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The Programmer Identity Crisis

(hojberg.xyz)
270 points imasl42 | 2 comments | 21 Oct 25 16:47 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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greymalik ◴[21 Oct 25 17:55 UTC] No.45659146[source]▶
> One could only wonder why they became a programmer in the first place, given their seeming disinterest in coding.

To solve problems. Coding is the means to an end, not the end itself.

> careful configuration of our editor, tinkering with dot files, and dev environments

That may be fun for you, but it doesn’t add value. It’s accidental complexity that I am happy to delegate.

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1. whynotminot ◴[21 Oct 25 18:06 UTC] No.45659312[source]▶
I got a few paragraphs into this piece before rolling my eyes and putting it down.

I consider myself an engineer — a problem solver. Like you said, code is just the means to solve the problems put before me.

I’m just as content if solving the problem turns out to be a process change or user education instead of a code commit.

I have no fetish for my terminal window or IDE.

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2. NewsaHackO ◴[21 Oct 25 18:15 UTC] No.45659455[source]▶
The issue is that a lot of “programmers” think bike-shedding is the essence of programming. Fifty years ago, they would have been the ones saying that not using punch cards takes away from the art of programming, and then proudly showing off multiple intricate hole punchers they designed for different scenarios.

Good problem solvers... solve problems. The technological environment will never devalue their skills. It’s only those who rest on their laurels who have this issue.