Eddie Awad’s Blog - Latest Comments in 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Nancy — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 01:57:06 -0000

I have to agree with Jared about the Peter Principle.. In all my years as a programmer, the majority of people who gravitate to management are the unskilled lackies who couldn't cut it as programmers..

The most irritating thing about that is they earn more money than the programmers and do their best to keep you under their thumb..

Yet, very few skilled programmers want to make the shift to management because they know when push comes to shove (and times get tough), they'll have their jobs long after the administrators because the programmers have hard core job skills (that are hard to find), something the administrators are severely lacking in.

Plus, the fact that no self respecting programmer could ever envision themself (or want to be) a pointy haired manager. There's no respect in that.

Most programmers I know, view the management types as constantly going out of their way to "make work" for themselves. I'd rather have a job (anyday) that I really enjoy. Plus, there's always plenty of fun, challenging programming work to do..

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Bruce de la Vega — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:14:11 -0000

The trouble with DB design and admin is that far too much of it these days is not for legitimate purposes but for the aim of privacy violation.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Don Burleson — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 09:23:28 -0000

>> Sometimes the management at company wants to get rid of Sr. technical folk, as they are perceived as being overpaid.

Good point. It's management myopia. A good technical person in their 40's will easily earn double what a kid fresh from college will demand.

Are they twice as productive? I think a senior technician can be 10x faster, but many managers disagree . . . .

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Jared — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 01:16:42 -0000

No, not usually underpaid.

Sometimes the management at company wants to get rid of Sr. technical folk, as they are perceived as being overpaid.

Never mind that they have a vast store of knowledge about how things work, and cannot actually be replaced. At least not with an equivalent. :)

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Jalaj — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:49:23 -0000

@Jared -
Your comment made me feel better. If old technicals are not underpaid I would always like to remain technical.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Jared — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:09:40 -0000

Regarding the need to move "up" to management:

Sorry, there are far too many cases of very competent technical people that do not move to management, and have no desire to so. They remain quite valuable far past 50 years of age.

I think the Peter principle probably comes into play here. That is, the less competent technical folks move into management. The really competent technical folk have the option of staying technical.

No argument indeed.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Jalaj — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 01:20:59 -0000

Computer programmers face the need to move up to management or likely wind up as underemployed fifty-year-olds, only suitable for lower paying IT jobs.

this is something that needs no arguement.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Eddie Awad — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 19:55:44 -0000

When I moved the blog/database to my current web host, the â€œ started to show up in place of (some) quotation marks. I have not yet been able to correct it.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

joel garry — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 19:44:52 -0000

â€œSurvey showsâ€

I just pasted that in from comment #9, I see an a with a circumflex, Euro sign, œthel, Survey shows, another a circumflex. Euro, then a box. Is something wrong with the page characterset? It used to look ok.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Ginger — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:42:12 -0000

That was kind of depressing!

I'd add that the last several doctors I've seen have been foreigners.

I have quite figured out about DBAs, whenever I ask a question they're never very helpful.

I think the unsaid thing is that it's very gratifying to get your stuff to work and to have other people use it.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Absurd — Wed, 30 May 2007 16:19:33 -0000

Ahem, I am a programmer that happens to own a business, I never stated that $789K was my salary, I may have insinuated it to drive a point that this type of salary is anything but of low prestige, my vehicle is a Cayenne, and the only shortcoming I have is that I did not inform the readers that this was the response I gave to Half Sigma and not this site.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Jared — Wed, 30 May 2007 12:16:17 -0000

Wow, I am amazed at the number of folks that reply to this without first comprehending the context here.

Half Sigma is not this site. It is another site. This article is simply looking for comments on it, prefacing it with the statement "You may not agree".

And yet several respondents fail to recognize that.

Lots of knee-jerk reactions here.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

I. M. Impressed — Wed, 30 May 2007 07:31:21 -0000

"if making $789K+ a year"

Gee, I'm impressed . . . .

You know what they say about people with a compulsion to tell everyone how wealthy and successful they are . . .

"I drive my Porsche to the Bank."

Ah yes, a Porsche, there we go . . .

I'll bet it's a 911, a favorite for those with a need to compensate for a "shortcoming" . . .

