Hmmm. I think it's more about, do you do it habitually, consistently, etc. If I diagnosed myself with a cold, I wouldn't call myself a doctor. If I went arou

Hmmm. I think it's more about, do you do it habitually, consistently, etc. If I diagnosed myself with a cold, I wouldn't call myself a doctor. If I went around diagnosing other people with colds, or opened up an office where people could trundle in and let me diagnose them with a cold, then yes, I might consider myself a doctor... though a pathetic one. I started programming when I was 12. If I had just written a few programs at that time, and then stopped, and never did it again, then I don't think it would be fair to call myself a programmer. Since I have continued to write programs, and expect to do so for the foreseeable future, then -- even if I don't do it as well as you do -- I believe I am a programmer.