IT vs. Software
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I make a distinction between being an "IT professional" and a "software developer." Of course there's a lot of overlap, but here's how I draw the distinction: An "IT professional" is someone who works close to the business which uses the software they create/support. They deal with users, fix data in a database, schedule jobs to run reports, know what LDAP means (that's a joke), etc. A software developer is someone who is removed, mostly, from the business world. They are the people who develop components for other developers. They make things which enable other people to build their applications better/faster. They are usually more involved with designs and elegance than the more practical concerns of their IT counterpart. Sure, an IT pro needs to be able to write code/script, and a software dev needs to have some understanding of the business(es) related to the code he/she writes. Some software devs might make apps for a company and stick around to do some administrative stuff later (like backing up databases, etc), so there is definitely a brackish area where the two categories fall apart. But there is a difference, in my mind. Do you agree with this distinction? Which would you prefer to be? I'd rather be a software developer, than an IT professional.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
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I make a distinction between being an "IT professional" and a "software developer." Of course there's a lot of overlap, but here's how I draw the distinction: An "IT professional" is someone who works close to the business which uses the software they create/support. They deal with users, fix data in a database, schedule jobs to run reports, know what LDAP means (that's a joke), etc. A software developer is someone who is removed, mostly, from the business world. They are the people who develop components for other developers. They make things which enable other people to build their applications better/faster. They are usually more involved with designs and elegance than the more practical concerns of their IT counterpart. Sure, an IT pro needs to be able to write code/script, and a software dev needs to have some understanding of the business(es) related to the code he/she writes. Some software devs might make apps for a company and stick around to do some administrative stuff later (like backing up databases, etc), so there is definitely a brackish area where the two categories fall apart. But there is a difference, in my mind. Do you agree with this distinction? Which would you prefer to be? I'd rather be a software developer, than an IT professional.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
Josh Smith wrote:
Which would you prefer to be?
I don't care one way or they other. I'm more concerned with what the job entails, not what it's called. A job title does not a good job make.
"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways." - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
"Judge not by the eye but by the heart." - Native American Proverb
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Josh Smith wrote:
Which would you prefer to be?
I don't care one way or they other. I'm more concerned with what the job entails, not what it's called. A job title does not a good job make.
"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways." - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
"Judge not by the eye but by the heart." - Native American Proverb
DavidCrow wrote:
A job title does not a good job make.
I wasn't asking which title you'd prefer. I was asking which set of responsibilities would you prefer; more business-oriented work, or more technically-oriented work. I agree, a job title doesn't necessarily mean much.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
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DavidCrow wrote:
A job title does not a good job make.
I wasn't asking which title you'd prefer. I was asking which set of responsibilities would you prefer; more business-oriented work, or more technically-oriented work. I agree, a job title doesn't necessarily mean much.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
Josh Smith wrote:
I wasn't asking which title you'd prefer.
My bad, but it sure sounded like it.
Josh Smith wrote:
Which would you prefer to be? I'd rather be a software developer, than an IT professional.
"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways." - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
"Judge not by the eye but by the heart." - Native American Proverb
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I make a distinction between being an "IT professional" and a "software developer." Of course there's a lot of overlap, but here's how I draw the distinction: An "IT professional" is someone who works close to the business which uses the software they create/support. They deal with users, fix data in a database, schedule jobs to run reports, know what LDAP means (that's a joke), etc. A software developer is someone who is removed, mostly, from the business world. They are the people who develop components for other developers. They make things which enable other people to build their applications better/faster. They are usually more involved with designs and elegance than the more practical concerns of their IT counterpart. Sure, an IT pro needs to be able to write code/script, and a software dev needs to have some understanding of the business(es) related to the code he/she writes. Some software devs might make apps for a company and stick around to do some administrative stuff later (like backing up databases, etc), so there is definitely a brackish area where the two categories fall apart. But there is a difference, in my mind. Do you agree with this distinction? Which would you prefer to be? I'd rather be a software developer, than an IT professional.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
Basically, yes. An "IT Professional" maintains the end user experience. The "Software Developer" creates it. (This distinction is critical if you want to run a stable business computer infrastructure. The IT department gets justifiable pissed when software developers start encroaching on their territory; "We'll just bring down and patch those production servers ourselves.")
Anyone who thinks he has a better idea of what's good for people than people do is a swine. - P.J. O'Rourke
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Josh Smith wrote:
I wasn't asking which title you'd prefer.
My bad, but it sure sounded like it.
Josh Smith wrote:
Which would you prefer to be? I'd rather be a software developer, than an IT professional.
"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways." - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
"Judge not by the eye but by the heart." - Native American Proverb
DavidCrow wrote:
My bad, but it sure sounded like it.
