Hacker News Reader

Comment by TruthSHIFT | Hacker News Reader

I have some news for you. You are a programmer.

If doing that stuff over about 4 or 5 years or so makes me a programmer, then I'm also a carpenter, because I've put together a few pieces of furniture over the same span.

My personal definition is that a programmer is someone who can write a computer program, and a developer is someone who writes computer programs for money. So you're a programmer, but not a developer. In the same way that you might be called a woodworker, but not a carpenter.

I like to think that a 'developer' or 'software engineer' is someone who can program not to just make it work, but addresses other concerns as well.

You're a programmer and carpenter. It doesn't have to be either/or.

I must say your coding achievements are impressive (great utility). Any other skills you haven't mentioned yet? :)

Well mostly I draw comics. In Adobe Illustrator. I spent four and a half years drawing a story about a robot lady dragged outside of reality by her ex-boyfriend: http://egypt.urnash.com/rita

There's other art stuff lurking around my site, too: http://egypt.urnash.com

A programmer is to a woodworker what a software engineer is to a carpenter.

You are a programmer, and a woodworker.

Difference is, you're not a programmer professionally. "Carpenter" strictly implies a profession--I think. Native English speakers feel free to correct me :)

In my head, "carpenter" just has a different connotation. But it's not very clear-cut. I used to DJ a lot at parties during my university years, was I "a DJ"? I prepare dinner for 8-10 guests regularly, am I "a cook"?

It kind of depends, I guess. I've drawn a large number of cartoons in my life, but (with few exceptions) never sold them for money. I wouldn't call myself a cartoonist (mainly because I don't do it as much recently), but I would definitely not call myself "not a cartoonist" :) That would be selling myself short :)

I'm not a programmer professionally either. But then, I do have a CS degree, and I still write code almost daily. I'm a programmer.

I also generally don't feel that the fact if you do something professionally (for money) should really count as "what you do" (identity, in a sense), as this comic illustrates: http://i.imgur.com/MNJzpqL.jpg (I didn't draw this, btw)

I was wondering who he thinks a programmer is?

She.

A programmer is someone who can program a computer, and chooses to call themselves a programmer. If absolutely nobody is willing to pay them to do so then maybe they're lying when they call themselves one.

If you ask me what I do, I'm not gonna say "I program computers", I'm gonna say "I draw comics and stuff". Because that's what I spend my work life doing. And occasionally I need to do some tedious task, and find a way to automate it, because I spent enough time in my youth fooling around with programming that I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty now and then.

I would call that a professional programmer.

Like, you can be a swimmer, or you can be a professional swimmer. You have to be a painter a long time before you sell your stuff.

Money is as much a corrupting influence as it is a validator of talent and a correlate to time spent.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com