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I had this attitude in college. I wasn’t a CS major, but I really enjoyed programming. I was floored by how many CS majors seemed to not enjoy the discipline.

I had this attitude in college. I wasn’t a CS major, but I really enjoyed programming. I was floored by how many CS majors seemed to not enjoy the discipline. My interest in computers and programming hasn’t waned. But with every passing year, I have become more invested in my relationships, obligations, health, and other hobbies. So programming is a much smaller slice of the pie these days. I still think of myself as an interested and enthusiastic programmer, but I will admit that my interest and enthusiasm pales in comparison to my hobbyist coworkers.

emodendroket 3y ago
That's well said... I feel this way even about pure fun pursuits like video games. Yeah, I still like video games, but I also like time with my daughter and wife or getting outside and playing sports or a bunch of other things I didn't use to do that kind of crowd out a well I've gone to many, many times anyway.
- nine_k 3y ago
  I think video games (like movies, books, etc) are a different kind: they are about consuming, while programming (electronics, carpentry, etc) is about creating. Some games, like Sim City or Factorio, sort of blur the line though.
  - ehnto 3y ago
    Games are somewhere in between, you are engaged in the doing of the game and that itself can be creative and involve problem solving. Certainly moreso than TV, but less so than a craft of some kind.
  - emodendroket 3y ago
    The phenomenon is mostly the same though: something I’ve enjoyed for a long time doesn’t have the same prominence in my life anymore because of other things I’ve taken an interest in.
onetimeusename 3y ago
The CS degree became the most popular at my school in a short period of time. I was told as recently as 25 years ago, hardly anyone was in the program so it's reasonable to assume that CS itself didn't change but the demand did. My take on students in the program is that a CS engineering degree is viewed the way a business degree might have been for a different industry like finance. It's a ticket into a high paying, tech job. From there, many want to climb the corporate ladder and move into management. There are people who like the topic but also quite a few who treat it as a corporate credential. I think this second group is a very recent development that only started happening in the last decade or so.

emodendroket 3y ago

That's well said... I feel this way even about pure fun pursuits like video games. Yeah, I still like video games, but I also like time with my daughter and wife or getting outside and playing sports or a bunch of other things I didn't use to do that kind of crowd out a well I've gone to many, many times anyway.

nine_k 3y ago
I think video games (like movies, books, etc) are a different kind: they are about consuming, while programming (electronics, carpentry, etc) is about creating. Some games, like Sim City or Factorio, sort of blur the line though.
- ehnto 3y ago
  Games are somewhere in between, you are engaged in the doing of the game and that itself can be creative and involve problem solving. Certainly moreso than TV, but less so than a craft of some kind.
- emodendroket 3y ago
  The phenomenon is mostly the same though: something I’ve enjoyed for a long time doesn’t have the same prominence in my life anymore because of other things I’ve taken an interest in.

onetimeusename 3y ago

The CS degree became the most popular at my school in a short period of time. I was told as recently as 25 years ago, hardly anyone was in the program so it's reasonable to assume that CS itself didn't change but the demand did. My take on students in the program is that a CS engineering degree is viewed the way a business degree might have been for a different industry like finance. It's a ticket into a high paying, tech job. From there, many want to climb the corporate ladder and move into management. There are people who like the topic but also quite a few who treat it as a corporate credential. I think this second group is a very recent development that only started happening in the last decade or so.