Programming is a Super Power • Hacker News Board

Re: Programming is a Super Power

#21

Post by Tyrannosaurs » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 3:45 PM UTC

hackinthebochs wrote: post #12

tommorris wrote: post #2

It really isn't. Can we please stop the 'superhero' meme? I'm not a superhero. I'm just a person who knows a few programming languages and can hack things together. It's not a great feat: it's just typing bits of logic into a computer. If you can think logically and with a reasonable degree of abstraction, you can do it too! We should be shouting from the rooftop that it's fun and easy and giving children lessons in…

On that same note, can we also stop with the false-modesty meme? A lot of what we do is actually pretty cool and it does take a certain amount of smarts, hard word, and yes even talent to be at the top of your game. There's nothing wrong with saying so or being proud of it.

The same is true of doctors, accountants and lawyers but they're not running around calling themselves superheroes, ninjas or rockstars like a bunch of thirteen year old boys.

It's not about false modesty, it's about being vaguely adult once you get into your twenties.

[Goes back to playing video games and ordering D&D manuals on eBay.]

Re: Programming is a Super Power

#22

Post by jkeel » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 3:48 PM UTC

I like the spirit of what's being said. It's close to something I've been telling a few folks recently which is this...

Being a software developer in this day and age is like being a magician (wizard?). Sure those of us that know this voodoo magic find it commonplace but to those outside it really is magical. I mean to be able interact with people around the world with technology and have so much automated in finance, retail, search, manufacturing, etc. is truly amazing if you stop and think what we can do today that we couldn't do 20 or even 10 years ago.

I don't feel like a super hero, more like a accomplished wizard with some tricks up his sleeves, but willing to help others learn the ways to control information. Maybe a little corny, but I hope you all get the general understanding.

Re: Programming is a Super Power

#23

Post by khafra » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 3:55 PM UTC

jarek wrote: post #8

acangiano wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that I may not have made my point clear. The point is not that we are superheroes for knowing how to program, but rather than learning to program is so cool that it's like having a super power, for what it enables you to build and do. If you read the article, you'll see that I mention how even "product guys" should learn how to program. In my next post, for example, I'll talk about how to learn programming as…

Carpentry is a Super Power. The point is not that we are superheros for knowing how to build, but rather that learning to build is so cool that its like having a super power, for what it enables you to build and do.

Carpentry is a super power. Just about every girlfriend I've had has been very turned on by guys who can build things with their hands; my brother made a (successful) engagement ring out of 5 different kinds of Amazonian hardwoods that looked amazing. I think people like _why would agree that learning to create things, regardless of the medium, is so cool that it's like having a super power.

Re: Programming is a Super Power

#24

Post by acangiano » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 4:00 PM UTC

Tyrannosaurs wrote: post #21

hackinthebochs wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On that same note, can we also stop with the false-modesty meme? A lot of what we do is actually pretty cool and it does take a certain amount of smarts, hard word, and yes even talent to be at the top of your game. There's nothing wrong with saying so or being proud of it.

The same is true of doctors, accountants and lawyers but they're not running around calling themselves superheroes, ninjas or rockstars like a bunch of thirteen year old boys. It's not about false modesty, it's about being vaguely adult once you get into your twenties. [Goes back to playing video games and ordering D&D manuals on eBay.]

About a month ago I wrote on Twitter: "Does your IT company provide drugs, alcohol, and groupies? How about katanas? No? Then you aren't hiring rockstars or ninjas."

As you can see I'm the first one to be oppose to meaningless names. However the point of the article was not about labeling ourselves as super heroes. It was about inspiring new comers to take the plunge because programming, in this information age, allows you to do incredible things as if you had a super power.

This is akin to a doctor blogging about how you can be a hero and save lives if you go into the medical field. It's supposed to inspire new people, not putting ourselves on a pedestal and literally say "I'm a super hero because of my profession".

Re: Programming is a Super Power

#25

Post by nadam » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 4:02 PM UTC

"Today we are standing on the shoulders of giants, and are able to access amazing development tools, frameworks, and libraries "

Being able to make an impact mostly depends on how many other people have the skills you have. So while I am still optimistic, I still like programming, etc... I think making an impact today as a programmer is not easy. Me, who has been programming for more than 20 years from now (I started at 12) I think my business and product design knowledge is what is to be developed further to be able to have a more balanced knowledge. It is not easy, I am better and better, but my ideas are still too technical. I have to concentrate not to be too technical. Of course for a business guy the other direction makes sense (to develop technical knowledge besides business knowledge to be more balanced.)

