

Lucky to be a Programmer - edw519
http://duartes.org/gustavo/blog/post/lucky-to-be-a-programmer

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swombat
Some evenings, my girlfriend comes back home to find me stuck to my computer,
and she asks "What are we doing tonight?" and I answer "well... I'd kind of
like to work... but I'll spend the evening with you _meek smile_ "

Surprisingly, she's still with me. I think it's mostly because I smell nice.

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michaelneale
Despite the whining, it is a great thing to do.

Some days.

Other days you want to give it all up (usually just before a breakthrough
which provides the rush that keeps you working for the next breakthrough).

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khafra
Astonishingly accurate--I think programmers self-select that way, I've
historically been not quite smart enough to get that next breakthrough before
giving up, so I'm not a programmer, despite several attempts.

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michaelneale
Its a horrible depressing feeling. You feel worthless, sometimes angry, always
frustrated. But there is always a tipping point, and the rush is incredible.
You feel 8 feet tall, the sun shines brighter, food tastes better.

Either that or I have mild bipolar ;)

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mrtron
Great article, I absolutely agree. I grew up in a farming community, and I
worked some of the worst jobs imaginable in my youth. When I ever get angry
with software I consider I am getting paid 10 times the amount to challenge
myself intellectually.

It really is quite humbling.

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hello_moto
It's lucky to be a [enter profession] if you can appreciate it and accept it.

Comparing with other fields and thinking that ours is better is like saying
one religion is better than another. Which some people argue it is how we
should be thinking anyway. Because if other fields/religions are better/more
correct, then why are we in this field/religion.

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pfedor
The existence and abundance of free/open-source software seems to indicate
that programming is different. You don't often hear about lawyers or MBAs or
doctors or chemists or carpenters or even writers and musicians who happily
work without pay just for the fun of it and give away the results of their
work.

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pmjordan
Well, I don't think that's necessarily true.

Writers and musicians: have you been reading the internet at all lately?

Doctors, lawyers: these activities necessarily involve working on/with someone
and involve a massive amount of trust due to the amount of responsibility
involved. This is why there are necessary qualifications before you can call
yourself a doctor or a lawyer. Once you have those qualifications, it's not so
hard to find someone to pay you for it, although even then people do it for
free. (aid work, pro bono legal work)

Carpenters: you're way off. I know fully trained carpenters whose main job is
something else and they do carpentry in their spare time. Don't forget the
results of that labour aren't as readily duplicated as anything in purely
digital form, so visibility isn't going to be anywhere near as high. You can't
just upload that chair to WoodForge.

Chemists (or any "hard" science): uhhh, _grad school_?

MBA: yeah, you got me on that one :)

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edw519
_...these programming blitzkriegs are some of my favorite periods in life.
Under the right conditions, writing software is so intensely pleasurable it
should be illegal._

Couldn't have said it better myself.

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ideamonk
I like the End of first para! its a killer for me and my friends!

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sutro
Cliffs Notes version: "I like programming."

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time_management
Great post. I plus-voted you.

