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I really wish there was a professional organization or - dare I say it! - a union which represented this point of view of SWE. I like what I do but I hate how m

I really wish there was a professional organization or - dare I say it! - a union which represented this point of view of SWE. I like what I do but I hate how much of work and tech culture creeps into your life, as though it's the end all and be all of one's existence. No one expects plumbers, welders, or civil engineers to be making drainage systems in their spare time.

avmich 6y ago
There is the principal difference, which is well seen in how software engineers compare to all other sorts of engineers (less so today, as apparently all engineers now are a little software engineers). Plumbers, welders and civil engineers are supposedly trained in their area and know well how to solve a pretty well defined set of problems. Much better defined than a similar set for software engineers. So for plumbers "execution" is paramount, not - mostly not - the creative side of designing. While software is bigger, more vague and with less clear-cut recipes area. This is less and less true lately - last couple of decades in particular - as more and more software engineers are actual plumbers in this sense. Those don't make drainage systems - or, write program - in their spare time - they take photos, sing or enjoy woodworking. Even though their employers seek people who'd program in spare time. Those who do - there are plenty of those who enjoy programming more than just to make it a profession - can be attributed to first or second group. I think the third group actually has plenty of them as well. They don't need to think of technology to be all, end all of one's existence - they just enjoy programming, and doing little, or pretty big (this is harder, so has a lesser chance) work pieces for people. But they don't necessarily not programming on weekends.
brandonmenc 6y ago
Are there any skilled workers - whether plumbers, welders, carpenters, lawyers, accountants, doctors, pilots, or programmers - who immediately stop thinking about, keeping up with, or otherwise expressing an interest their field after clocking out for the day? Some more than others. But few, it seems.
- aidenn0 6y ago
  I have a friend who is married to a carpenter, and she says absolutely nothing in the house gets fixed, because he's done with work when he gets home, but doesn't want to pay someone else to do something he could do.
pjmlp 6y ago
There is, just not in every country. https://www.ordemengenheiros.pt/pt/a-ordem/colegios-e-especialidades/informatica/ https://www.ordemengenheiros.pt/pt/a-ordem/colegios-e-especi... https://www.ingenieurwesen-studieren.de/studienwahl/abschluesse-ingenieurtitel https://www.ingenieurwesen-studieren.de/studienwahl/abschlue... Usage of Google translate is left as exercise.

avmich 6y ago

There is the principal difference, which is well seen in how software engineers compare to all other sorts of engineers (less so today, as apparently all engineers now are a little software engineers). Plumbers, welders and civil engineers are supposedly trained in their area and know well how to solve a pretty well defined set of problems. Much better defined than a similar set for software engineers. So for plumbers "execution" is paramount, not - mostly not - the creative side of designing. While software is bigger, more vague and with less clear-cut recipes area. This is less and less true lately - last couple of decades in particular - as more and more software engineers are actual plumbers in this sense. Those don't make drainage systems - or, write program - in their spare time - they take photos, sing or enjoy woodworking. Even though their employers seek people who'd program in spare time. Those who do - there are plenty of those who enjoy programming more than just to make it a profession - can be attributed to first or second group. I think the third group actually has plenty of them as well. They don't need to think of technology to be all, end all of one's existence - they just enjoy programming, and doing little, or pretty big (this is harder, so has a lesser chance) work pieces for people. But they don't necessarily not programming on weekends.

brandonmenc 6y ago

Are there any skilled workers - whether plumbers, welders, carpenters, lawyers, accountants, doctors, pilots, or programmers - who immediately stop thinking about, keeping up with, or otherwise expressing an interest their field after clocking out for the day? Some more than others. But few, it seems.

aidenn0 6y ago
I have a friend who is married to a carpenter, and she says absolutely nothing in the house gets fixed, because he's done with work when he gets home, but doesn't want to pay someone else to do something he could do.

pjmlp 6y ago

There is, just not in every country. https://www.ordemengenheiros.pt/pt/a-ordem/colegios-e-especialidades/informatica/ https://www.ordemengenheiros.pt/pt/a-ordem/colegios-e-especi... https://www.ingenieurwesen-studieren.de/studienwahl/abschluesse-ingenieurtitel https://www.ingenieurwesen-studieren.de/studienwahl/abschlue... Usage of Google translate is left as exercise.