You are a business owner, not a programmer. Pay attention, Dude.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Absurd — Wed, 30 May 2007 05:46:13 -0000

This is the most ignorant article I have ever read. The world is driven by technology. As a professional with a passion for programming I provide input to Fortune 500 companies that drive the business. if making $789K+ a year (I own a development firm) is of low prestige then I'll be of low prestige while I drive my Porsche to the Bank. I'm not sure what is lower in prestige, the programmer that developed this blog, or the user that used this blog to write an article that really SUCKS!

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Wale K. (The Genie) — Thu, 24 May 2007 10:11:31 -0000

Half Sigma you may think you are right because of your observations, but you may be wrong if you have not done any statistics on all your â€œ10 Thingsâ€¦â€.

But I can tell you that it depends on what department that is bringing in the dough to company, that will be favoured more, why donâ€™t you tell Microsoft & Borland to joke with programmers, or tell Disney, Pixer, Blue Sky Studios, Animal Logic, etc about rubbing programmers in the mud, see whether they will sell.

If you donâ€™t understand, use the latest MacOS or use Windows Vista or go and watch, Finding Nemo, Ice Age, Happy Feet or Spider Man. Make sure you have popcorn and a soft drink beside you, to enjoy programmers work.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Eddie Awad — Mon, 21 May 2007 17:39:38 -0000

It's also interesting to see the list of top 200 H-1B employers of 2006. Five of the top 10 were Indian outsourcers, Microsoft was number three, IBM number eight, and Oracle number nine.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Donald K. Burleson — Mon, 21 May 2007 17:15:10 -0000

It's interesting to see where Oracle goes when they want to hire software developers:

http://www.dba-oracle.com/o...

"According to the e-mail, Oracle recruits "top candidates" for product development from MIT, Stanford, CMU (likely Carnegie Mellon University), Princeton, Wisconsin, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Caltech, Berkeley, Harvard and Cornell.

In addition, the e-mail continues, Oracle will consider "top candidates" from the University of Texas Austin, Duke, Penn, Georgia Institute of Technology (grad students) and "any top international schools,"

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Eddie Awad — Mon, 21 May 2007 15:22:07 -0000

Computer programming and IT in general is now seen as the foreignerâ€™s industry

I agree. It is very obvious that in most IT departments here in the USA you will find many non-American programmers (and I'm one of them).

...and not a proper profession for upwardly mobile white Americans.

I totally disagree with this part. I believe this is nothing but Half Sigma's opinion.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Eddie Awad — Mon, 21 May 2007 15:02:19 -0000

Thanks for the clarification Jared. I have fixed the formatting of your comment.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

M. Price — Mon, 21 May 2007 15:02:08 -0000

apologies for pointing fingers, just felt that comment was unfair and biased.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

jared — Mon, 21 May 2007 14:54:56 -0000

The first sentence of my previous post was supposed to be quoted, but it didn't appear that way.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

jared — Mon, 21 May 2007 14:53:19 -0000

Oh and by the way not ALL programmers are upwardly Whitey Americans like urself sir. I almost wish i hadnâ€™t read that little comment.

I think you are confused. That comment came from another site, and was quoted here.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

M. Price — Mon, 21 May 2007 14:24:47 -0000

In any occupation you do, you should have a passion for it and not just work there for the money. Working your life away for money will never make you happy, you're really supposed to love your occupation. Me as a programmer... I wake up sometimes thinking about code especially when it comes to a tough challenge. Oh and by the way not ALL programmers are upwardly Whitey Americans like urself sir. I almost wish i hadn't read that little comment.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

Court — Tue, 15 May 2007 13:41:15 -0000

That's pretty funny. My business will always need good programmers and I will continue to pay them well and be really grateful for what they do. There will be no outsourcing for me either, I need the face to face time to make sure we're on the same page.

Re: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

BillyG — Sun, 13 May 2007 12:45:47 -0000

Your #7 really hit home yesterday: This trend, in which people without computer programming experience manage computer programming projects, is a result of the low prestige of computer programming.

I learned of a friend who has never programmed a day in his life, but just accepted a job with a American University as the head of the IT dept!

Since it is local to me, I am meeting up with him this week to see what they have going on - it may come in handy when I finish my (different school) next week, but the point of the matter is, that's pretty scary stuff IMO.

True programming and IT are too entirely different things, but his actual background is with networks. he was brought in to reshape the dept, and of course, keeps hitting walls because of their budget (I would hate his job!)

He's moving to Canada next year, so if I can get in the door first, what the heck.