My Biggest Regret as a Programmer

Post by ArkyBeagle » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 5:37 PM UTC

UncleOxidant wrote: post #329

exelius wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I just have to say this: So typically american. The attitude presented in the article is indeed typically American -- but not for the reason I think you intended. The quintessential American quality is the belief that every person has the right to control their own destiny. Fuck, it's right there in the first sentence of the first document declaring this country's independence. Americans are often seen as greedy re…

> Therefore, money is seen primarily as a means to self-determination. And even deeper down, it's a means of survival. The safety net here has pretty much disintegrated since it began to be dismantled in the '80s. A lot of people in the US haven't saved enough for retirement considering this new reality... they haven't even saved enough to get them through a few months of unemployment. There's a loss of hope in rural…

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 5:40 PM UTC

Zelmor wrote: post #24

He would have been unhappy with the other choice as well, because then it is the programming side he would be missing out on. I would advise everyone to read The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173536 You chose one option out of many, and the others may no longer be a possibility. However, the writer's unhappiness does not spawn from his inability to be successful at what he does,…

Post by ArkyBeagle » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 5:42 PM UTC

bucma wrote: post #163

dcw303 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm still coding after almost 20 years in the job, and have no intention of stopping. I tried some other options - teacher, artist, entrepreneur. None of them give me the thrill that I get from programming. I still get locked into a flow where time shifts, and before I know it hours have passed. The only other activity that does that is Civ, and no-one is going to pay me to play that ;) If 10x assets is what drives y…

I think people who are picking up on the 10x assets thing are missing the point... Money can help you feel better about things when things in general aren't going well. What he says about missed opportunities, and working for idiotic management, that's the big thing here. You work your ass off, the management does dumb things, so the thing you're working on never really pays off, in money or fun. The fact that his si…

Post by anonymoose123 » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 5:46 PM UTC

graycat wrote: post #229

IMHO, the OP is missing a big, huge point: He is really in the best position. So, here is what he should do: Step 1: Create a small business. For this, he should pick a product or service that can be that of a significant business, e.g., the one he would like to manage as as technical CEO and where initially he can develop the product or service mostly just by programming on his own. Then from that product or service…

Post by nocman » Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 5:48 PM UTC

aantix wrote: post #388

nocman wrote: post #369

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never said "demanding a premium for their time" was hype. I said having to call yourself a "Software Engineer" or "Architect" instead of a programmer was hype, and I still think it is. I'd personally rather have someone show me the real work they've done to convince me that they knew what they were doing, rather than giving themselves a meaningless title to convince me how good they are. There are plenty of "Softwa…

We're actually on the same page. Proof of performance is a definite must while interviewing. The title does the initial framing of expectations, that's it. There's always going to be idiot consultants. And anyone who doesn't properly vet any candidate is likely to get their expectations crushed. I'm talking more about the title and language that frames the career. There's a big difference between "I'm a programmer wi…