Programming is mostly research. Researching curses to cast on the guy who wrote the Incomprehensible mess you’re currently debugging.
… until you finally track down who wrote this mess, and it was you 5 years ago.
Programming is just inventing machines where the components are words. Of course it’s just thinking. What else could it have ever been?
This article was motivating for me by highlighting how much research, learning and cogitation are more important than typing programs.
I am keenly aware that most management still subscribes to the idea that motion is work. They are fairly convinced that a lack of motion is a lack of work. That makes sense in a lawn care service, a factory assembly line, or a warehouse operation.
This is so true. Oddly enough, if you’re motionless but looking through a microscope, those same exact managers will think you’re killing it.
brings a microscope to work and starts using it
Manager: What the heck are you doing?
Eagle: Trying to solve that deserialization bug in the code base, boss.
Manager: spends raise budget on getting high end microscopes for everyone to improve debug productivity
