Comments on: 10 Things About Computer Programming You May Not Agree With

By: Nancy

Nancy — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:57:06 +0000

I have to agree with Jared about the Peter Principle.. In all my years as a programmer, the majority of people who gravitate to management are the unskilled lackies who couldn't cut it as programmers..

The most irritating thing about that is they earn more money than the programmers and do their best to keep you under their thumb..

Yet, very few skilled programmers want to make the shift to management because they know when push comes to shove (and times get tough), they'll have their jobs long after the administrators because the programmers have hard core job skills (that are hard to find), something the administrators are severely lacking in.

Plus, the fact that no self respecting programmer could ever envision themself (or want to be) a pointy haired manager. There's no respect in that.

Most programmers I know, view the management types as constantly going out of their way to "make work" for themselves. I'd rather have a job (anyday) that I really enjoy. Plus, there's always plenty of fun, challenging programming work to do..

By: Bruce de la Vega

Bruce de la Vega — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:14:11 +0000

The trouble with DB design and admin is that far too much of it these days is not for legitimate purposes but for the aim of privacy violation.

By: Don Burleson

Don Burleson — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:23:28 +0000

>> Sometimes the management at company wants to get rid of Sr. technical folk, as they are perceived as being overpaid.

Good point. It's management myopia. A good technical person in their 40's will easily earn double what a kid fresh from college will demand.

Are they twice as productive? I think a senior technician can be 10x faster, but many managers disagree . . . .

By: Jared

Jared — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 05:16:42 +0000

No, not usually underpaid.

Sometimes the management at company wants to get rid of Sr. technical folk, as they are perceived as being overpaid.

Never mind that they have a vast store of knowledge about how things work, and cannot actually be replaced. At least not with an equivalent.

By: Jalaj

Jalaj — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 04:49:23 +0000

@Jared – Your comment made me feel better. If old technicals are not underpaid I would always like to remain technical.

By: Jared

Jared — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 18:09:40 +0000

Regarding the need to move "up" to management:

Sorry, there are far too many cases of very competent technical people that do not move to management, and have no desire to so. They remain quite valuable far past 50 years of age.

I think the Peter principle probably comes into play here. That is, the less competent technical folks move into management. The really competent technical folk have the option of staying technical.

No argument indeed.

By: Jalaj

Jalaj — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 05:20:59 +0000

Computer programmers face the need to move up to management or likely wind up as underemployed fifty-year-olds, only suitable for lower paying IT jobs.

this is something that needs no arguement.

By: Eddie Awad

Eddie Awad — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 23:55:44 +0000

When I moved the blog/database to my current web host, the â€œ started to show up in place of (some) quotation marks. I have not yet been able to correct it.

By: joel garry

joel garry — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 23:44:52 +0000

â€œSurvey showsâ€

I just pasted that in from comment #9, I see an a with a circumflex, Euro sign, œthel, Survey shows, another a circumflex. Euro, then a box. Is something wrong with the page characterset? It used to look ok.

By: AnnR

AnnR — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 20:42:12 +0000

That was kind of depressing!

I'd add that the last several doctors I've seen have been foreigners.

I have quite figured out about DBAs, whenever I ask a question they're never very helpful.

I think the unsaid thing is that it's very gratifying to get your stuff to work and to have other people use it.