Programming as a career path is getting more and more difficult. Many people are attracted to it because of the relatively low barriers to entry. (Let's face it a computer and a copy of PHP and you are in business) But serious programming is getting more and more difficult. Even in web based applications, the days when you could hang out your shingle because you've read the O'Reilly "Javascript In A Nutshell" are gone. These days, just to do basic web application programming, you have to have an understanding of Javascript, some back end scripting language (PHP?) , SQL and a smattering of XML. To do serious work you have to be able to read and crate UML diagrams, understand at least th first 3 rules of database normalization (and know when to break them) understand OO theory enough to recognize and implement patterns and be able to string all of this together into an application that does something that someone wants.

Programming as a hobby is still worlds of fun. (I still do it for fun even though I get paid to do it) and programming as a career path can be profitable, even in these days of off-shoring. But don't expect it to be easy and don't expect it to be a quick buck.

If you are serious about programming, do more than learn the syntax of a new language. Learn the fundamentals of good programming. Pickup a good book on Design patterns, a book on UML and a book on on OO theory. If you can master those concepts then you are going to be a great programmer.

IMHO, etc.

=C=