Looking back, I can see how one would come to that conclusion. My bad! :)
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
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I make a distinction between being an "IT professional" and a "software developer." Of course there's a lot of overlap, but here's how I draw the distinction: An "IT professional" is someone who works close to the business which uses the software they create/support. They deal with users, fix data in a database, schedule jobs to run reports, know what LDAP means (that's a joke), etc. A software developer is someone who is removed, mostly, from the business world. They are the people who develop components for other developers. They make things which enable other people to build their applications better/faster. They are usually more involved with designs and elegance than the more practical concerns of their IT counterpart. Sure, an IT pro needs to be able to write code/script, and a software dev needs to have some understanding of the business(es) related to the code he/she writes. Some software devs might make apps for a company and stick around to do some administrative stuff later (like backing up databases, etc), so there is definitely a brackish area where the two categories fall apart. But there is a difference, in my mind. Do you agree with this distinction? Which would you prefer to be? I'd rather be a software developer, than an IT professional.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
I'd prefer software developer too.
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. Also visit the Ultimate Toolbox blog (New) -
I make a distinction between being an "IT professional" and a "software developer." Of course there's a lot of overlap, but here's how I draw the distinction: An "IT professional" is someone who works close to the business which uses the software they create/support. They deal with users, fix data in a database, schedule jobs to run reports, know what LDAP means (that's a joke), etc. A software developer is someone who is removed, mostly, from the business world. They are the people who develop components for other developers. They make things which enable other people to build their applications better/faster. They are usually more involved with designs and elegance than the more practical concerns of their IT counterpart. Sure, an IT pro needs to be able to write code/script, and a software dev needs to have some understanding of the business(es) related to the code he/she writes. Some software devs might make apps for a company and stick around to do some administrative stuff later (like backing up databases, etc), so there is definitely a brackish area where the two categories fall apart. But there is a difference, in my mind. Do you agree with this distinction? Which would you prefer to be? I'd rather be a software developer, than an IT professional.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
Yeah I don't think you want me maintaining that mission critical servers since or production apps. Most of my conversations either end or begin with "with a litte code we can..." or my famous " I have this other application that has some similar code we can use...".
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Basically, yes. An "IT Professional" maintains the end user experience. The "Software Developer" creates it. (This distinction is critical if you want to run a stable business computer infrastructure. The IT department gets justifiable pissed when software developers start encroaching on their territory; "We'll just bring down and patch those production servers ourselves.")
Anyone who thinks he has a better idea of what's good for people than people do is a swine. - P.J. O'Rourke
-
I make a distinction between being an "IT professional" and a "software developer." Of course there's a lot of overlap, but here's how I draw the distinction: An "IT professional" is someone who works close to the business which uses the software they create/support. They deal with users, fix data in a database, schedule jobs to run reports, know what LDAP means (that's a joke), etc. A software developer is someone who is removed, mostly, from the business world. They are the people who develop components for other developers. They make things which enable other people to build their applications better/faster. They are usually more involved with designs and elegance than the more practical concerns of their IT counterpart. Sure, an IT pro needs to be able to write code/script, and a software dev needs to have some understanding of the business(es) related to the code he/she writes. Some software devs might make apps for a company and stick around to do some administrative stuff later (like backing up databases, etc), so there is definitely a brackish area where the two categories fall apart. But there is a difference, in my mind. Do you agree with this distinction? Which would you prefer to be? I'd rather be a software developer, than an IT professional.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
I have spent a lot of time as a developer for an in house IT shop. Which somewhat falls into the IT pro category. I changed to working for a vendor a year or so ago. I enjoyed working close to the business but it was draining in that I frequently felt too removed from technology. i.e. I would rather build the stuff the in house people use than be one of the in house folks figuring out how to use it. And IMO the cost justification for custom building apps is declining as more vendors spring up in various vertical spaces. So unless you are working for a very, very niche company, odds are that as an in house guy, you will have an increasingly hard time justifying the 'buy v/s build' decision in terms of 'build'. So you have people just buying more which sucks if you are a 'developer' who would much rather build. So in conclusion, I think being an IT developer is fun but less technical than being a developer for a vendor. Like you, I would rather work with a vendor.
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I have spent a lot of time as a developer for an in house IT shop. Which somewhat falls into the IT pro category. I changed to working for a vendor a year or so ago. I enjoyed working close to the business but it was draining in that I frequently felt too removed from technology. i.e. I would rather build the stuff the in house people use than be one of the in house folks figuring out how to use it. And IMO the cost justification for custom building apps is declining as more vendors spring up in various vertical spaces. So unless you are working for a very, very niche company, odds are that as an in house guy, you will have an increasingly hard time justifying the 'buy v/s build' decision in terms of 'build'. So you have people just buying more which sucks if you are a 'developer' who would much rather build. So in conclusion, I think being an IT developer is fun but less technical than being a developer for a vendor. Like you, I would rather work with a vendor.
Tim Kohler wrote:
So unless you are working for a very, very niche company, odds are that as an in house guy, you will have an increasingly hard time justifying the 'buy v/s build' decision in terms of 'build'. So you have people just buying more which sucks if you are a 'developer' who would much rather build.
Great point.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]