What is a programmer's life like?

[Devin Holdcraft]

Are you a programmer or not, if no, what do you think about them? if yes how is your personal life, family life, friends, work environment and everything that you can think that a programmer often does throughout the day?

 

[Rob Whisonant]

I have been a programmer since about 1973 or so. My life has been about the same as anyone elses. The one thing I do enjoy is that I can work from anyplace that I want. I do a lot of my work at the beach on a laptop.

When I am coding a major program or chasing down bugs and find them, I do feel a since of accomplishment. But other professions can have the same feelings.

So bottom line. I enjoy what I do but it's nothing really special when compared to what other do in their professions.

 

[EpicGlobalWeb]

It's terrible. I have no friends. My only satisfaction comes from solving complex math equations on large windows or glass in black permanent marker. I have no clue how to talk to people and am so desperate for affection that I developed the world's first female robot. Her name is Lilly and I can turn her on at the type of a prompt. She runs on Linux. But even she is tired of me and threatens to shut down because I play World of Warcraft too much. I've developed gout because I only eat pizza rolls and drink Mountain Dew.

Also when I walk around the street (at night only because the sun rays will destroy my pale skin) I see the whole world in down-streaming green crypto-text.

No just kidding, it's cool though. I really enjoy programming because it changes a lot and keeps my mind busy. I like that it's a high-demand skill and can do things most people can't or don't have the patience for. Been programming since I was 12 (ActionScript baby!) and married since 22. 7 kids. Nice house. I probably talk more than most programmers.

Old-timers like Rob are the cool programmers. Us younglings only know today's cool jQuery stuff. Rob knows about that STOP RUN LINE 3 COUT << "HELLO WORLD" GO TO LINE 3 stuff on Commadore 64's

 

[Mike001]

Rob, I think Epic is making fun of us... old timers.

Although I did like the story of his robot. There were times in the past I could have used a robot to talk to as most of my friends thought I was a little quirky, locking myself in a room to figure out a bug that was driving me crazy. But I found it and eventually, after way too many night chasing the phantoms, the code actually worked. I have said that way too many times in my life.

I have to agree with the overall context of the discussion. Life has been pretty normal for me also. Although the ability to take my laptop and work from wherever I want to work has been a definite advantage. It is nice to be able to get away from the normal routine and establish a new normal routine wherever I happen to be. I would not trade that for any desk job anymore. Plus being your own boss is kind of nice also.

Moving into teaching has also allowed me to grow not only in my own skill sets but to see the impact I have on my students. It is kind of cool to watch them begin with little to no knowledge of programming and in a few short years have built the skill set for a career. I really enjoy it and have learned as much from my students as they have from me.

But yeah, other than most of us are a little introverted and definitely have A type personalities I think that we have a pretty normal life as compared to most.

 

[Rob Whisonant]

Rob Whisonant

We may just have to setup an endless loop and catch him in it.

 

[EpicGlobalWeb]

Mike, as a successful business owner, I would argue that you aren't all that introverted because clearly you've done your fair share of selling to people with a staff of 25! But I hear you about the bugs. My wife would come into my office sometimes and ask me what I was so mad about. And I would say, "BECAUSE OF THE ***DAMN PARSE ERROR SHARRIE THAT'S WHY!" LOL! And it usually ends up being a missing semi-colon somewhere. =/

Rob please don't loopify me. You'll force another pregnancy and marriage.

 

[Mike001]

Mike001

That is just too funny. And oh I hate infinite loops. I have seen my fair share and its really bad when you are not even certain what loop it is in........

Semi-colons, you mean we are suppose to use those at the end of our code lines..... I never knew that, maybe that is why none of my stuff works.

 

[EpicGlobalWeb]

See what I mean? What is my problem with details!

Talking about this >>> ; <<< not this >>> : <<<

My first programming instructor had us use Raptor to write out the psudocode first with it, then translate it into Python. But Mike be honest do you still pseudocode anymore?

 

[Mike001]

Actually I still do psuedocode for some of my customers. There are some pretty old systems out there that are still working and going strong believe it or not.

As a programmer you know how important "Attention To Detail" is.......

The details will get us everytime.

 

[EpicGlobalWeb]

Yes I do. That's why I do more sales now

 

[juanmarcuz]

Programmers life. Been through that. I still wonder how did I able to write all those codes. Talking about functions and sub-routines under sub-routines with multiple arrays. The endless loops and if and what if's. Programmers can sit all day typing codes. If you try to look at those lines, point a word and ask them what it is all about, they could tell you its functions, and the reason why it is there. Thousands of lines of codes and they can find the tiny bug, even if it is just a missing ( a semicolon.

 

[wapaks]

Being a programmer is a privilege, why I say that? because being a programmer is terrible, how can you imagine that you're looking only like these <, >, =, =!, ;, variable and so on and your life will center that. Being a good programmer you must have courage, good problem and analytical skill and determination to solve more complex problem.