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With the proliferation of computing as a solution to more and more problems, the need for the 9-5 programmers becomes greater and greater. Most businesses don'

With the proliferation of computing as a solution to more and more problems, the need for the 9-5 programmers becomes greater and greater. Most businesses don't need programmers that come up with new and clever solutions. They really just need someone that can apply established solutions to their own problem domain. There exists a class of software consumer that has a hard time making good use of a boxed solution, so they hire programmers to stitch together a more ideal solution for their own needs. It's expensive as hell, but it can be the difference between software being an enabler or software being a hinderance. It's only natural that as the number of programmers grows, the gulf of difference between the "thinking" programmers and the "shipping" programmers grows larger. The former will always be necessary to create new solutions, but the latter will decide of those new solutions actually see widespread use.

PandaWhisperer 10y ago
> the [..] difference between the "thinking" programmers and the "shipping" programmers grows larger That certainly seems true, but does that mean it should be that way? FWIW I see "thinking" programmer as a senior engineer, and "shipping" programmers as juniors. The latter will eventually become the former, but they require training and nurturing to do so. In my experience, that's very hard to find. I've worked for many companies and in my experience, the ones with a "sane" programmer culture are very, very rare. Most are dominated by the business and sales structures, and see the techs as a necessary evil that they'd rather ship overseas where the wages are lower. Where are the companies that are committed to technical excellence?
- the_hoser 10y ago
  I don't think that it matters how it should be. The question of how things should be is... pointless. We can speculate about that all day and it won't make a difference. "Senior" software engineers are shippers. They're the ones that have the ability to deliver on time without stepping on their own garbage. Any training that the company can offer will be in gravitating toward being a better "shipping" programmer. Don't look to companies to provide the kind of environment that the thinking programmer needs. Thinking programmers fit better in non-corporate scenarios. Hobbyists, academics, etc. Without the business imperative breathing down their neck, the programmer can stop and think about what they're doing. When a company does foster the slow-burn software work that the thinking programmer does, then it's because that company has more money than they know what to do with, and the bean counters are busy on other parts of the ledger.

PandaWhisperer 10y ago

> the [..] difference between the "thinking" programmers and the "shipping" programmers grows larger That certainly seems true, but does that mean it should be that way? FWIW I see "thinking" programmer as a senior engineer, and "shipping" programmers as juniors. The latter will eventually become the former, but they require training and nurturing to do so. In my experience, that's very hard to find. I've worked for many companies and in my experience, the ones with a "sane" programmer culture are very, very rare. Most are dominated by the business and sales structures, and see the techs as a necessary evil that they'd rather ship overseas where the wages are lower. Where are the companies that are committed to technical excellence?

the_hoser 10y ago
I don't think that it matters how it should be. The question of how things should be is... pointless. We can speculate about that all day and it won't make a difference. "Senior" software engineers are shippers. They're the ones that have the ability to deliver on time without stepping on their own garbage. Any training that the company can offer will be in gravitating toward being a better "shipping" programmer. Don't look to companies to provide the kind of environment that the thinking programmer needs. Thinking programmers fit better in non-corporate scenarios. Hobbyists, academics, etc. Without the business imperative breathing down their neck, the programmer can stop and think about what they're doing. When a company does foster the slow-burn software work that the thinking programmer does, then it's because that company has more money than they know what to do with, and the bean counters are busy on other parts of the ledger.