5 ms·

I usually just roll with "Im a computer programmer". That seems to work.

by auston 18y ago

brandonkm 18y ago
Exactly. I always just say "I work in web development". That about sums it up.
- bprater 18y ago
  "Oh, you make webpages!"
  - jwilliams 18y ago
    Cool. You must know HTML then.
    - 27182818284 18y ago
      I'm saddened by how real this thread got to me.
    - run4yourlives 18y ago
      Yeah, my cousin taught me HTML too, it's not that hard.
      - aaronblohowiak 18y ago
        I do cross-platform development -- I use frontpage AND dreamweaver.
        AndyKelley 18y ago
        I love you guys.
        thwarted 18y ago
        And you listen to both kinds of music, country AND western?
        aaronblohowiak 18y ago
        (country and western are like metal and hardcore.. might sound the same, but have different roots and cultures, and have experienced a great cross-pollination.)
        thwarted 18y ago
        The joke is on the word "both", not on the "country and western". Pour one out for Jake and Elwood.
        Herring 18y ago
        I thought the joke was on the word "music"..
        deleted 18y ago
        [deleted]
        aaronblohowiak 18y ago
        HAHAHAHAHAHAH oh!
    - ObieJazz 18y ago
      Then I say "Also CSS, Javascript, C#, VB, ASP.Net, Classic asp, SQL, Java, C, Objective-C, and Flash."
silencio 18y ago
Recently I've tried not to say any variant of programming or development or engineering on anything (web, mobile, desktop), nor that I've majored in computer science from the moment I started college. What inevitably happens if I do say so is family and friends of family end up asking me to work on their website|fix their computers|help them with something barely tech-related like their car's satellite radio, and usually for too little money. I never understood why, since I never ask for favors from them, but shrug. I'd be glad to help some of them out when I have the time and interest, but there is no way in hell I want to churn out a full out custom inventory system for their business for $200. And yes, someone has actually asked me for that at that price before. My jaw just dropped.
- iigs 18y ago
  The crux of your reason is half of why "I reboot servers." The other half is because I really don't expect to have an interesting conversation about it and don't want to explain it to people. Maybe my family and in-laws aren't cool enough to ask for a web application, but my current description has been geeky enough to fend everyone off. I guess the time is coming when I should be concerned about that and move on to something niche-sounding.
- jwilliams 18y ago
  > I never understood why, since I never ask for favors from them, but shrug. This happens to practically everyone - Doesn't matter if you're a Doctor, Laywer, Mechanic, Banker...
  - silencio 18y ago
    Oh I'm fully aware people do do this all the time and it happens to pretty much anyone with any kind of job. I'm wondering why people believe their relatives would be willing to do a favor in the first place purely based on relation and even sometimes with the assumption they wouldn't mind doing it at a discounted rate because of that. I'm sure anyone who's spent enough time with family talking about what they do have encountered that before.
    - 18y ago
mdolon 18y ago
I can't even use that excuse as I've got this Psychology/Pre-med background. I decided not to go the med school route right before taking the MCATs, so for me, it's usally, "So what medical school are you going to?" I try to explain that I'm doing something I am much more passionate about but most people (other than my parents, thankfully) can't seem to understand that logic. Living in a "brown" community doesn't help either, where every other parent is a doctor.
- ahoyhere 18y ago
  > Living in a "brown" community doesn't help either, where every other parent is a doctor. Am I the only one that read this 3 times trying to understand its meaning?
  - dhimes 18y ago
    No, I'm with you. But that guy really is screwed @ the family table! Dumping med school? Man, that's like me quitting teaching college. People thought (still think, probably) that I'm nuts. Occasionally I think they may be right...
  - deleted 18y ago
    [deleted]

I usually just roll with "Im a computer programmer". That seems to work.

by auston 18y ago

I usually just roll with "Im a computer programmer". That seems to work.

brandonkm 18y ago

Exactly. I always just say "I work in web development". That about sums it up.

bprater 18y ago
"Oh, you make webpages!"
- jwilliams 18y ago
  Cool. You must know HTML then.
  - 27182818284 18y ago
    I'm saddened by how real this thread got to me.
  - run4yourlives 18y ago
    Yeah, my cousin taught me HTML too, it's not that hard.
    - aaronblohowiak 18y ago
      I do cross-platform development -- I use frontpage AND dreamweaver.
      - AndyKelley 18y ago
        I love you guys.
      - thwarted 18y ago
        And you listen to both kinds of music, country AND western?
        aaronblohowiak 18y ago
        (country and western are like metal and hardcore.. might sound the same, but have different roots and cultures, and have experienced a great cross-pollination.)
        thwarted 18y ago
        The joke is on the word "both", not on the "country and western". Pour one out for Jake and Elwood.
        Herring 18y ago
        I thought the joke was on the word "music"..
        deleted 18y ago
        [deleted]
        aaronblohowiak 18y ago
        HAHAHAHAHAHAH oh!
  - ObieJazz 18y ago
    Then I say "Also CSS, Javascript, C#, VB, ASP.Net, Classic asp, SQL, Java, C, Objective-C, and Flash."

silencio 18y ago

Recently I've tried not to say any variant of programming or development or engineering on anything (web, mobile, desktop), nor that I've majored in computer science from the moment I started college. What inevitably happens if I do say so is family and friends of family end up asking me to work on their website|fix their computers|help them with something barely tech-related like their car's satellite radio, and usually for too little money. I never understood why, since I never ask for favors from them, but shrug. I'd be glad to help some of them out when I have the time and interest, but there is no way in hell I want to churn out a full out custom inventory system for their business for $200. And yes, someone has actually asked me for that at that price before. My jaw just dropped.

iigs 18y ago
The crux of your reason is half of why "I reboot servers." The other half is because I really don't expect to have an interesting conversation about it and don't want to explain it to people. Maybe my family and in-laws aren't cool enough to ask for a web application, but my current description has been geeky enough to fend everyone off. I guess the time is coming when I should be concerned about that and move on to something niche-sounding.
jwilliams 18y ago
> I never understood why, since I never ask for favors from them, but shrug. This happens to practically everyone - Doesn't matter if you're a Doctor, Laywer, Mechanic, Banker...
- silencio 18y ago
  Oh I'm fully aware people do do this all the time and it happens to pretty much anyone with any kind of job. I'm wondering why people believe their relatives would be willing to do a favor in the first place purely based on relation and even sometimes with the assumption they wouldn't mind doing it at a discounted rate because of that. I'm sure anyone who's spent enough time with family talking about what they do have encountered that before.
  - 18y ago

mdolon 18y ago

I can't even use that excuse as I've got this Psychology/Pre-med background. I decided not to go the med school route right before taking the MCATs, so for me, it's usally, "So what medical school are you going to?" I try to explain that I'm doing something I am much more passionate about but most people (other than my parents, thankfully) can't seem to understand that logic. Living in a "brown" community doesn't help either, where every other parent is a doctor.

ahoyhere 18y ago
> Living in a "brown" community doesn't help either, where every other parent is a doctor. Am I the only one that read this 3 times trying to understand its meaning?
- dhimes 18y ago
  No, I'm with you. But that guy really is screwed @ the family table! Dumping med school? Man, that's like me quitting teaching college. People thought (still think, probably) that I'm nuts. Occasionally I think they may be right...
- deleted 18y ago
  [deleted]