Programming as a career?

Having to know so many languages and having to learn new each time one is upgraded is a huge turn off to me.

Personally, I enjoy learning new languages. So, I do entend to persue programming as a career. I would like to be a Game Developer.

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=

Do you think there is enough money and job opportunities to base a lifetime career around programming?

I really only have one answer for that and that is yes. It is a misconception that job opportunities for programmers is not good at a moment. Every one thinks back to when the bubble burst in the .com era. The thing is there is a trend happening now. Most universities are downsizing there computer and information science areas whilst all the older people that learnt programming originally that may have been into mathematics or science previously are retiring. Demand for IT professionals is increasing whilst at the same time the amount of IT graduates each year is decreasing. According to statistics I have seen by around 2006 - 2008 jobs for programmers will be extremely easy to find and at higher salaries then the ones currently being offered.

Having to know so many languages and having to learn new each time one is upgraded is a huge turn off to me.

One of the things as a programmer you should be a good learner. Being able to find things out for yourself and learn new programming languages shouldn't be such a hard task when you know all the programming concepts. I hate to say it but I am more and more seeing php as a scripting language with it being quite easy. Most good c++/Java programmers would take about 2 or 3 weeks to master php. Of course if you are not in the web industry you then will have to keep get updated with the latest standards.

I think the biggest and most interesting changes to the world wide web and the internet as we know it today wont be done by php or asp programmers. Its the research and developers creating new technolgies and new things for the internet that will change the internet dramatically. I am finding that is perhaps what I would like to get into more these days.

I dont think I would ever think on programming like a career but as a hobby. You can make few or lots of money from ur website or creating software but I wouldn't like to do this my whole life. Anybody now can learn and become great in programming, all you need is motivation and a computer.

Originally Posted by cegcubs Anybody now can learn and become great in programming, all you need is motivation and a computer.

That's like saying anyone can become great at graphics, all you need is a computer and Photoshop.

If only it was true

It seems to me that if you are a freelancer you have a better chance earning a decent living with PHP/MySQL because the average small company looking for "e solutions/web site" don't care how you make it work. They just know they want a web site where they can sell/advertise their goods. So, you could do the work, find hosting, etc. for a smaller rate than it would take to do .NET.

The big companies that hire programmers tend to use .NET, and I would suspect that is because they can afford it (.NET environment isn't cheap) and because MS was more widely accepted before Linux based environment, so migrating to latest/greatest was easier.

i was under the impression that the 'big companies' had a higher preference for JSP than .NET (that includes .NET + JSP if that is even possible)

I am instreased to building my own computers and have a partner in college to do operating system for it. I am 18 now so I have good ways togo.

Regards,
Offtopic

Originally Posted by Offtopic I am instreased to building my own computers and have a partner in college to do operating system for it. I am 18 now so I have good ways togo. Regards, Offtopic

No offense but I built my first PC when I was 12, lmao