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Are most programmers even capable of this sort of physical work? Also, what happens if you get injured on the job?

ecuzzillo 17y ago
Probably most can do something with their hands, even if it doesn't involve lots of strength. The thing about the guy who wrote the book about switching from being some kind of knowledge worker to a motorcycle repairman has circulated here a few times, which is presumably less physically taxing than lumbering.
- deleted 17y ago
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  - andrewl 17y ago
    He's referring to the book "Shop Class as Soulcraft." The NY Times had articles about it. Here's one: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html
- bmj 17y ago
  Matthew Crawford's book is pretty good, I think. The original essay is here: http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/shop-class-as-soulcraft http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/shop-class-as-sou... One thing to note: Crawford is a motorcycle repairman, but he's still a knowledge worker to some extent. And, of course, the book length treatment of the subject was subsidized by a university.
gaius 17y ago
You're human, aren't you? We haven't sat at desks long enough to affect us as species. You've got everything you need to be a hunter-gatherer or a farmer apart from the skills.
- tomjen3 17y ago
  I don't - ignoring that I would have been dead four times without modern medicine by now, I couldn't hunt much without glass. And I don't recall any hunter-gather tribe that had those.
yason 17y ago
Are most programmers even capable of this sort of physical work? Muscles grow faster than hacking skills. And if you're used to hacking skills, you probably find a way to do it better and safer. Also, what happens if you get injured on the job? What happens if you subject your body to sitting 100 hours a week in front of a computer for decades?

Probably most can do something with their hands, even if it doesn't involve lots of strength. The thing about the guy who wrote the book about switching from being some kind of knowledge worker to a motorcycle repairman has circulated here a few times, which is presumably less physically taxing than lumbering.

deleted 17y ago
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- andrewl 17y ago
  He's referring to the book "Shop Class as Soulcraft." The NY Times had articles about it. Here's one: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html
bmj 17y ago
Matthew Crawford's book is pretty good, I think. The original essay is here: http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/shop-class-as-soulcraft http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/shop-class-as-sou... One thing to note: Crawford is a motorcycle repairman, but he's still a knowledge worker to some extent. And, of course, the book length treatment of the subject was subsidized by a university.

gaius 17y ago

You're human, aren't you? We haven't sat at desks long enough to affect us as species. You've got everything you need to be a hunter-gatherer or a farmer apart from the skills.

tomjen3 17y ago
I don't - ignoring that I would have been dead four times without modern medicine by now, I couldn't hunt much without glass. And I don't recall any hunter-gather tribe that had those.

yason 17y ago

Are most programmers even capable of this sort of physical work? Muscles grow faster than hacking skills. And if you're used to hacking skills, you probably find a way to do it better and safer. Also, what happens if you get injured on the job? What happens if you subject your body to sitting 100 hours a week in front of a computer for decades?