6 ms·

I actually don't mind being a human machine. Not that I've had the chance yet. I'm still in college to get my CS degree and would fall into one of those people

by nicolia 10y ago

I actually don't mind being a human machine. Not that I've had the chance yet. I'm still in college to get my CS degree and would fall into one of those people where "coding is a Craft". I genuinely love programming. I don't have a family, or really desire one. My weekend plans always consist of building another project of my own. A place that will let me code all day, give me a nap room, a shower, some salary, and food sounds like a dream. It's unfortunate that it costs so much money to get to the cities that promote this. I think the author is just realizing that this field isn't for them. Tech moves fast and to stay on top of it you have to move fast too. At least for modern tech. Maybe that author would be more comfortable being a COBOL programmer, or an embedded systems one.

cmrdporcupine 10y ago
“I'm too old to know everything” ― Oscar Wilde
- nicolia 10y ago
  What is that supposed to mean? I'm not claiming to know everything.
  - Tempest1981 10y ago
    Phrased the opposite way: "when you're young, you think you know everything"
    - nicolia 10y ago
      But I don't think I know everything.
nzubair 10y ago
Just because the author has his priorities figured out doesn't mean that "this field isn't for them."
- nicolia 10y ago
  For a field that doesn't cater to people with families and other life obligations too well, I think it does.
  - citruspi 10y ago
    > For a field that doesn't cater to people with families and other life obligations too well There's no reason that the field (of computer science/software engineering/etc) _can't_ cater to people with families and other life obligations. Jobs that don't cater to people with families include being a surgeon, a pilot, a firefighter, etc. I've worked at several software companies (including a company worth hundreds of billions[0]) and it totally comes down to (1) employer (2) team. There's nothing about being a developer that is at odds with people with families. Some employers have awful work life balances (due to company culture) and others don't. Some employers have teams with awful work life balances and others with great ones. If a company has an awful work life balance, the solution isn't to remove people with families and other life obligations, it's to fix the company culture. [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13198920 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13198920
    - nicolia 10y ago
      I agree that there is no reason that it can't, however the loudest narrative (and in the cultures of the flagship companies) is that it does not. If the author doesn't gel with that for whatever legitimate reasons, then they are looking at the wrong companies. The company culture is like this because it is apparently working (so far). People who don't like it should go to better companies for them, or push for a collective change like a union I guess (just look at HN's love of 'old geeks'), or start their own. Nothing is stopping them from doing that.
nice_byte 10y ago
> implying embedded systems people wouldn't put your skills to shame
- nicolia 10y ago
  My point isn't about skill. My point is that it is a slower moving area of software development.
softawre 10y ago
> and would fall into one of those people where "coding is a Craft". Dude(ette), you're still in college. You don't even know what it's like to have a real engineering job yet. Do me a favor, save this post and look at it in 5 years.
- nicolia 10y ago
  I've interned at a multibillion euro company for a couple of years. I have an idea of what it's like.
  - walshemj 10y ago
    Lol try having the CTO say when the billing system you look after hits its first 5 mil a month "this had better be right other wise we are both out of a job"
    - nicolia 10y ago
      I don't understand the joke...
OJFord 10y ago
The naïveté is cringeworthy. There's a middle-ground to be found, for sure, between OP and parent. I do think it's a little odd to have years of experience in software development and not one "if only ... I'm going to make it."-project.
citruspi 10y ago
> I actually don't mind being a human machine. > My weekend plans always consist of building another project of my own. A place that will let me code all day, give me a nap room, a shower, some salary, and food sounds like a dream. So what, you don't have any other hobbies?
- nicolia 10y ago
  Of course I do. I like painting, and photography, and history, and sketching. But most of the time (since I'm in school) I'm working on projects on the weekend. It boosts my portfolio and hones my skills.
bdcravens 10y ago
> Tech moves fast and to stay on top of it you have to move fast too. This is a myth that comes out of drinking too much VC kool aid and watching too many TED talks. Most successful tech is built using 20-40 year old programming languages, operating systems, and data stores. Depth is far more important than breadth.

by nicolia 10y ago

cmrdporcupine 10y ago

“I'm too old to know everything” ― Oscar Wilde

nicolia 10y ago
What is that supposed to mean? I'm not claiming to know everything.
- Tempest1981 10y ago
  Phrased the opposite way: "when you're young, you think you know everything"
  - nicolia 10y ago
    But I don't think I know everything.

nzubair 10y ago

Just because the author has his priorities figured out doesn't mean that "this field isn't for them."

nicolia 10y ago
For a field that doesn't cater to people with families and other life obligations too well, I think it does.
- citruspi 10y ago
  > For a field that doesn't cater to people with families and other life obligations too well There's no reason that the field (of computer science/software engineering/etc) _can't_ cater to people with families and other life obligations. Jobs that don't cater to people with families include being a surgeon, a pilot, a firefighter, etc. I've worked at several software companies (including a company worth hundreds of billions[0]) and it totally comes down to (1) employer (2) team. There's nothing about being a developer that is at odds with people with families. Some employers have awful work life balances (due to company culture) and others don't. Some employers have teams with awful work life balances and others with great ones. If a company has an awful work life balance, the solution isn't to remove people with families and other life obligations, it's to fix the company culture. [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13198920 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13198920
  - nicolia 10y ago
    I agree that there is no reason that it can't, however the loudest narrative (and in the cultures of the flagship companies) is that it does not. If the author doesn't gel with that for whatever legitimate reasons, then they are looking at the wrong companies. The company culture is like this because it is apparently working (so far). People who don't like it should go to better companies for them, or push for a collective change like a union I guess (just look at HN's love of 'old geeks'), or start their own. Nothing is stopping them from doing that.

nice_byte 10y ago

> implying embedded systems people wouldn't put your skills to shame

nicolia 10y ago
My point isn't about skill. My point is that it is a slower moving area of software development.

softawre 10y ago

> and would fall into one of those people where "coding is a Craft". Dude(ette), you're still in college. You don't even know what it's like to have a real engineering job yet. Do me a favor, save this post and look at it in 5 years.

nicolia 10y ago
I've interned at a multibillion euro company for a couple of years. I have an idea of what it's like.
- walshemj 10y ago
  Lol try having the CTO say when the billing system you look after hits its first 5 mil a month "this had better be right other wise we are both out of a job"
  - nicolia 10y ago
    I don't understand the joke...

OJFord 10y ago

The naïveté is cringeworthy. There's a middle-ground to be found, for sure, between OP and parent. I do think it's a little odd to have years of experience in software development and not one "if only ... I'm going to make it."-project.

citruspi 10y ago

> I actually don't mind being a human machine. > My weekend plans always consist of building another project of my own. A place that will let me code all day, give me a nap room, a shower, some salary, and food sounds like a dream. So what, you don't have any other hobbies?

nicolia 10y ago
Of course I do. I like painting, and photography, and history, and sketching. But most of the time (since I'm in school) I'm working on projects on the weekend. It boosts my portfolio and hones my skills.

bdcravens 10y ago

> Tech moves fast and to stay on top of it you have to move fast too. This is a myth that comes out of drinking too much VC kool aid and watching too many TED talks. Most successful tech is built using 20-40 year old programming languages, operating systems, and data stores. Depth is far more important than breadth.