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I often refer to most computer programming as "digital carpentry." Of course, there are definitely jobs that require someone be more of an architect or a scien

I often refer to most computer programming as "digital carpentry." Of course, there are definitely jobs that require someone be more of an architect or a scientist, but the vast majority of jobs just need someone who can build common things that work and work well. In that sense, most of the programming work I did in the first decade of my career had more in common with the blue collar tradecraft that my father did than it did with anything anyone would consider to be a STEM career.

weberc2 9y ago
Agreed. I always thought of it more as a trade, though now that I've been in the field for a few years, I'm realizing that technical prowess is secondary to political skill. A sub par programmer with excellent political skills will be seen by the organization as more valuable, whether or not he actually is. (This isn't sour grapes, I've been on both sides of the evaluation).
- coolgeek 9y ago
  Political skill can certainly get some people, in some situations, a lot further than they deserve. But technical prowess is absolutely not secondary to political skill in any general sense And you can substitute just about anything else for 'technical skill' in the above sentences and it will still read true
tzs 9y ago
> I often refer to most computer programming as "digital carpentry" Then perhaps it is appropriate that at at least one company, Hughes Aircraft, the union that represents programmers is the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. That odd situation came about because a whole bunch of union carpenters worked on the Spruce Goose. After that project was shelved many of those carpenters went on to other jobs within the company, but kept the UBC as their representative. As Hughes expanded and also acquired other companies, UBC continued to represent them. In the '70s they made a big effort to organize the rest of the workers, and the result was the UBC ended up representing the majority of Hughes Aircraft workers even though almost no actual carpentry takes place there.

weberc2 9y ago

Agreed. I always thought of it more as a trade, though now that I've been in the field for a few years, I'm realizing that technical prowess is secondary to political skill. A sub par programmer with excellent political skills will be seen by the organization as more valuable, whether or not he actually is. (This isn't sour grapes, I've been on both sides of the evaluation).

coolgeek 9y ago
Political skill can certainly get some people, in some situations, a lot further than they deserve. But technical prowess is absolutely not secondary to political skill in any general sense And you can substitute just about anything else for 'technical skill' in the above sentences and it will still read true

tzs 9y ago

> I often refer to most computer programming as "digital carpentry" Then perhaps it is appropriate that at at least one company, Hughes Aircraft, the union that represents programmers is the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. That odd situation came about because a whole bunch of union carpenters worked on the Spruce Goose. After that project was shelved many of those carpenters went on to other jobs within the company, but kept the UBC as their representative. As Hughes expanded and also acquired other companies, UBC continued to represent them. In the '70s they made a big effort to organize the rest of the workers, and the result was the UBC ended up representing the majority of Hughes Aircraft workers even though almost no actual carpentry takes place there.