Good programming is hard, and therefore rare

[expat]

I can't say this better than to quote in its entirety a post from "The Original Dinosaur" on the American "Open It Forum."

Machine code (1GL) was too hard for non-programmers, so we invented assemblers (2GL). Assembler was too hard, so we invented FORTRAN (engineers can now write their own programs) and COBOL (accountants can write and auditors can read) (3GL). 3GLs were too hard, so we invented non-procedural CODASYL databases and languages like RAMIS, SAS and FOCUS (4GL). Then SQL came along as a "better" 4GL. Special purpose tools like CROSSTAB were replaced by VisiCalc and the spreadsheet programs. Et cetera.

All these advances have made the programmer more effective. They have not made programming accessible to non-programmers.

The 2010 executive will fail to create a working application for the same reason his parents couldn't write COBOL programs - they none of them can develop and carry out a complete and correct plan to accomplish an objective. They will tell you they are "too busy". What they mean is that it is TOO HARD.

[sasguru]

I can't say this better than to quote in its entirety a post from "The Original Dinosaur" on the American "Open It Forum."

Machine code (1GL) was too hard for non-programmers, so we invented assemblers (2GL). Assembler was too hard, so we invented FORTRAN (engineers can now write their own programs) and COBOL (accountants can write and auditors can read) (3GL). 3GLs were too hard, so we invented non-procedural CODASYL databases and languages like RAMIS, SAS and FOCUS (4GL). Then SQL came along as a "better" 4GL. Special purpose tools like CROSSTAB were replaced by VisiCalc and the spreadsheet programs. Et cetera.

All these advances have made the programmer more effective. They have not made programming accessible to non-programmers.

The 2010 executive will fail to create a working application for the same reason his parents couldn't write COBOL programs - they none of them can develop and carry out a complete and correct plan to accomplish an objective. They will tell you they are "too busy". What they mean is that it is TOO HARD.

Absolutely right. And that's why the non-clever have invented terms such as "geek" and "nerd". It makes them feel better about their lower IQ.

[expat]

Absolutely right. And that's why the non-clever have invented terms such as "geek" and "nerd". It makes them feel better about their lower IQ.

And demeans us. Years of education and experience are made equivalent to some 13-year-old's hobby. I'm not a geek, I'm a professional.

[Troll]

If the Indians can do it then it must be easy...

[sasguru]

And demeans us. Years of education and experience are made equivalent to some 13-year-old's hobby. I'm not a geek, I'm a professional.

The demeaning is the whole point of it. It's basic human psychology - if you feel threatened by something, you try to negate it. Having said which, too many developers try their best to conform to the stereotype. It doesn't take much to have a shower every day, buy a smart suit, smile at people and be personable as well as be passionate about your technical skills.

[expat]

If the Indians can do it then it must be easy...

That's exactly the trouble, the reverse implication is taken as true: if it is so easy, then it might as well be cheap.

India is partly a smoke-screen. The main problem is that people look for it to be cheap, rather than done right.

My partner works for a firm of electrical contractors: I asked her the other night if there was a perceived threat to jobs and rates for their electricians (all of whom are in the 40% bracket). No, she said: they do have a decent-looking Polish CV or two to look at right now, but if they take them on it'll be at the same rate as UK electricians. They're looking for good workers and good work, not just lower costs.

But then, if they do bad work, it will be seen as that. In IT, bad work doesn't seem to cost the hirers their jobs.

[Jobberwacky]

And demeans us. Years of education and experience are made equivalent to some 13-year-old's hobby. I'm not a geek, I'm a professional.

And so are the slappers at King's Cross. Programming attracts the pedants, the loners, the social misfits, the losers, the unwashed, the anally retentive. They think that makes them clever, clever through complexity, like a car mechanic who thinks he is above his customers because he knows more about a very particular engine. But he isn't compared to the intellectual class of which I am representative. He is as thick as sh*t, and so are all of you.

[expat]

In the electricity industry and even more so in the gas industry, if you do bad work you can go to gaol...

Dijkstra said: knowing a programming language does not make you a programmer. Knowing how to think does that.

[expat]

What the feck does he know?

Doesn't even like GOTOs...

And doesn't believe in COMEFROMs.

[expat]

Plainly an idiot.

Just look at Pascal.

Blaise?