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The unique combination of arrogance and ignorance on HN grates on me, too. And a lot of it is motivated by what you suggest, which is the high compensation of t

The unique combination of arrogance and ignorance on HN grates on me, too. And a lot of it is motivated by what you suggest, which is the high compensation of techies relative to other knowledge workers—it makes them think they are inherently special rather than just temporarily overvalued. That being said, techies—unlike admen—are still builders and the people who build the shit will always ultimately have the clout. It’s just a question of using the clout effectively.

scarface74 7y ago
Software developers have been paid better than the average “knowledge worker” for at least the two plus decades that I’ve been doing it. I don’t just mean Silicon Valley/West Coast.
- bongobongo 7y ago
  I’m not sure that’s true. Devs do well but not necessarily better than nurses, doctors, and engineers. The big gap is in licensure and education. You can get a high paying job in tech starting with a GED if you play your cards right. That is because demand is so high, and the field has zero professional standards (in the sense of an actual profession with an actual organizing body, like nursing or medicine or engineering, etc.). The latter part is important. There may be lots of demand for nursing, etc., but real professional organizations do not lower their standards in order to accommodate demand. Two things will happen this century. First, there will be many, many more people who know how to build basic systems (Web applications, etc.). Second, people will have a much better understanding of the risks involved in software development, which are now still mostly abstract to the public (but this is already changing). Once those risks become apparent, there will be an attendant demand for actual professionalization (standards bodies, licenses, codes of ethics, etc.). There will be greater regulation and classification of software development as a profession (i.e., you might not need a license for some kinds of work, but for other kinds, you will have strict licensing). This will drive up the compensation of (credentialed) developers to the level of doctors and engineers, but will also create many more barriers to entry in the process.

scarface74 7y ago

Software developers have been paid better than the average “knowledge worker” for at least the two plus decades that I’ve been doing it. I don’t just mean Silicon Valley/West Coast.

bongobongo 7y ago
I’m not sure that’s true. Devs do well but not necessarily better than nurses, doctors, and engineers. The big gap is in licensure and education. You can get a high paying job in tech starting with a GED if you play your cards right. That is because demand is so high, and the field has zero professional standards (in the sense of an actual profession with an actual organizing body, like nursing or medicine or engineering, etc.). The latter part is important. There may be lots of demand for nursing, etc., but real professional organizations do not lower their standards in order to accommodate demand. Two things will happen this century. First, there will be many, many more people who know how to build basic systems (Web applications, etc.). Second, people will have a much better understanding of the risks involved in software development, which are now still mostly abstract to the public (but this is already changing). Once those risks become apparent, there will be an attendant demand for actual professionalization (standards bodies, licenses, codes of ethics, etc.). There will be greater regulation and classification of software development as a profession (i.e., you might not need a license for some kinds of work, but for other kinds, you will have strict licensing). This will drive up the compensation of (credentialed) developers to the level of doctors and engineers, but will also create many more barriers to entry in the process.