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I just don’t want to be a software developer anymore (2017)

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Re: I just don’t want to be a software developer anymore (2017)

#21

Post by fuball63 »

One thing that the article doesn't touch on is how a passion for software craftsmanship can be completely undermined by the recklessness of business decisions.

I love the experience of writing and using rock solid programs, but in the real world, there are deadlines to meet, flaky requirements, and tech debt. For people in it for the money, it doesn't affect them. For people that appreciated good software, it turns them into people just doing it for the money, except it also affects them.

I always explain it like this: imagine you were a chef, that loved the complexities of cooking; preparation, presentation, and recipe formulation. You enjoy preparing food and experiencing food. With this passion, you're forced to work in fast food, churning out meals as fast as the drive through will take them.

"Well, you can always cook in your free time!"

Re: I just don’t want to be a software developer anymore (2017)

#22

Post by nkrisc »

deaps wrote: post #16
nkrisc wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you elaborate please?

Maybe her concerns are shared amongst a majority of her female peers - thus leading to women either not wanting to join the field or leaving shortly after entering it. I mean men and women are different. We tend to excel at different things, have different thought processes, process things differently, different strengths and weaknesses (generally, right? - there is obviously overlap). Maybe her complaints help expla…

> We tend to excel at different things, have different thought processes, process things differently, different strengths and weaknesses (generally, right? - there is obviously overlap).

This could also be said of all individuals, sex aside.

Either way, I don't buy it. Nurses tend to mostly be women and yet the job is far harder than any software development job. It's more grueling hours, physically demanding, and mentally challenging. I think it's absurd to suggest that women as a whole can't handle the hours and demands of software development.

Re: I just don’t want to be a software developer anymore (2017)

#23

Post by growlist »

rvz wrote: post #8

The OP needs to place (2017) in the title. > I still love coding, but I hate this industry This essentially can be summarised by only doing software development as a hobby rather than as a profession. But again, this industry isn't for everyone. While its always unfortunate that people who once enter this industry have now quit due to the 'long hours', 'deadlines' or 'burnout', perhaps they should have looked twice a…

If the industry is chewing up and spitting out people as a matter of course, perhaps the problem is with the industry rather than the people.

Re: I just don’t want to be a software developer anymore (2017)

#24

Post by mcv »

I totally agree with her priorities. I too don't want to work on just one tiny cog of a system where I don't know the big picture, so I try to avoid projects that sound boring, and look for projects that sound interesting. I want to keep that passion alive. Now I'm building interesting stuff and we're responsible for the entire thing. In fact, many companies have moved to fullstack devops roles, which is basically just new corporate speak for doing the whole thing as well as deploying it.

> "Coding for a couple of hours a day in your spare time isn’t the same as coding for 8+ hours a day. Over the past decade it has worn me down. I have regular painful migraines triggered by working long hours. I have the beginnings of arthritis in my neck. I’ve tried standing desks, balance board desks, treadmill desks, special diets, exercising more before and after work. "

I don't spend 8 hours per day programming either. And I only work 4 days. No single desk is ever going to solve your problems; you need regular change. Pause, get some coffee, take a walk outside. It's great for clearing your head and making a fresh start.

But I can imagine corporate culture matters a lot. If you're at a company that expects you to spend 8 hours typing hard behind your desk, that's going to suck. If your employer doesn't respect your work-life balance, that sucks. Many Dutch companies do care about those things, but I can imagine that countries like the US or Japan have a very different culture.

Re: I just don’t want to be a software developer anymore (2017)

#25

Post by Synaesthesia »

I’d love to be a programmer but it seems that my job would likely consist of some database programming or nuts and bolts of a internal corporate program. Not exactly exciting or fulfilling work! Correct me if I’m wrong, I’m not in the industry but that’s my impression. This blog kinda confirms my concerns.

Re: I just don’t want to be a software developer anymore (2017)

#26

Post by wslh »

precisioncoder wrote: post #17
rvz wrote: post #8

The OP needs to place (2017) in the title. > I still love coding, but I hate this industry This essentially can be summarised by only doing software development as a hobby rather than as a profession. But again, this industry isn't for everyone. While its always unfortunate that people who once enter this industry have now quit due to the 'long hours', 'deadlines' or 'burnout', perhaps they should have looked twice a…

Do you have any idea how hard it can be to get a job in any decent circus? Most of them require decades of training and education and pay less than most manual labour jobs. Honestly working as a software developer (which I do) required far less investment of time and money then circus. (Where I am now a Partner Acrobatics trainer)

Clearly accepted Cirque du Soleil performers are scarcer than Google developers. This can also be applied to top performers in classical music as well.

Re: I just don’t want to be a software developer anymore (2017)

#29

Post by lnsru »

mtw wrote: post #19

Inst this more of a rant against corporate, big companies only offering desk jobs? There are many other types of companies. Smaller ones with flexible and/or remote work exist out there

Finding right place to work is tricky. My experience in Germany: public research organizations have funny salaries, but job might be very interesting and fulfilling. Small owner led companies can be great with great conditions, but can also be exactly opposite. Big companies pay best, it’s a good argument to stay there at certain age.

Re: I just don’t want to be a software developer anymore (2017)

#30

Post by dqv »

nkrisc wrote: post #22
deaps wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe her concerns are shared amongst a majority of her female peers - thus leading to women either not wanting to join the field or leaving shortly after entering it. I mean men and women are different. We tend to excel at different things, have different thought processes, process things differently, different strengths and weaknesses (generally, right? - there is obviously overlap). Maybe her complaints help expla…

> We tend to excel at different things, have different thought processes, process things differently, different strengths and weaknesses (generally, right? - there is obviously overlap). This could also be said of all individuals, sex aside. Either way, I don't buy it. Nurses tend to mostly be women and yet the job is far harder than any software development job. It's more grueling hours, physically demanding, and me…

But being a nurse is more social than software is. And that aligns with what we know about the differences between where women tend to excel and where men tend to excel.[1]

And of course you can then argue that parts of software are more social and my argument would be that there are more women in those parts of software.

[1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/rabble-rouser/201707...

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