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I think (and have often said) there are too many software developers. However, I also believe that way too few people are technologically literate, and if anyt

by Udo 10y ago

I think (and have often said) there are too many software developers. However, I also believe that way too few people are technologically literate, and if anything that number seems to be going further down. To live effectively in an information society, people should not only be aware of what computers do, but they should also be able to write small programs that help them in daily life, as opposed to relying on the umpteenth horrible web service to accomplish trivial data processing. So, more people who know how to code basic stuff can only be a net-positive as our society is moving away from manual labor. At the same time though we need less people becoming actual programmers. Our profession is absolutely flooded with people who are less than competent.

FilterSweep 10y ago
I agree with you - but I believe there are too many developers because there are, in general, not enough jobs. There are millions of above-average to quite-high intelligence people on Earth, and computers are now so accessible, one used to be able to be bought for $5 (rpi zero), before supply ran out. In many other fields (especially ones requiring soft skills), "Who You Know" often is the only determining factor between you getting a job and being unemployed and (incorrectly) being deemed useless by society. Humanity is unfortunately growing increasingly redundant, to the point where even specialized areas of medicine which take 7-13 years of additional schooling are facing automated extinction within the next 25 years. There are some industries, such as Accounting, which could have been automated years ago, but artificial barriers are put up between computers and clients of Accountants. Unfortunately also, the people in power, seeing this, are just after a massive cash grab before it all falls down.
- Udo 10y ago
  > but I believe there are too many developers because there are, in general, not enough jobs True, but that is sort-of hidden under development methodologies and frameworks that enable untalented people to do less with more. It's also compounded by the fact that companies are horrible at hiring and making software decisions. > the people in power, seeing this, are just after a massive cash grab Well, people are always trying to do cash grabs, but in this context I can't help but wonder if the software development ecosystem is maybe exhibiting an unconscious immune reaction to our increasing obsolescence. I've seen different fields react differently to it. In a typical office environment, there is maybe 1 hour of actual work going on per person per day, yet companies are not getting rid of those people. You already mentioned medicine, here the immune reaction is generally a quasi-religious aversion to change, even where that change saves lives or improves quality of life. In software, it's on-site basketball courts and clueless people with meaningless university degrees spending their days tricking bloated frameworks into performing trivial tasks.
  - bittercynic 10y ago
    Regarding the cash grab, it seems like some industries have a large number of players after a cash grab which will destroy their reputation, but the cash is worth it to them. In other areas, most people seem to value their reputation and will act with integrity most of the time.

by Udo 10y ago

FilterSweep 10y ago

I agree with you - but I believe there are too many developers because there are, in general, not enough jobs. There are millions of above-average to quite-high intelligence people on Earth, and computers are now so accessible, one used to be able to be bought for $5 (rpi zero), before supply ran out. In many other fields (especially ones requiring soft skills), "Who You Know" often is the only determining factor between you getting a job and being unemployed and (incorrectly) being deemed useless by society. Humanity is unfortunately growing increasingly redundant, to the point where even specialized areas of medicine which take 7-13 years of additional schooling are facing automated extinction within the next 25 years. There are some industries, such as Accounting, which could have been automated years ago, but artificial barriers are put up between computers and clients of Accountants. Unfortunately also, the people in power, seeing this, are just after a massive cash grab before it all falls down.

Udo 10y ago
> but I believe there are too many developers because there are, in general, not enough jobs True, but that is sort-of hidden under development methodologies and frameworks that enable untalented people to do less with more. It's also compounded by the fact that companies are horrible at hiring and making software decisions. > the people in power, seeing this, are just after a massive cash grab Well, people are always trying to do cash grabs, but in this context I can't help but wonder if the software development ecosystem is maybe exhibiting an unconscious immune reaction to our increasing obsolescence. I've seen different fields react differently to it. In a typical office environment, there is maybe 1 hour of actual work going on per person per day, yet companies are not getting rid of those people. You already mentioned medicine, here the immune reaction is generally a quasi-religious aversion to change, even where that change saves lives or improves quality of life. In software, it's on-site basketball courts and clueless people with meaningless university degrees spending their days tricking bloated frameworks into performing trivial tasks.
- bittercynic 10y ago
  Regarding the cash grab, it seems like some industries have a large number of players after a cash grab which will destroy their reputation, but the cash is worth it to them. In other areas, most people seem to value their reputation and will act with integrity most of the time.