Re: Programming is a Super Power

#26

Post by jarek » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 4:04 PM UTC

khafra wrote: post #23

jarek wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Carpentry is a Super Power. The point is not that we are superheros for knowing how to build, but rather that learning to build is so cool that its like having a super power, for what it enables you to build and do.

Carpentry is a super power. Just about every girlfriend I've had has been very turned on by guys who can build things with their hands; my brother made a (successful) engagement ring out of 5 different kinds of Amazonian hardwoods that looked amazing. I think people like _why would agree that learning to create things, regardless of the medium, is so cool that it's like having a super power.

By this standard, pretty much anything that doesn't involve trivial desk job paper pushing is a super power. Bricklaying? Check. Welding? Check. Mech eng? Check. Digging ditches? Check. Everyone's special, Dash.

Re: Programming is a Super Power

#27

Post by makmanalp » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 4:04 PM UTC

davidw wrote: post #17

marcusbooster wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So something that could be done by anyone with a paper, pen, and the technical know-how to operate a ruler, is now replaced by someone with a specialized domain knowledge that is creating something that will need to be maintained and likely obsolete in a few years. And they call this progress.

Perhaps I could interest in you in a sales position with my company, http://73primenumbers.com ?:-)

Are Enron, Bernie Madoff and Worldcom really your clients? Might need a fix up there :)

Re: Programming is a Super Power

#28

Post by davidw » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 4:06 PM UTC

makmanalp wrote: post #27

davidw wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps I could interest in you in a sales position with my company, http://73primenumbers.com ?:-)

Are Enron, Bernie Madoff and Worldcom really your clients? Might need a fix up there :)

I guess I should update that and add Bear Stearns.

Re: Programming is a Super Power

#29

Post by khafra » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 4:15 PM UTC

jarek wrote: post #26

khafra wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Carpentry is a super power. Just about every girlfriend I've had has been very turned on by guys who can build things with their hands; my brother made a (successful) engagement ring out of 5 different kinds of Amazonian hardwoods that looked amazing. I think people like _why would agree that learning to create things, regardless of the medium, is so cool that it's like having a super power.

By this standard, pretty much anything that doesn't involve trivial desk job paper pushing is a super power. Bricklaying? Check. Welding? Check. Mech eng? Check. Digging ditches? Check. Everyone's special, Dash.

I see a fairly natural superpower line with welding and mechanical engineering (alongside machining or some rapid prototyping ability) on one side, and bricklaying, ditch digging, etc. on the other side.

Bricklayers and ditch diggers don't often think of something cool and then make it happen with those particular skills.

Re: Programming is a Super Power

#30

Post by Tyrannosaurs » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 4:16 PM UTC

acangiano wrote: post #24

Tyrannosaurs wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The same is true of doctors, accountants and lawyers but they're not running around calling themselves superheroes, ninjas or rockstars like a bunch of thirteen year old boys. It's not about false modesty, it's about being vaguely adult once you get into your twenties. [Goes back to playing video games and ordering D&D manuals on eBay.]

About a month ago I wrote on Twitter: "Does your IT company provide drugs, alcohol, and groupies? How about katanas? No? Then you aren't hiring rockstars or ninjas." As you can see I'm the first one to be oppose to meaningless names. However the point of the article was not about labeling ourselves as super heroes. It was about inspiring new comers to take the plunge because programming, in this information age, allo…

Katana were too long for a ninja - they'd more likely use a Ninjato which was shorter... [Puts geek credentials away and gets back to the point]

Yes programming is great and useful but I think super power is overstating it and is just meaningless, sightly immature hyperbole.

If people want programming to be attractive and interesting to more people then they should possibly think about not using super hero, fantasy and sci-fi metaphors as they only serve to re-enforce the view that most non-programmers have rather than do anything to dispel it.

This isn't really having a go at you, more the a culture that exists within certain sections of the programming community. Don't get me wrong, I still play D&D and video games, and I still read comics (though in trade hardback these days). There's nothing wrong with these things but they're not things which most people are interested in and are therefore not a great way of making programming seem cool or interesting beyond a very very small group, most of which are already working in it.