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> e still don't make as much as the one who brings in the seed money and keeps most of the profits, but because reasons we haven't been relegated to the barely-

> e still don't make as much as the one who brings in the seed money and keeps most of the profits, but because reasons we haven't been relegated to the barely-tolerated and barely-paid status of the people who write documentation or make our products attractive, no matter how good they are at it. I don't think it's lack of regulations that makes our salaries high (barring the sky-high wages at FAANG). For example, in banking - a heavily regulated industry - coders still make way more than people who can write well ("poets"). I think it's just basic supply and demand, there's just not enough people good enough at coding compared to how many are currently needed across all industries. Let's enjoy it while it lasts.

jfengel 6y ago
It's definitely supply and demand, but it's not clear to me why the demands for programmers and "poets" are so out of whack. We have a collective notion that the work of the writers don't matter, and so we just collectively decide not to pay them very well, and they're forced to accept it. Meanwhile, even pretty poor programmers can make a fair bit of money, rather than being priced out. But there are a ton of them, and honestly, there could be even more. Basic programming isn't that hard. Lots of people do it in high school, self-taught, and even more could do that given opportunity and encouragement. I'm definitely enjoying it while it lasts. I've been expecting it to stop for three decades. I've been wrong the whole time and it looks like it will last the rest of my career. But I'd really like to see us take a good long look at the whole thing. A lot of talent is going to waste. I'm happy to benefit, but wish others could, too.
- burntoutfire 6y ago
  Writing something in English is just easier that writing code that compiles and works. You can't bullshit a compiler, but you definitely can put a lot of bullshit into a Word document without anyone noticing (thus making your job a lot easier). That's why coding is harder, more demanding, requires more intelligence and work ethic. Hell, I've known pretty smart coders who lacked the work ethic and they quickly switched to scrum master or analyst roles. They're making less, but as one of them openly admitted, they barely do anything compared to the coders.

jfengel 6y ago

It's definitely supply and demand, but it's not clear to me why the demands for programmers and "poets" are so out of whack. We have a collective notion that the work of the writers don't matter, and so we just collectively decide not to pay them very well, and they're forced to accept it. Meanwhile, even pretty poor programmers can make a fair bit of money, rather than being priced out. But there are a ton of them, and honestly, there could be even more. Basic programming isn't that hard. Lots of people do it in high school, self-taught, and even more could do that given opportunity and encouragement. I'm definitely enjoying it while it lasts. I've been expecting it to stop for three decades. I've been wrong the whole time and it looks like it will last the rest of my career. But I'd really like to see us take a good long look at the whole thing. A lot of talent is going to waste. I'm happy to benefit, but wish others could, too.

burntoutfire 6y ago
Writing something in English is just easier that writing code that compiles and works. You can't bullshit a compiler, but you definitely can put a lot of bullshit into a Word document without anyone noticing (thus making your job a lot easier). That's why coding is harder, more demanding, requires more intelligence and work ethic. Hell, I've known pretty smart coders who lacked the work ethic and they quickly switched to scrum master or analyst roles. They're making less, but as one of them openly admitted, they barely do anything compared to the coders.