When non-programmers write software

software is an interesting business, in that you don't have to ask anyone's permission, and there's no real way to know if someone is a real programmer, a fake programmer, or a non-programmer aside from looking at the code and applications they have written/created.

Does it make sense to speak of "non-programmers who write software?" In some ways, it seems like the act of writing software is exactly what makes a person a programmer.

I'm not trying to play games here - I do understand what the writer here is getting at. People who have no background in software, somehow muddling their way into an application, for better or for worse.

But after a while, that ballet dancer who wrote his own ticketing app, or that lawyer who wrote his own billing app,... they become programmers. Maybe bad ones, but programmers nonetheless.

There is an echo in the article of Christopher Alexander's view that architects -- professional house designers -- tend to generally make less functional choices in house design than people who design their own homes. The architect's goals may include a desire to produce something that looks stylish, but (s)he does not have to live in the result.

In the case of custom software development -- also home design -- the happy medium surely involves the professional working closely _with_ the client.

OTOH if you have sufficient skills and the time to combine both roles I say: Go ahead and enjoy the ride.

Pleasant article. It's easy to relate to the feeling of wonderment the non-programmers have, since, in a sense, on our first big project we're all non-programmers. I wish I could generate the amount of code I used to in those days.

The problem now isn't overcoming the language, or figuring out what to do, it's staying focused on what's really the same boring implementation you've been doing since the beginning. I know exactly what my next thousand lines of code are going to be. I just can't bring myself to sit down and type them out for hours on end.

on the other hand, this is actually good for the economy, in my opinion. It shows that programming is a skill that everyone, and I do mean everyone, should learn.

Maybe the most important part of the article for would be straight, single, male ycombinators is this:

"I mentioned by way of contrast that I am in the "software business." Now, I love what I do for a living, but really, generally speaking, the occupation does not bring me into contact with a lot of attractive and available young women. It is nothing like, say, being a photographer, a marketing or media exec, a fashion designer, a yoga instructor or a lifeguard. There are probably a hundred other such occupations. Better than all of them must be, "straight male ballet dancer" or running a dance company."

Maybe you should all be starting your own dance company instead of a software start up?

Yeah... I agree, you just don't want to get stuck cleaning up the mess afterwards. It's not rewarding work.