One of the things I love about personal projects is that you don't need to explain what you did to anyone in a standup. You can devote your energy to the programming instead. I understand in a business context that it is helpful to explain what you did to someone else but let's face it, it also robs some of the joy of the process. Am I wrong here? Isn't programming a more creative endeavour than we think?
I hate how programming has become just another business process
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Re: I hate how programming has become just another business process
#2I agree, that's why I'm doing this https://stellisoft.com
Re: I hate how programming has become just another business process
#3I don't see the contradiction between creative programming and business programming.
Re: I hate how programming has become just another business process
#4I feel like you're mixing up communication overhead with the creativity of programming and they are on completely different axes.
> Isn't programming a more creative endeavour than we think?
This should be fairly obvious but programming isn't monolithic. Your experience will vary depending on your work environment and current project. So you can either put up with it (and there is still plenty of satisfaction that can be had from programming in such an environment, or from doing unglamorous work) or you can look for a job/company that operates differenly or works on more interesting problems (they're rare).
> you don't need to explain what you did to anyone in a standup. You can devote your energy to the programming instead.
These two aren't mutually exclusive. Working on a team comes with communication/meeting/status-report overhead, this doesn't need to take away from your productivity.
Re: I hate how programming has become just another business process
#5I don't see the contradiction between creative programming and business programming.
I think that's only true if your vision and methods match those of the business.
Re: I hate how programming has become just another business process
#6Does that give you any more sympathy for the artists who would rather be painting oils than designing yet another ad for hemorrhoid cream? Or poets who really don't want to be copy-editing your documentation?
Most of us would rather be creating art than be beholden to crappy commercial interests. Most of us would rather be the one giving orders than taking them, or compromising our art to other people.
We programmers have been incredibly fortunate to be considered "golden boys" (and a few girls). We spend no more time mastering our craft than the poet or the painter, but we get paid a lot more to do it. We still don't make as much as the one who brings in the seed money and keeps most of the profits, but because reasons we haven't been relegated to the barely-tolerated and barely-paid status of the people who write documentation or make our products attractive, no matter how good they are at it.
We programmers have, I think, become more associated with those who get rich off the process -- the CEOs and CTOs and such -- than the ones doing what we think of as grunt work rather than creative work. We get to dream that our side projects are just one elevator pitch away from our own C suite.
I'm suggesting that you're on to something considerably bigger than a personal gripe. This is a very widespread thing, and maybe the alternative to being unhappy about the difference between our side projects and our day jobs is to help everybody reconsider what "day job" really means. There are a lot of people who would like to be more creative in their work -- including collaborating creatively -- and perhaps finding that people would actually enjoy (and pay for) the results of that.
Re: I hate how programming has become just another business process
#7Dude coding solves problems, just like any other engineering discipline solves problems. You can make it subjectively as creative/artistic as you want, but it's there to solve problems.
Re: I hate how programming has become just another business process
#8I don't see the contradiction between creative programming and business programming.
In the same idea as what giantg2 said, I've had situations with work where the creative and engaging way to do things was at odds with what was good for the business. Business needed a toute de suite way to make money off my code, not for me to get enjoyment out of writing the software.
Re: I hate how programming has become just another business process
#9I think programming is a skill which comes with creativity as well... It is also not for everybody... hence,a lot could not understand the concept and process that involves in programming which is why sometimes you have to explain a few things...
Re: I hate how programming has become just another business process
#10Does that give you any more sympathy for the artists who would rather be painting oils than designing yet another ad for hemorrhoid cream? Or poets who really don't want to be copy-editing your documentation? Most of us would rather be creating art than be beholden to crappy commercial interests. Most of us would rather be the one giving orders than taking them, or compromising our art to other people. We programmers…
> e still don't make as much as the one who brings in the seed money and keeps most of the profits, but because reasons we haven't been relegated to the barely-tolerated and barely-paid status of the people who write documentation or make our products attractive, no matter how good they are at it.
I don't think it's lack of regulations that makes our salaries high (barring the sky-high wages at FAANG). For example, in banking - a heavily regulated industry - coders still make way more than people who can write well ("poets"). I think it's just basic supply and demand, there's just not enough people good enough at coding compared to how many are currently needed across all industries. Let's enjoy it while it lasts.