Computer Programmer   Current Rating: (3.03)     # of Ratings: 29       Click HERE to share your opinion See More Occupations

1. Moosekarloff , on 7/22/2003 3:59:00 PM, said:      There's too many of these clowns knocking around already: we don't need anymore. Most of them who are taking up valuable space in the world are pretty mediocre, yet the ones who were lucky enough to get in on the ground floor of this Black Box Bill of Goods were given The Keys to the Kingdom by the corporate Powers That Be about a decade ago. They basked in attention, were financially overcompensated and pretty much called the shots for quite some time until the business world came to the realization that we're suffering from gross overcapacity. Business types also discovered that with all this time, money and effort expended toward re-engineering, retraining, upgrading, etc., that we aren't dramatically more productive in the office than we were 20 years ago. Too much of our business resources were squandered by merely trying to keep up with the rapidly developing product and not enough functional synergy was achieved because the hardware and software didn't stay in one place long enough for people to figure out cogent, efficient and truly useful business applications to any significant degree. Computers in the office also had a negative effect on productivity in that people's work became less precise, because one could cover one's tracks in many ways, fairly easily, by the mere merit of computer speed and relative efficiency. The fact that the first generation of business activity related to the Internet turned out largely to be a bust didn't help either. And people in general began to realize the tyranny of technology and began to resent it, lost patience with it, began to think that it was more of a hassle than it was worth. The end result is that thousands of these guys and gals are now, in a soft economy that gave their industry its first severe setback ever, sleeping on the couches in their parents' rumpus rooms and dreaming of those plentiful $175K jobs in their field that used to be out there, but no more. Off-the-shelf software generated by the handful of giant companies that dominate the industry, and the few smaller players in specialty niches, don't require the amount of tweaking that was commonplace years ago, so there's an additional reason why there's a diminished demand for programmers. Compounding this negative trend is the fact that the Russians and Indians, both of which have long, proud, accomplished traditions in programming, are happily willing to work for 1/3 the money U.S. programmers need just to make ends meet. Once again, another conservative myth, one among many, punctuated, discredited and defeated: Competition Is Good. Well, the way the U.S. software industry is set up, competition is virtually non-existent, and for the schmucks who attached themselves to the tail of the kite of the programming industry, foreign competition is ending countless careers long before talented people in this country are even hitting their prime. So, don't go into programming: you'll have a more stable and enduring career as a plumber...   (2 people found this comment helpful, 3 did not)

2. JimmyInAtlanta , on 7/12/2003 1:46:00 PM, said: If you're under 30, this is a good career to get into. It requires long hours, overtime, lots of caffeine, deadlines, lots of frustration, and attention to detail. Considering the work, the pay is just o-k, and I think the dotcom implosion and India have crippled this industry for good. It also requires dealing with third-party files to do anything REALLY fun. And if you really want to be creative and start building your own systems, you'll need advanced schooling / books / training. All in all, you might want to settle on a career that offers more bang. The hours and pressure are equivalent to being a lawyer - you might as well just do that.   (1 people found this comment helpful, 1 did not)

3. Andrew Scott , on 7/8/2003 4:39:00 PM, said:      Most programmers truly enjoy their jobs. The ones that don't often have to deal with unpleasant systems environments or might not have the aptitude or support to be successful. Surprisingly, actual code writing can be just a small part of a variety of tasks. I highly recommend this career to anyone who has a demonstrated knack for handling computers.   (2 people found this comment helpful, 0 did not)

4. Flano , on 1/2/2001 12:12:00 PM, said: I'm studying Computers in college and the rest of my life looks very borring!!   (2 people found this comment helpful, 4 did not)

5. darrylb , on 12/22/2000 6:09:00 PM, said: Great jobs --- good pay --- bad deadlines =(   (1 people found this comment helpful, 1 did not)

6. Drummer4Jesus , on 12/21/2000 9:46:00 PM, said:      My hobby and my life. True programming is Art, and is acheived by very few. Anyone can put crayon to paper....but when you can put crayon to paper and rival the Mona Lisa....that's talent.   (2 people found this comment helpful, 1 did not)

7. Wiggum , on 12/20/2000 3:57:00 PM, said:      Seems like a great profession. I used to program when I was a teenager, and I really enjoyed it - the logic, the intellectual challenge, the surprising room for creativity... And these days anyone with quality computer skills is in such high demand that they don't have to look very far to find a high-paying job. At the same time, programming can be really, really frustrating, and I think people tend to pigeonhole programmers as "tech guys" and don't give them opportunities to grow in other areas (although, to be fair, lots of tech guys just love programming and don't have any interest in growing in other areas).   (5 people found this comment helpful, 1 did not)

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