Don’t be a programmer
August 9th, 2007 - Jarkko
Don’t be a programmer
Wow. That’s harsh.
You can imagine my first reaction when I saw those four words in my blog statistics. Someone had actually found their way to this site by typing “Don’t be a programmer” in a search engine!
At first it felt like a joke (it is actually quite funny to see someone find a blog written by a programmer with a keyword like that, isn’t it?), but when I thought more about it, it started to make sense:
Don’t be a programmer!
Here’s what Dictionary.com tells us being a programmer means:
pro·gram·mer [proh-gram-er]
–noun1. a person who writes computer programs; a person who programs a device, esp. a computer.
2. a person who prepares program schedules, as for radio or television
3. a person who prepares instructional programsAlso, pro·gram·er.
And that’s it. There’s nothing about crafting a product to fill your customers’ needs. No single word about users and how they feel when using your product. No mention of designing your work. Nothing about choosing the best solution for the problem at hand.
A programmer writes computer programs.
Is that what you are doing now? Is it all that you want to be doing?
Think about your own work: Is writing code the only thing you do? Or could it be possible that you are not a programmer after all? I think that most of us who are being called programmers actually are not.
But who are we then?
What defines who we are is our focus. If you don’t care about anything else than your code, then you really are a programmer.
But software is about much more than just machine instructions.
It’s all about people.
A software developer is a person who concentrates on the people using the product, their needs and dreams. He talks to future users, acting as a mind reader figuring out if what they say they need is what they really need, and then creates a solution that meets these vague but ah-so-important requirements.
The solutions usually come in the form of computer software, but I don’t think that’s always necessary. The best solution can be sometimes be something as simple as buying a piece of paper. That’s a solution a programmer would never come up with.
Be open. Be curious. Listen to your customer and find the best solution for him. Don’t be a programmer.
That was a great closing to your post. Your customers are of the utmost importance, so if they want something from you, it’s best to give it to them.
sooooooooo true! thanks for the visit! come back soon, we subscribed hope you return the favor!
Hi mahdi! Thanks for subscribing :)
I’m still trying to figure out what your blog is about (big monkeys? ;) so maybe I should subscribe too. I guess it’s the best way to find out…
I like the title.
It is true that programming is not just about coding. But another dimension here is that who should become a programmer.
The more other important question is, for how long can you stay as a programmer (or more bluntly, how long they will keep you…)
My logic is:
if (you have high IQ)
if (you want to be rich)
Don’t be a programmer – There are so many other more rewarding careers
else
if (you don’t want to start learning from scratch every 4 years or so and you care about job titles, positions, Socially respected degrees or you want to have time outside work or a family or take care of the kids)
Don’t be a programmer – In the programming world, you work like a dog until you drop and titles mean nothing. You rarely get ahead since tech. changes every few years so much that you real value –> 0 by time
else
You may make it as a programmer for few years
else
You won’t make it for a long in this career…Don’t start it
:)