Im Not a Programmer

I'm not quite sure how I'm meant to feel about this. Some of the things on this list are truly trivial: I don't care if you use a mouse. I don't like to use one, but it's not because I'm a programmer.

Other things on the list are kind of unfortunate. "I don't know how to use awk". I mean, that's totally fine. Lots of people don't. I kind of feel like this is a celebration of ignorance. You don't have to know awk to be a programmer, but awk is useful (even if you aren't a programmer)!

I'm not sure if the author is working through their own imposter syndrome and trying to feel better about themself, or if they are admonishing others who value things that they don't value. I mean it's both OK that you don't know CSS as a front end developer and OK if you think that CSS is important to know as a front end developer (it really is, by the way ;-) ). You don't go from knowing nothing to knowing everything in a day. Where you are is where you are and there is nothing to apologise for. However it's important not to plant yourself there and say "I'm alright Jack. I don't have to go any further. All this other stuff is not important", because some of it is (or can be, if you want it to be).

Edit: grammar and clarity

I think this is a ... bad take? Ambiguous and confusing(ed)? I mean - I guess there are people who believe in some stereotype of "real programmers", but this post kind of buys into this stereotype by arguing with it, and then does it in a way to comes of as ... lazy and envious? In this post - some points are straw-man/stereotype and some seem ... to deny worthiness of in-depth expertise, skill and experience.

I'd compare with ...

I like playing soccer, but I'm nowhere near skills of even minor-minor-league or even a skilled amateur, and there might be people that would totally make fun of me if I tried to describe myself as "a soccer player", but it doesn't make me bitter, or discouraged. I just do what I can, it works for me and I feel OK about it. I can still appreciate skills of people better than me and don't deny that they are useful and great to have, and in a way I wish I could have them, but I know it's just will not happen, not because I'm somehow worse human being, but because I have invested my time into different things and my priorities/predispositions are different.

It's unfortunate that I've found it on HN - because it will get a lot of negative publicity, and it seems the author might need actually some positive encouragement?

Honestly, the negativity in the comments so far has me flummoxed. What I see is a person, in a development role, posting about how they have been made to feel inadequate or unsuitable for their role, because they don't know things that aren't necessary for said role.

If someone is succeeding, who cares whether they know Awk? If someone is doing the job and getting paid, who is anyone to make them feel inadequate, call them whiny, etc. What do we gain, both as people and as a community, for snubbing people who post things like this?

Note that I didn't mention whether those things would make them better at their role. They probably would, but it matters less than the bulk of the comments seem to think.

I can't understand why this upsets me.. I mean, this is obviously a person not interested in computers, and, that's really okay. But somehow, I'm left upset, maybe by the choice of ignorance? Maybe I feel offended by this person not caring how to learn the basics..

And, that's entirely my problem.. If they're fine with it, then that's all that should matter.

Damn, I was 13 years old when I ran my first webserver, I started by installing the OS and configuring Apache (got a lot of help on IRC) and I remember having to find a place, physically, to put it.. I was eventually allowed to place it in a room in the school, they arranged a static IP, and the trade was that they could also use it for hosting some image files.. I got my first domain back then, had to fax forms, on paper, with signatures, in ink, to hostmaster :D

Anyway, I guess, I'm offended because the things this person does not find interesting enough to learn, is the stuff that got me hooked.. Even in recent times, when, a few years ago, I discovered the awesomeness that is JQ.. And this person, they've not bothered to learn it, even though it's so damn good and can do so much for them... Maybe I'm annoyed on their behalf.. But I've no right.

If they're happy, that's all that matters, and all I can do is rant, and wish the world was more like I wanted it. ;-)

Maybe I'm upset because this person tells me that they don't care enough to learn all the things I think are cool and that people should learn, because I like them.. My problem, entirely.

I think this is exactly the difference between a programmer and a software engineer. A (successful) software engineer should understand how memory works, what a server is, how to plan a project and predict the obstacles, and a lot of other stuff said in the article.

But if you don't wanna bother with that, and just want to make some cool websites, that's totally fine. You are still definitely a programmer, just not a software engineer.

Ohh and in most cases, don't expect to be paid like a software engineer.

If anyone took a second to read any of this lady's other content, she seems like quite the special flower. Not saying that I disagree with her that you don't need to know everything to be a programmer but she also blatantly lies in the article.

I poked through her github and she definitely knows how to write css. Articles like this make people feel alright with complacency, it's fine to be an okay or new programmer but you should always be trying to improve what you are doing.

Maybe this is just one of the majority of journal entries in the world that aren't particularly interesting. The author was feeling insecure about some things and decided to write them down. It just so happens her journal is public. There wasn't a lot of thought or research put into this, it's just a feelings dump that reflects her mood at the time. Maybe she's a capable developer that just feels disconnected from the rest of the huge world of software and is hard on herself sometimes. Maybe she does like learning new things and getting better at her job. Maybe she has other interests outside of development, and that's fine too. Her company pays her to stick around and do work, and it's been working out for them. Overall, I think some of the comments are overly harsh and judgmental -- not that they're not welcome, but let's be thoughtful.

Define 'Real programmers™'. I couldn't care less of what 'Real programmers™' use. Use what ever you want to get the work done quicker, to generate more cash that pays everyone's bills on time. So to me, whatever these Real programmers™ use is irrelevant unless it makes the most cash.

But if your choice of experimental tools on your workstation are affecting the quality of the work negatively or if you're too busy for weeks configuring your dotfiles to work with that shiny editor, then I would just give you a MacBook Pro or just get rid of you.

Nobody got fired for buying Apple computers.

In fairness, we are all just learning. I've been at this a long time and a lot of this comes down to personal choices and using the right tools to be productive in your environment.

Mouse or no mouse? your call. RTFM? your call. Plan or no plan, your call (although if someone else is paying the bills then this may not be your choice).

There is no right or wrong way, its whatever helps you be productive. If we all followed everyone else we would still be flicking switches on an Altair. So if everyone around you wants to wear a hat while they code, that's cool but it does not mean you need to. Fashion is for fools.

List as a whole is already summarized in other comments, but one item attracted my attention because it is commonly held attitude: many programmers express scorn for shell scripting and bash in particular (probably the only shell they heard about).

As a result we have a vicious cycle: programmers refuse to learn shell scripting. When they have to write a shell script they produce a crappy one. Problems caused by badly written shell scripts only confirm their belief, that the shell scripting should not exists.

She lists CSS on the first line of her CV. I imagine her whiney, troll of a post will really help in her next job search.

The definitive last word on what real programmers do: https://xkcd.com/378/

Well, you're not a very experienced programmer I'll give you that. This list is trivial for the most part. Please, learn to set up a server.

Thanks for the honesty. I find people who understand their own failings interesting.

>I’m just a web developer.

I am very sorry; that is not forgivable :-)

Another kid got PC for Christmas wow.

(The article started fairly reasonable laughing off some cliches about mac and mouse and whatnot, but when I got to the part of "I don't like planning" or "What is server" or lots of other _super_basic_ stuff it became clear that it is just a celebration of ignorance: she doesn't know some stuff and she is proud of it. "I don't like reading" - after these words I decided that either she is a murky troll or just sadly proud-to-be-dumb person.)

This whiny blog post is obviously in reference to criticisms or comments received during her career by gatekeeping nerds.

Get over it--every field has gatekeepers. Have you ever, as a casual football fan, tried to get a word in edgewise with armchair NFL coaches?

Point being: they exist, and you don't need to write a self-flagellating blog post because you're tired of the musings of aspie "tech bros."