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Yeah, I genuinely do not understand what it is that drives people like the reddit OP to think that tradespeople somehow have it better than software folks. It's

Yeah, I genuinely do not understand what it is that drives people like the reddit OP to think that tradespeople somehow have it better than software folks. It's like they have never actually paid attention to how absolutely grueling plumbing/roofing/fencing/etc. is. "Constant need to stay up to date" is actually one of the things I really like about this field, because it's one of the things that prevents the work from getting redundant, at least in the long run.

Apocryphon 5y ago
I don’t think they want to be tradespeople. I think they want to be artisans.
- ianai 5y ago
  I’d say they already are artisans. Guy talks about needing to constantly study up to stay current. I imagine an artist just through creating is constantly getting more comfortable with their tools. Hokusai has a famous quote to this effect - basically saying he would have to live to 100+ to really practice enough to be proud of his work.
  - Apocryphon 5y ago
    By artisan I meant specifically the concept of a craftsperson who creates small projects on demand at their own leisure, something both like the traditional concept of a village smith or potter, or the modern day craft fair equivalent or Etsy vendor. In software, someone with their own software consultancy or an indie app developer could be equivalent.
- djur 5y ago
  It's just the masculine-coded, "left-brained" equivalent of "I wish I could quit my office job and do arts/crafts for a living", a sentiment I've heard a lot from friends outside the tech industry.
rascul 5y ago
> Yeah, I genuinely do not understand what it is that drives people like the reddit OP to think that tradespeople somehow have it better than software folks. It's like they have never actually paid attention to how absolutely grueling plumbing/roofing/fencing/etc. is. I have done a decent bit of network and systems administration in the past. I don't like it. It's hard on me sitting at a computer all day. Sometimes I got to go somewhere else and play with some equipment for a bit, but it was mostly a sit at a desk and stare at a screen kind of job. I really need the physical activity. Nowadays I repair rental houses for a number of property owners around here and I'll never go back, even if does pay a little less. I don't really find the work any more or less enjoyable overall, but I work less hours which means I have more time of my own, I sleep so much better at night, and my mental health has improved significantly. Also I get to work by myself which is real nice. Edit: Many trade jobs are not like mine. I work my own hours, at my own pace, doing mostly light work. Every now and then I might get a helper. I was a roofer when I was much younger, and that's not something my body could handle anymore.
garbagetime 5y ago
Some people enjoy hard work

Apocryphon 5y ago

I don’t think they want to be tradespeople. I think they want to be artisans.

ianai 5y ago
I’d say they already are artisans. Guy talks about needing to constantly study up to stay current. I imagine an artist just through creating is constantly getting more comfortable with their tools. Hokusai has a famous quote to this effect - basically saying he would have to live to 100+ to really practice enough to be proud of his work.
- Apocryphon 5y ago
  By artisan I meant specifically the concept of a craftsperson who creates small projects on demand at their own leisure, something both like the traditional concept of a village smith or potter, or the modern day craft fair equivalent or Etsy vendor. In software, someone with their own software consultancy or an indie app developer could be equivalent.
djur 5y ago
It's just the masculine-coded, "left-brained" equivalent of "I wish I could quit my office job and do arts/crafts for a living", a sentiment I've heard a lot from friends outside the tech industry.

rascul 5y ago

> Yeah, I genuinely do not understand what it is that drives people like the reddit OP to think that tradespeople somehow have it better than software folks. It's like they have never actually paid attention to how absolutely grueling plumbing/roofing/fencing/etc. is. I have done a decent bit of network and systems administration in the past. I don't like it. It's hard on me sitting at a computer all day. Sometimes I got to go somewhere else and play with some equipment for a bit, but it was mostly a sit at a desk and stare at a screen kind of job. I really need the physical activity. Nowadays I repair rental houses for a number of property owners around here and I'll never go back, even if does pay a little less. I don't really find the work any more or less enjoyable overall, but I work less hours which means I have more time of my own, I sleep so much better at night, and my mental health has improved significantly. Also I get to work by myself which is real nice. Edit: Many trade jobs are not like mine. I work my own hours, at my own pace, doing mostly light work. Every now and then I might get a helper. I was a roofer when I was much younger, and that's not something my body could handle anymore.

garbagetime 5y ago

Some people enjoy hard work