3 ms·

"Don't Call Yourself A Programmer" [0] is from 2011. "Do call yourself a programmer" from 2013. The world, especially the world of tech has changed a lot in the

"Don't Call Yourself A Programmer" [0] is from 2011. "Do call yourself a programmer" from 2013. The world, especially the world of tech has changed a lot in the past decade. A good advice from 2011 is not necessarily a good advice in 2020. Perhaps" programmer sounds like anomalously high-cost peon who types some mumbo-jumbo into some other mumbo-jumbo" was correct at the time, but is no longer true after a decade of software eating the world. Have either of the two authors, or even someone else, written a revisited up-to-date version of this advice? [0] https://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-programmer/ https://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-pr...

waheoo 6y ago
I prescribe the the fact programmer is the most accurate term for what I do. Im not an engineer, im far closer to an architect and an analyst. But those things are both from other fields and confuse things. A programmer needs to be across aspects of engineering, architecture, business analyst, designer, copy editor, ux, accounting, lawer, marketer and even a bit of project management. That doesnt even begin to cover the domain knowledge often leaking into network admin, sysadmin, operstions, support, and various other functions I get thrown into. Engineer, in my experience, just doesnt quite cut it. We are general purpose knowledge workers with the single defining characteristic of continuous learning. If i had to put a new label on it, id say we are process automaters. But since our focus is on programming computers to achieve this automation and "bring in the automators" makes us sound like robots or bankruptcy auditors, i would say programmer is a pretty clear good fit.
- visarga 6y ago
  > If i had to put a new label on it, id say we are process automaters. Ha! My faculty is called 'Authomatics' even though they teach programming and computer science. During my career I have automated things, though. It was a good name.
- executesorder66 6y ago
  Software developer always seemed to me to be an unambiguous and good name for what we do. It takes programming, and all the things you mentioned, to develop software. On top of that it is not an overloaded term with some other title from some other industry.
  - waheoo 6y ago
    Is programmer overloaded from somewhere else too? I like software developer. Its probably the most commonly understood term too. Odd fact, accountants sometimes hire interns called "coders" because they code account transactions. Its one of the most tedious jobs I've ever had.
    - executesorder66 6y ago
      Not that I am aware of. But as I mentioned, programming is not the only thing that software developers do. I mean I'd image that attending meetings takes up a huge amount of time for a CEO. But they aren't called "meeters" because that's not all they do.
      - waheoo 6y ago
        Right but id hazard thats an exception to the rule. How many jobs come to mind that dont label based in their primary function? Because the jobs that do label based on primary function are very easy to come up with. Brick layers, plumbers, painters, miners, accountants, lawyers, sailors, banker tellers. Software development is a thing, and software developer perfectly fits that view. I guess I just think* a software developer is a professional whereas a programmer is more apt for things like open source development. Programmer being more of a general term encompassing software developers. *Nuanced and subjective thoughts.
indymike 6y ago
Not calling yourself a programmer when you are one was always bad advice. The "high priced peon" thing was never about the profession, and always about the employer. in the 90s there was a generation of in charge people who really didn't understand the value of systems-thinking, problem solvers who were used to working with huge amounts of change.

waheoo 6y ago

I prescribe the the fact programmer is the most accurate term for what I do. Im not an engineer, im far closer to an architect and an analyst. But those things are both from other fields and confuse things. A programmer needs to be across aspects of engineering, architecture, business analyst, designer, copy editor, ux, accounting, lawer, marketer and even a bit of project management. That doesnt even begin to cover the domain knowledge often leaking into network admin, sysadmin, operstions, support, and various other functions I get thrown into. Engineer, in my experience, just doesnt quite cut it. We are general purpose knowledge workers with the single defining characteristic of continuous learning. If i had to put a new label on it, id say we are process automaters. But since our focus is on programming computers to achieve this automation and "bring in the automators" makes us sound like robots or bankruptcy auditors, i would say programmer is a pretty clear good fit.

visarga 6y ago
> If i had to put a new label on it, id say we are process automaters. Ha! My faculty is called 'Authomatics' even though they teach programming and computer science. During my career I have automated things, though. It was a good name.
executesorder66 6y ago
Software developer always seemed to me to be an unambiguous and good name for what we do. It takes programming, and all the things you mentioned, to develop software. On top of that it is not an overloaded term with some other title from some other industry.
- waheoo 6y ago
  Is programmer overloaded from somewhere else too? I like software developer. Its probably the most commonly understood term too. Odd fact, accountants sometimes hire interns called "coders" because they code account transactions. Its one of the most tedious jobs I've ever had.
  - executesorder66 6y ago
    Not that I am aware of. But as I mentioned, programming is not the only thing that software developers do. I mean I'd image that attending meetings takes up a huge amount of time for a CEO. But they aren't called "meeters" because that's not all they do.
    - waheoo 6y ago
      Right but id hazard thats an exception to the rule. How many jobs come to mind that dont label based in their primary function? Because the jobs that do label based on primary function are very easy to come up with. Brick layers, plumbers, painters, miners, accountants, lawyers, sailors, banker tellers. Software development is a thing, and software developer perfectly fits that view. I guess I just think* a software developer is a professional whereas a programmer is more apt for things like open source development. Programmer being more of a general term encompassing software developers. *Nuanced and subjective thoughts.

indymike 6y ago

Not calling yourself a programmer when you are one was always bad advice. The "high priced peon" thing was never about the profession, and always about the employer. in the 90s there was a generation of in charge people who really didn't understand the value of systems-thinking, problem solvers who were used to working with huge amounts of change.