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What I always tell people thinking about a software engineering career is that, yes, it's great money but I strongly advise only doing it if you actually like w

What I always tell people thinking about a software engineering career is that, yes, it's great money but I strongly advise only doing it if you actually like working with computers. Otherwise it's going to be a nightmare. Working as a software developer without a passion for coding is kind of like doing math homework every day for the rest of your life.

silicon2401 5y ago
> Working as a software developer without a passion for coding is kind of like doing math homework every day for the rest of your life. I disagree. I coded for fun once, as a kid, and have never felt the need to do it again. If I never coded again, I wouldn't even notice because I my passions lie elsewhere. But working as a software developer is still tolerable because I'm just sitting at a desk, typing on a computer. As long as I don't have meetings...
- ipaddr 5y ago
  Are you above 35?
  - handrous 5y ago
    Not that poster, but I am over 35, and I hate computers. Fucking around with computers without being paid to do it is just about the last thing I'd want to do. They're miserable time-sinks unless you've got a strong need for something only they can do, or you just like tinkering with them for the sake of it. Which, I did enjoy once upon a time, but not anymore, and I don't have any hobbies that really need computers beyond some light use of existing software, and even those are mostly just nice-to-haves. Everything else I might use a computer for that'd require real work to set up handily fails the XKCD software ROI chart.
    - pbourke 5y ago
      I feel lucky that at 44 I still get a thrill when something runs as expected for the first time or when tests go all green. I still enjoy working with software in the general sense and learning new things in my areas of interest. Organizations, however, and the environments that they create (both human and software) are a different story ...
  - silicon2401 5y ago
    I'm curious to learn how that is relevant to my post and what assumptions you make about people around this topic based on age
    - ipaddr 5y ago
      The parent topics were talking about those older than 35 getting into the field because they loved it and those under mixed. Wondering where you fit into this worldview.
commandlinefan 5y ago
> doing math homework every day Sigh... if only there were a way I could get paid for actually doing math homework every day...
- liveoneggs 5y ago
  become a math teacher and never look in the back of those cheater "teacher's edition" books!
opportune 5y ago
I don’t really agree with this. I don’t love coding but I think I’m pretty good at it (and all the other parts of being a software engineer). I am still very happy I chose this job even though coding is “meh” for me in terms of enjoyment. I don’t think this is particularly unusual either. Lots of people don’t code outside their day job, even the really good ones, IME. And look at other jobs - I doubt most plumbers, linemen, bricklayers, etc really find their job enjoyable. But they might still be happy with their career because they don’t hate it, they’re good at it, and it pays the bills.

silicon2401 5y ago

> Working as a software developer without a passion for coding is kind of like doing math homework every day for the rest of your life. I disagree. I coded for fun once, as a kid, and have never felt the need to do it again. If I never coded again, I wouldn't even notice because I my passions lie elsewhere. But working as a software developer is still tolerable because I'm just sitting at a desk, typing on a computer. As long as I don't have meetings...

ipaddr 5y ago
Are you above 35?
- handrous 5y ago
  Not that poster, but I am over 35, and I hate computers. Fucking around with computers without being paid to do it is just about the last thing I'd want to do. They're miserable time-sinks unless you've got a strong need for something only they can do, or you just like tinkering with them for the sake of it. Which, I did enjoy once upon a time, but not anymore, and I don't have any hobbies that really need computers beyond some light use of existing software, and even those are mostly just nice-to-haves. Everything else I might use a computer for that'd require real work to set up handily fails the XKCD software ROI chart.
  - pbourke 5y ago
    I feel lucky that at 44 I still get a thrill when something runs as expected for the first time or when tests go all green. I still enjoy working with software in the general sense and learning new things in my areas of interest. Organizations, however, and the environments that they create (both human and software) are a different story ...
- silicon2401 5y ago
  I'm curious to learn how that is relevant to my post and what assumptions you make about people around this topic based on age
  - ipaddr 5y ago
    The parent topics were talking about those older than 35 getting into the field because they loved it and those under mixed. Wondering where you fit into this worldview.

commandlinefan 5y ago

> doing math homework every day Sigh... if only there were a way I could get paid for actually doing math homework every day...

liveoneggs 5y ago
become a math teacher and never look in the back of those cheater "teacher's edition" books!

opportune 5y ago

I don’t really agree with this. I don’t love coding but I think I’m pretty good at it (and all the other parts of being a software engineer). I am still very happy I chose this job even though coding is “meh” for me in terms of enjoyment. I don’t think this is particularly unusual either. Lots of people don’t code outside their day job, even the really good ones, IME. And look at other jobs - I doubt most plumbers, linemen, bricklayers, etc really find their job enjoyable. But they might still be happy with their career because they don’t hate it, they’re good at it, and it pays the bills.