am- their passions lie elsewhere, and that's fine. Being passionate about software development can help you be a better developer- but it's not a prerequisite by any means.

I often feel like I'm surrounded by programmers who just come to work every day, write as much good enough code that they can, and then go home. They seem really happy. I want to be like them. But my care gets in the way. My desire to question why we do things the way we do only to be told "that's just how it is" is difficult to hear and only frustrates me further. The happy people around me don't seem to ask questio…

It sounds like you're conflating caring about the quality of ones work with having a poor work-life balance.

Also, I think that pursuing happiness in and of itself is quite boring and demonstrates a lack of agency that we have as human beings... We need more than just the feeling of constant pleasure in order to have a fulfilling life. One very basic example: if you were happy all the time, how would you actually know? Being aware of the contrast between various emotional and psychological states provides a lot more fulfillment versus always residing in a single mode of existence.

Re: Coding as a Career Isn't Right for Me

#122

Post by derekp7 » Sun, Jan 31, 2016, 12:57 AM UTC

dudul wrote: post #81

derekp7 wrote: post #73

My biggest problem with coding for an employer, is that they then own exclusive rights to the code. Essentially, you are solving a problem. If that problem is unique to the employer, then that is fine for them to own the code. But if the project involves writing a bunch of potentially reusable routines, such as what you might find in a third party library, it just seems awful that you can never solve those same probl…

Well, it's not like they pay you to write code for them right? It is only fair that your are, in theory, not allowed to reuse the code who wrote for them at your next gig. And to be clear, we all do it. If you've implemented it once you can redo it in no time.

I agree that it is fair, it just kind of hurts a bit is all. Especially if you did something you are real proud of.

I wish there were more programming jobs that were similar to photography -- you get hired to do a shoot, the customer gets a copy, but you keep the copyrights.

Re: Coding as a Career Isn't Right for Me

#123

Post by aaronchall » Sun, Jan 31, 2016, 3:53 AM UTC

I had a graduate degree and could barely make rent for more than a year before I finally got a job as a programmer.

At my lowest point, I used to pick up a large $5 dollar cheese pizza to go, a tomato and onion from a street vendor (for toppings on my pizza), and stretch 4 meals out of it.

You should be grateful you have the opportunities you have, and that you're able to work a job that would allow you to pay off your student loans so quickly.

As a programmer, you have one of the best jobs that exists. You have a low stress job and you make a lot of money. (The median programmer makes more than twice the median wage - 37 versus 17/hr - http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm ) - your financial freedom will come much more quickly to you than it will for most others.

You ought to do your best to learn to find meaning in your work and be grateful you have so much self-direction in your work when so many others don't.

Re: Coding as a Career Isn't Right for Me

#124

Post by YeGoblynQueenne » Sun, Jan 31, 2016, 12:49 PM UTC

solipsism wrote: post #115

YeGoblynQueenne wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What kind of defeatist attitude is that? "Reality sucks and you can't change it"? Where would our lord Steve Jobs be if he thought like that? Seriously though. If you don't like the hand you're dealt, you try to change it. How is that unrealistic, or unlike what most people do? And how is it unreasonable to fervently wish to have it better in life than what you do? Why is it entitled? There's nothing more common-sens…

I don't understand how you get "Reality sucks and you can't change it" from anything I said. The part of reality that we're talking about, that I said sucks, is the rule that says that you are not entitled to anything. No matter how hard you work, no matter what tests you took, no matter what they told you would happen if you paid tens of thousands of dollars for school, you are entitled to nothing! Like everyone els…

You said: ". My rules may suck, but they have the advantage of being reality."

Hence "reality sucks". I don't see that I misread that.

I agree you didn't say anywhere that you shouldn't try to change the status quo, but to be fair, there's often a lot of confusion between "that's how things are" and "that's how things should be".

I don't have the patience for a lengthy discussion on this now- apologies.