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How do you automate the writing of a script that copies data across 5 servers? Or an Excel macro for some business thing? Or porting an app to another platform

How do you automate the writing of a script that copies data across 5 servers? Or an Excel macro for some business thing? Or porting an app to another platform You need developers for many things that cannot be automated.

daleharvey 17y ago
or you just need smarter programs I mean, I get the point, but making mundane tasks easy to do or removing the need to do them at all is kinda what we do as programmers.
- thenduks 17y ago
  It's what we do as passionate programmers who enjoy doing it. To 'the rest' it's just a job that ends every day at 5pm. In other words, to the 'career programmer' automating something like the examples given is simply lowering your job security.
  - coliveira 17y ago
    I always laugh at people who talk about the job security in writing bad code. The most secure job is for the one person that knows what he/she is doing, because they will find another one easily.
    - deleted 17y ago
      [deleted]
timwiseman 17y ago
The answer is often by answering a higher level problem. For instance, writing a script that copies data across 5 servers with no major issues in the way is boring, but writing a script that synchronizing data across an arbitrary number of servers can be hard, interesting, and more valuable. When it is done, just hand it to the admin to apply to those particular 5 servers. Simple macros are often done by business power users instead of developers, but if it is something complicated then it is complicated and interesting. As for porting an app, there is some work on automating that depending on what the source and destination platforms are. The proper choice of language can minimize the work in the first place, and then you can build (or buy) tools to help automate at least large portions of the automation. Also, keep in mind there is a difference between knowingly hiring "bad programmers" and hiring "junior programmers." Bad programmers as the term seems to be used in this thread have no intention of improving, are good enough to get the job done eventually, but make no outside efforts. "Junior programmers" are often willing to do the boring stuff when they get started, but then they get better. You may have to deal with the fact they will want either promotion or to change companies in the near future, but in the meantime you get to benefit from the fact that they are constantly improving and using their own resources to do that.
rsheridan6 17y ago
Strong AI?

daleharvey 17y ago

or you just need smarter programs I mean, I get the point, but making mundane tasks easy to do or removing the need to do them at all is kinda what we do as programmers.

thenduks 17y ago
It's what we do as passionate programmers who enjoy doing it. To 'the rest' it's just a job that ends every day at 5pm. In other words, to the 'career programmer' automating something like the examples given is simply lowering your job security.
- coliveira 17y ago
  I always laugh at people who talk about the job security in writing bad code. The most secure job is for the one person that knows what he/she is doing, because they will find another one easily.
  - deleted 17y ago
    [deleted]

timwiseman 17y ago

The answer is often by answering a higher level problem. For instance, writing a script that copies data across 5 servers with no major issues in the way is boring, but writing a script that synchronizing data across an arbitrary number of servers can be hard, interesting, and more valuable. When it is done, just hand it to the admin to apply to those particular 5 servers. Simple macros are often done by business power users instead of developers, but if it is something complicated then it is complicated and interesting. As for porting an app, there is some work on automating that depending on what the source and destination platforms are. The proper choice of language can minimize the work in the first place, and then you can build (or buy) tools to help automate at least large portions of the automation. Also, keep in mind there is a difference between knowingly hiring "bad programmers" and hiring "junior programmers." Bad programmers as the term seems to be used in this thread have no intention of improving, are good enough to get the job done eventually, but make no outside efforts. "Junior programmers" are often willing to do the boring stuff when they get started, but then they get better. You may have to deal with the fact they will want either promotion or to change companies in the near future, but in the meantime you get to benefit from the fact that they are constantly improving and using their own resources to do that.

rsheridan6 17y ago

Strong AI?