Coders becoming Assembly Line Workers?

[lumberjack]

Quite an interesting article that I read this morning. Based on the discussions regarding how to implement WPF and the use of XAML and Graphical Designers it leaves some fruit for thought. You can find the article
here.

Not sure if you need a LinkedIn account though...

Johan

[wriedmann]

Hi Johan,

thanks for sharing! (a LinkedIn account is not needed).

When it comes to coders/programmers or how you like to call them, there is a big difference between "basic" coders in large companies where people is coding only what others (analysts) have ordered. In these companies there are different sorts of programmers, but this is not a new development, I heard the first time from such an organisation more than 20 years ago.

Then you can show at a small company like ours: we are only 3 people, and everyone does his own projects (sometimes with help and contribution from others), but basically from the analysis to the programming, and keeps all contacts with the customers from the project start to the support. This limits of course the size of the projects, but our customers like it and we have only very limited organization costs.

And then there are other programmers where programming is not the main part of their work, but their work is nevertheless an important factor in their companies.

For the first group, I would agree about "assembly line workers", where people with basic knowledge can work.

For the other two groups of course the needed knowledge is higher, but IMHO this knowledge can be acquired working and not by school/University (in our company, the two heads - my wife and me - have no University degree).

Wolfgang

[lumberjack]

Hi Wolfgang,

Well I do agree with you 100%. However, from your postings in the Forums, I don't think you fit the typical blue collar coder. It is about identifying "repetitive" task (Editor drag and drop) and write smart solutions to eliminate having many coders doing mundane tasks.

Although I do have a degree, it is not IT related. Did two years of Computer Science as extra subject, but that was it. The difference was in those days not much of what was taught could be used in business solutions. Today in SA there is a clear distinction between Scientific and Business IT training.

My middle son is currently 2nd year BSc Computer Science, and I actually love the stuff he currently have to do for assignments, it make them think.

The last one I had a look at, he had to do something in the line of (C++ though):

Given:

Code: Select all

INTERFACE IQueue
  PROTECT items AS Stack<INT>
  METHOD EnQueue(i AS INT) AS VOID
  METHOD DeQueue() AS INT
END

Task: Write a Queue class implementing the above interface given. Write a test application that if Enqueue 1,2,3,4,5, the Dequeue will return the values in order 1,2,3,4,5

His first question was why they ask them to do something "stupid" like that? Storing a FIFO in a LIFO structure.

Well, my answer was. To make you think. In real life we not always given a blank sheet and an ideal situation. We sometimes inherit "bad code/database design" and have to make it work when new features are required. One of the reason why I do feel the small IT shops have an advantage. In the big corporate world we find many developers chasing money and hopping between companies, resulting in somebody else ending up with a mess to maintain. There is no pride or ownership.

Johan