PGOETZ@LOYVAX.BITNET (03/08/89)
I have a question for all of the hackers out there - the folks who
have dedicated years to playing with the machine, learning its ins and outs,
reading & writing code for fun &/or profit.
Do you think the computer takes more than it gives? That is, after
years of dedication, was it worth it? Does the understanding, accomplishment,
peer approval, job skills, money, etc., outweigh the frustration, lost
time, unrewarded effort on unused programs, rejections by publishers, nerd
image, lost social opportunities, alienation from the computer ignorant, etc?
This entails discussion of what you would consider success in
programming, i.e. distributing a program under a major label, having a monthly
column in a major magazine, being a nationally respected programmer / computer
scientist, making more than $50,000 a year, whatever.
Are those programmers who get the rewards they deserve in the majority
or the minority? I'm thinking mainly of the freelancer who sits at home
writing what he wants to write, not the VAX programmer who writes inventory
routines for Ford. What does he want, & what are his chances of getting it?
Does it depend on skill, dedication, connections, or just luck?
I know of a lot of people who just haven't gotten what they deserve.
Dave Lyons made no money from Davex. Bob Sander-Cederlof poured his soul into
Apple Assembly Line for years, and displayed small-RAM programming genius, yet
couldn't get enough subscribers to sustain profitable publication. There's
also that guy who wrote the Apple version of Defender and was prevented from
selling it by Atari (a great program, if you've seen it). Or remember the kid
who wrote the Apple ][ emulator for the Atari, but was deterred from selling
it by Atari, which was working on its own emulator? (They told him that their
monetary resources would more than compensate for any lack of moral or legal
grounds in case of a lawsuit.) And many programmers (including myself) have
written programs in-house which after much work were killed by company
politics, or by marketing, or for economic reasons. Even if you're paid,
it hurts when no one ever uses your program.
I was lured into computer programming at least partly by the media's
Horatio Alger presentation of programming. Programming masters were bound to
sell thousands of copies of their programs to grateful users if they just put
in the effort, eventually founding their own companies and being interviewed
in Softalk. Well, it just ain't so. After 11 years, I'm a bit disillusioned.
Programming seems a harsh mistress who promises more than she delivers.
Any opinions? If you don't want to reply to the list, write directly.
Phil Goetz
PGOETZ@LOYVAX.bitnet
4023 Huckleberry Row
Ellicott City, MD 21043
(301) 532-8240wombat@claris.com (Scott Lindsey) (03/09/89)
From article <8903080648.aa02724@SMOKE.BRL.MIL>, by PGOETZ@LOYVAX.BITNET: > Do you think the computer takes more than it gives? That is, after > years of dedication, was it worth it? Does the understanding, accomplishment, > peer approval, job skills, money, etc., outweigh the frustration, lost > time, unrewarded effort on unused programs, rejections by publishers, nerd > image, lost social opportunities, alienation from the computer ignorant, etc? > This entails discussion of what you would consider success in > programming, i.e. distributing a program under a major label, having a monthly > column in a major magazine, being a nationally respected programmer / computer > scientist, making more than $50,000 a year, whatever. Many programmers, especially those who would continue to consider themselves hackers in these days of misbegotten vocabulary (hacker == criminal), are unconcerned with "success" as a programmer except as it relates to day to day survival. They (we) do it as a job because it gives them something mentally challenging to do. And: they're amazed that they can get paid to play on the computer. > I was lured into computer programming at least partly by the media's > Horatio Alger presentation of programming. Programming masters were bound to > sell thousands of copies of their programs to grateful users if they just put > in the effort, eventually founding their own companies and being interviewed > in Softalk. Well, it just ain't so. After 11 years, I'm a bit disillusioned. > Programming seems a harsh mistress who promises more than she delivers. > Any opinions? If you don't want to reply to the list, write directly. I was "lured" into programming by the sheer multitudinity (you know!) of what you can do with a computer. It happens to coincide with the most rapidly growing industry, and for that I'm grateful -- but not dependant. Fill in the blank. Programming is a(n) _______________________. -- Scott Lindsey | UUCP: {ames,apple,portal,sun,voder}!claris!wombat Product Development | Internet: wombat@claris.com | AppleLink: LINDSEY1 Claris Corp. | These are not the opinions of Claris, Apple, (415) 960-4070 | StyleWare, the author, or anyone else living or dead.
krazy@claris.com (Jeff Erickson) (03/09/89)
From article <8903080648.aa02724@SMOKE.BRL.MIL>, by PGOETZ@LOYVAX.BITNET: > > Do you think the computer takes more than it gives? That is, after > years of dedication, was it worth it? Does the understanding, accomplishment, > peer approval, job skills, money, etc., outweigh the frustration, lost > time, unrewarded effort on unused programs, rejections by publishers, nerd > image, lost social opportunities, alienation from the computer ignorant, etc? > This entails discussion of what you would consider success in > programming, i.e. distributing a program under a major label, having a monthly > column in a major magazine, being a nationally respected programmer / computer > scientist, making more than $50,000 a year, whatever. It's a good thing I get paid for what I do. Otherwise, I'd probably starve. I started programming because it looked challenging. I kept programming because it was FUN!! The programs I write on my own, I write mostly for myself, not for the money. This was true on the Apple II+ in high school, the VAX in college, the IIgs at StyleWare, and the Mac at Claris. "Success" is three things to me. First, the successful completion of whatever program I'm working on. Second, the lucky coincidence that I can get paid to do what I consider play. Third, having people come up to me and ask "Hey Jeff, how'd you do this?" and walk away later understanding my answer. There is some frustration at times. Programming is, among other things, an addiction (much like the Net :-)), and it can get in the way of other parts of my life. Since I do make money at it, I don't have complete freedom to work on what I want all the time. Deadlines are the worst invention since the bubonic plague. Having the tools I'm trying to work with break is horrible. But despite all this, most of the time it's worth it. Programming is a craft/art/science/trade/addiction/way of life/adventure/ skill/learning process/tool/foundation/trick/game/challenge/creative outlet/chance to play God/job/pain in the ass/hell of a lot of fun. -- Jeff Erickson \ Internet: krazy@claris.com AppleLink: Erickson4 Claris Corporation \ UUCP: {ames,apple,portal,sun,voder}!claris!krazy 415/960-2693 \________________________________________________________ ____________________/ "I'm so heppy I'm mizzabil!"
rdlanctot@instr.okanagan.bc.ca (Ryan Lanctot) (03/10/89)
Programming is a(n) ___good way to warp your mind___
Programming is a(n) ___good way to feel like you're doing something
creative when you really have no talent what-so-ever___
Programming is a(n) ___good way to keep from getting run over___
Ryan Lanctot
<rdlanctot@instr.okanagan.ba.ca>