It's interesting to hear how young programmers come to grips with issues that are fundamentally social. Programming has often been characterized as a solitary

It's interesting to hear how young programmers come to grips with issues that are fundamentally social. Programming has often been characterized as a solitary or deeply individual discipline (even PG's Hackers & Painters nods to that, after all, most painters aren't known for their group efforts :P ). That said, I think this is an unfortunate frame of reference both for programmers and for the world at large to understand the sorts of creative works with which we wrestle. By and large, software is utilitarian and designed to help someone, somewhere, do something. Consequently all of the things we do as programmers are at their core, social (even if the act of programming may not always be). And there are sciences and arts related to how we as humans relate to each other, communicate, and negotiate our varying wants and needs. So, yes, you're right that we need to be more humane to each other, but i wish that there were a better awareness of what that actually entails, and how we can do a better job. I'm amazed at how sadly inconclusive the "You are not your code" discussion has gone, as an example. Likewise, I appreciate the sentiment you are expressing, although i agree with others that you are generalizing unfairly (i certainly don't fit into the characterization you describe)