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I really struggle to find anything worth reacting to in this blog post. It sounds to me like the story of every individual worker in every economy. Most of wha

I really struggle to find anything worth reacting to in this blog post. It sounds to me like the story of every individual worker in every economy. Most of what she says is entirely self-evident, except for the anecdotes about pay/equity, for which she presents zero evidence. Where is the substance? Why is this interesting? Every dad in the world knows that a hobby is different from work, and that turning your hobby into work is not always ideal, because you lose your hobby, you lose your steady salary, and your dreams do not always work out. I postulate at least that every dad knows this inherently. Most people have way more taxing jobs than IT. I've been in construction for 3 years, and that work is no joke. Outside in rain/snow/storms, lifting tons of material on a normal day, for little pay, and no "worker satisfaction" or "team building" events, etc. I only did it for 3 years - one of the people I worked with was over 70, and had done it since he was 13. Is it because she postulates that companies are hiring more women because they think that they can pay them less? And I'm not saying I think that's true/false (she presents no evidence), I'm just asking if that's the reason the blog post is interesting.

skybrian 9y ago
I think this is a mismatch in expectations. It's one woman blogging about her personal work experience, not a news article or a novel theory of life as a software developer. It's interesting to the extent that reading about other people is interesting. Just take it for what it is.
mynameishere 9y ago
No great analysis needed: People enjoy complaining. You could make this person empress of the universe and she'd be complaining still.
fpisfun 9y ago
It is pretty funny that she would insinuate they would hire more women to pay them less because a good developer is so much more productive than a bad one so, at least for an "on site "job where you're only pulling from local talent it would be horribly destructive to always hire people that are paid a bit less as most likely those willing to take less money will be substantially less skilled.
- walshemj 9y ago
  doesn't many companies stop out sourcing to low cost body shops does it
BenchRouter 9y ago
> Most people have way more taxing jobs than IT. I've been in construction for 3 years, and that work is no joke. There's some discussion of this above, but I think it's interesting that the alternative to software development is seemingly always construction, or delivering food, or being a waiter. Wouldn't the more apt comparison be something like law? Or medicine? Or has software development truly reached blue-collar status and we're essentially plumbers/electricians? I'm not accusing you of anything specifically, just using your comment to ponder.
- jaclaz 9y ago
  >There's some discussion of this above, but I think it's interesting that the alternative to software development is seemingly always construction, or delivering food, or being a waiter. My guess is that the popularity of these professions is that they are all relatively low-qualified ones suitable to people working while studying or "filling gaps" before getting a "good job" in IT. >Wouldn't the more apt comparison be something like law? Or medicine? It could be, but I doubt that there are many people that after having invested in an education in either law or medicine and actually had a suitable job in those professions left them to become a full-time programmer, particularly an employed full-time programmer. Not that it cannot happen or that never happened, but surely it is less common, and the probabilities that additionally these people will be commenting on HN are even smaller. >Or has software development truly reached blue-collar status and we're essentially plumbers/electricians? Since every other guy here seems to be well in the hundred of thousands US$/year or more, I would say, if this is the case, "exceptionally well paid plumbers/electricians".
  - BenchRouter 9y ago
    > My guess is that the popularity of these professions is that they are all relatively low-qualified ones suitable to people working while studying or "filling gaps" before getting a "good job" in IT. Yeah, I mean I don't doubt that's why they show up frequently. It's more like: In a discussion about attorney/physician burnout, I don't often see people say "well you think being an attorney is hard? Try construction..." The discussion in that case would be something more like, "if you don't like being an attorney go be an accountant" - something like that, if that makes any sense. > It could be, but I doubt that there are many people that after having invested in an education in either law or medicine and actually had a suitable job in those professions left them to become a full-time programmer, particularly an employed full-time programmer. I see what you're saying, but my point was more like: Shouldn't we be comparing software development to those professions? As in, "software development is incredibly easy compared to being an attorney"? > Since every other guy here seems to be well in the hundred of thousands US$/year or more, I would say, if this is the case, "exceptionally well paid plumbers/electricians". I thought that was becoming more and more common in those professions (electricians especially seem to be well compensated)?
walshemj 9y ago
That's a thing BTW I recall an article in the guardian a few years ago on some small coal mines in west virgina did hire women for less wages than men
salvar 9y ago
> Every dad in the world knows that a hobby is different from work Why 'dad'?

skybrian 9y ago

I think this is a mismatch in expectations. It's one woman blogging about her personal work experience, not a news article or a novel theory of life as a software developer. It's interesting to the extent that reading about other people is interesting. Just take it for what it is.

mynameishere 9y ago

No great analysis needed: People enjoy complaining. You could make this person empress of the universe and she'd be complaining still.

fpisfun 9y ago

It is pretty funny that she would insinuate they would hire more women to pay them less because a good developer is so much more productive than a bad one so, at least for an "on site "job where you're only pulling from local talent it would be horribly destructive to always hire people that are paid a bit less as most likely those willing to take less money will be substantially less skilled.

walshemj 9y ago
doesn't many companies stop out sourcing to low cost body shops does it

BenchRouter 9y ago

> Most people have way more taxing jobs than IT. I've been in construction for 3 years, and that work is no joke. There's some discussion of this above, but I think it's interesting that the alternative to software development is seemingly always construction, or delivering food, or being a waiter. Wouldn't the more apt comparison be something like law? Or medicine? Or has software development truly reached blue-collar status and we're essentially plumbers/electricians? I'm not accusing you of anything specifically, just using your comment to ponder.

jaclaz 9y ago
>There's some discussion of this above, but I think it's interesting that the alternative to software development is seemingly always construction, or delivering food, or being a waiter. My guess is that the popularity of these professions is that they are all relatively low-qualified ones suitable to people working while studying or "filling gaps" before getting a "good job" in IT. >Wouldn't the more apt comparison be something like law? Or medicine? It could be, but I doubt that there are many people that after having invested in an education in either law or medicine and actually had a suitable job in those professions left them to become a full-time programmer, particularly an employed full-time programmer. Not that it cannot happen or that never happened, but surely it is less common, and the probabilities that additionally these people will be commenting on HN are even smaller. >Or has software development truly reached blue-collar status and we're essentially plumbers/electricians? Since every other guy here seems to be well in the hundred of thousands US$/year or more, I would say, if this is the case, "exceptionally well paid plumbers/electricians".
- BenchRouter 9y ago
  > My guess is that the popularity of these professions is that they are all relatively low-qualified ones suitable to people working while studying or "filling gaps" before getting a "good job" in IT. Yeah, I mean I don't doubt that's why they show up frequently. It's more like: In a discussion about attorney/physician burnout, I don't often see people say "well you think being an attorney is hard? Try construction..." The discussion in that case would be something more like, "if you don't like being an attorney go be an accountant" - something like that, if that makes any sense. > It could be, but I doubt that there are many people that after having invested in an education in either law or medicine and actually had a suitable job in those professions left them to become a full-time programmer, particularly an employed full-time programmer. I see what you're saying, but my point was more like: Shouldn't we be comparing software development to those professions? As in, "software development is incredibly easy compared to being an attorney"? > Since every other guy here seems to be well in the hundred of thousands US$/year or more, I would say, if this is the case, "exceptionally well paid plumbers/electricians". I thought that was becoming more and more common in those professions (electricians especially seem to be well compensated)?

walshemj 9y ago

That's a thing BTW I recall an article in the guardian a few years ago on some small coal mines in west virgina did hire women for less wages than men

salvar 9y ago

> Every dad in the world knows that a hobby is different from work Why 'dad'?