4 ms·

Learning to code will not make you rich (or particularly powerful)

16 points by uladzislau 13y ago

smokestack 13y ago
This is complete nonsense.
- T-A 13y ago
  The clan precipice [1] awaiting at 35 bugged me a little. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%84ttestupa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%84ttestupa
- jamesaguilar 13y ago
  Yes. For a few reasons. 1. Sometimes it's worth it to do something that's not your favorite for a bit of income. If you have the tenacity to become good at coding despite not finding it thrilling, it is one of the more interesting, safer, and lucrative careers out there. 1.a. You don't have to be lucky to get a job coding. There is almost unlimited demand for solid people. Not brilliant people. Just being good and even reasonably likable is enough to get almost certain continuous employment. 2. "You have to find something else to do at 35." Give. Me. A. Break. Ageism is real, but it's not going to start hindering you this early. 3. Learn to run a server. What? This is why sysadmins are at the top of the software corporate food chain, right? And, don't get me wrong, I mean no offense to my talented sysadmin colleagues, but you'd have to be blind and deaf and insensate to belief they are "ruling the world" compared to software engineers in any meaningful sense of the phrase. Maybe they should be, but if we observe reality, software engineers are better compensated, work easier hours, and have a much easier time making their way into management.
  - colanderman 13y ago
    Ageism is real, but it's not going to start hindering you this early. Agreed; at least, where I am, if I were simply 10 years older (putting me over 35), I'd be making twice what I am now. Certainly not looking for a job.
negamax 13y ago
tldr: If you like programming only then chose it as a career.
zenbowman 13y ago
It's useful even if you don't like it. Whether you work in finance, physics, or a non-computer related engineering profession, you'll be a lot better at your profession if you can code. There's a difference between building large scale systems versus doing a little exploratory scripting with Python and SQL. For the former, a CS degree is very helpful and for most people, necessary. The latter, on the other hand, is what will benefit the average non-professional programmer.
jere 13y ago
>Of course most people who code, if they make any money at all, make a modest living. The median software developer in the US makes $85,000/year. I guess you could call this modest, but I wouldn't. It's 50% more than median US household makes. >If you want power, and I've said this many times -- rather than learn to code -- first learn to run a server. That's real power. I'm really struggling with this one. That would seem to make you less rich and powerful than a programmer.
- analyst74 13y ago
  Comparing with median household is quite modest, when you are talking about money and power.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- mamcx 13y ago
  Probably only true in some countries/cities. In latin america, for example, is a low pay job. The joke here is that we do it for the love, because the day we want money then is better to sell "empanadas" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empanada https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empanada). Even if is a very good developer. Also, here we become "full-stack" just because that is what is need to survive.. BTW: http://giveupinternet.com/2009/01/09/look-im-a-programmer-i-have-no-money-and-no-life-comic/ http://giveupinternet.com/2009/01/09/look-im-a-programmer-i-...
marincounty 13y ago
I don't understand the server part? Is he just talking about using FileZilla, or learning to program Sql? Don't most programers know how to set up a server? I'm not being mean--just curious. One other question, I'm assuming most web Coders know java, ROR and django--not just html and css?

16 points by uladzislau 13y ago

smokestack 13y ago

This is complete nonsense.

T-A 13y ago
The clan precipice [1] awaiting at 35 bugged me a little. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%84ttestupa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%84ttestupa
jamesaguilar 13y ago
Yes. For a few reasons. 1. Sometimes it's worth it to do something that's not your favorite for a bit of income. If you have the tenacity to become good at coding despite not finding it thrilling, it is one of the more interesting, safer, and lucrative careers out there. 1.a. You don't have to be lucky to get a job coding. There is almost unlimited demand for solid people. Not brilliant people. Just being good and even reasonably likable is enough to get almost certain continuous employment. 2. "You have to find something else to do at 35." Give. Me. A. Break. Ageism is real, but it's not going to start hindering you this early. 3. Learn to run a server. What? This is why sysadmins are at the top of the software corporate food chain, right? And, don't get me wrong, I mean no offense to my talented sysadmin colleagues, but you'd have to be blind and deaf and insensate to belief they are "ruling the world" compared to software engineers in any meaningful sense of the phrase. Maybe they should be, but if we observe reality, software engineers are better compensated, work easier hours, and have a much easier time making their way into management.
- colanderman 13y ago
  Ageism is real, but it's not going to start hindering you this early. Agreed; at least, where I am, if I were simply 10 years older (putting me over 35), I'd be making twice what I am now. Certainly not looking for a job.

negamax 13y ago

tldr: If you like programming only then chose it as a career.

zenbowman 13y ago

It's useful even if you don't like it. Whether you work in finance, physics, or a non-computer related engineering profession, you'll be a lot better at your profession if you can code. There's a difference between building large scale systems versus doing a little exploratory scripting with Python and SQL. For the former, a CS degree is very helpful and for most people, necessary. The latter, on the other hand, is what will benefit the average non-professional programmer.

jere 13y ago

>Of course most people who code, if they make any money at all, make a modest living. The median software developer in the US makes $85,000/year. I guess you could call this modest, but I wouldn't. It's 50% more than median US household makes. >If you want power, and I've said this many times -- rather than learn to code -- first learn to run a server. That's real power. I'm really struggling with this one. That would seem to make you less rich and powerful than a programmer.

analyst74 13y ago
Comparing with median household is quite modest, when you are talking about money and power.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
mamcx 13y ago
Probably only true in some countries/cities. In latin america, for example, is a low pay job. The joke here is that we do it for the love, because the day we want money then is better to sell "empanadas" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empanada https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empanada). Even if is a very good developer. Also, here we become "full-stack" just because that is what is need to survive.. BTW: http://giveupinternet.com/2009/01/09/look-im-a-programmer-i-have-no-money-and-no-life-comic/ http://giveupinternet.com/2009/01/09/look-im-a-programmer-i-...

marincounty 13y ago

I don't understand the server part? Is he just talking about using FileZilla, or learning to program Sql? Don't most programers know how to set up a server? I'm not being mean--just curious. One other question, I'm assuming most web Coders know java, ROR and django--not just html and css?