HN Theater @HNTheaterMonth

Computer science is like a self-devaluating industry.

We have tons of websites dedicated to teaching our trade, most of them for free. We actively encourage everybody to learn to code, and tell them how easy it is, and how it makes you a better person. We say schools should teach everybody how to code.

Do you imagine medics, attorneys, engineers, etc doing the same things about their own professions/skills? "Yes I'm an architect... yeah but you should learn the same skillset, this thing I do is super easy! Everybody could be an architect easily!"

Of course corporations like this: more coders! Cheaper labour! For example I found this video disgusting while everybody else applauded the effort:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKIu9yen5nc

Do you really think your (our) skillset is worth 0?

⬐ BorgHunter

What I'm getting from your post is: When you teach other people, you devalue your own knowledge. Knowledge should be hoarded, guarded jealously, and others discouraged from learning the things you know. Because if knowledge is shared, that knowledge becomes less valuable, and so you are less valuable, and so can earn less money.

Is this a fair statement of your views, or am I misinterpreting you?

⬐ Traubenfuchs

From an individual & egoistical perspective, that is a very logical point of view.

⬐ ElysianEagle

I didn't interpret his post the same way as you did. I think he was suggesting that we, as programmers, tend to act in ways that are not necessarily conducive to maintaining our own job security. We often advocate (strongly even) for importing labor, making CS education and tools cheap/free etc. all of which while certainly making knowledge more accessible also increases the supply of coders.

And it's true, you definitely don't see doctors, lawyers, accountants etc. acting in the same way. I'm not suggesting a grand conspiracy on their part, but the certifications (difficult to obtain), years of schooling etc do have the effect (intended or not) of limiting competition.

It's hard to argue for better wages and treatment from employers on one hand, while simultaneously propagating the view that "anyone can do this". Well, if anyone can, then why should you get paid $150k/yr or more?

If you watched the code.org (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=...) it does shed some light that "Tekkies", are still the high priests.

I think everyone has encountered the situation where a friend says, "I have an idea for an app! But I don't know how to build it." (Nor would they be eager to learn). My friend who just started learning programming is an Financial Analyst at Cisco and graduated with Honours in Finance. Even a smart guy like him complains and groans as to how hard it is to learn this stuff. And he hasn't even touched MVC and design patterns!

The web is still very open and I think there is a major cultural shift going on where programmers are not seen as lowly geeks but as some sort of rockstar (I think this attributes to Steve and Apple showing the world the sexy side of computers, the wealth the Valley has created in an era of recession, and the democratization of software, and also the ubiquity of computing).

But I do agree we're the good guys here. Perhaps we're being too general about this and not including "managers in pointy hats" (who don't know how to code) as Tekkies too? Since they dictate large portion of what programmers can and cannot do?

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