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  3. When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"

When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"

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  • W W Balboos GHB

    I went to school to learn to be a "Production Supervisory Engineer" Basically, I watch other people work.

    Ravings en masse^

    "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

    "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

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    Lost User
    wrote on last edited by
    #13

    I think it's because: - people don't know what your title means, - but it sounds pretty really important so you get to keep that job just in case something that matters breaks if you weren't there.

    Message Signature (Click to edit ->)

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    • L Lost User

      When I started out it was the systems analysts who did the design and logic. All the programmer needed to do was to convert the English instructions into lines of code. So it was a fairly basic function and any idiot (me) could do it. Since then the job has developed in line with ever more sophisticated hardware and software. So now, the 'programmer' has to understand much more and use his/her skills to develop products rather than be a 'code monkey'.

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      Slacker007
      wrote on last edited by
      #14

      Exactly. :thumbsup:

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      • A agolddog

        You forgot the precedent to programmer of hack. Some people never get beyond that. Unfortunately, they work here.

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        Lost User
        wrote on last edited by
        #15

        agolddog wrote:

        Unfortunately, they work here.

        They may use the forums, but they certainly do not work here.

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        • S Slow Eddie

          When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"? :confused::confused: And what the he*l are "Coders" and what is the difference? :confused::confused:

          A rose by any other name.... something, something, something

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          Herman T Instance
          wrote on last edited by
          #16

          Software Engineer it is called now

          In Word you can only store 2 bytes. That is why I use Writer.

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          • S Slow Eddie

            When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"? :confused::confused: And what the he*l are "Coders" and what is the difference? :confused::confused:

            A rose by any other name.... something, something, something

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            Maximilien
            wrote on last edited by
            #17

            when we stop using mainframes or mini computers that needed specialists to program them.

            I'd rather be phishing!

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            • S Slow Eddie

              When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"? :confused::confused: And what the he*l are "Coders" and what is the difference? :confused::confused:

              A rose by any other name.... something, something, something

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              PIEBALDconsult
              wrote on last edited by
              #18

              When we stopped programming computers via wires.

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              • S Slow Eddie

                When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"? :confused::confused: And what the he*l are "Coders" and what is the difference? :confused::confused:

                A rose by any other name.... something, something, something

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                Bassam Abdul Baki
                wrote on last edited by
                #19

                When we switched from similes to metaphors.

                Web - BM - RSS - Math - LinkedIn

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                • H Herman T Instance

                  Software Engineer it is called now

                  In Word you can only store 2 bytes. That is why I use Writer.

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                  Ravi Bhavnani
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #20

                  I've always called myself that. /ravi

                  My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com

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                  • W W Balboos GHB

                    Attempting to give a serious answer, of the three, "Developer" seems to fit more into what I do and can be thus described: I plan the whole shebang: interface(s), databases, &etc. and then make it all happen. Not just the logic of the code but the logic of the process - and usually in a manner that leaves easy access to enhancements without breaking existing dependencies. (At least in my dreams).

                    Ravings en masse^

                    "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                    "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

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                    rnbergren
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #21

                    Quote:

                    (At least in my dreams).

                    some people have huge dreams. Others well I just am happy I got my pants on

                    To err is human to really mess up you need a computer

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                    • S Slow Eddie

                      When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"? :confused::confused: And what the he*l are "Coders" and what is the difference? :confused::confused:

                      A rose by any other name.... something, something, something

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                      ronDW
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #22

                      Developers might be what is called a programmer analyst. A programmer needs natural language pseudo code from an application designer who received specifications from executives and marketing. I think the stigma put on programmers comes from the hacker world, not the password hacking, virus creating types but what I find described at an old-hackers-jargon site being here. A programmer is like a code-grinder in an electronic data processing shop. We're developers because hackers don't like programmers or their EDP environments.

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                      • S Slow Eddie

                        When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"? :confused::confused: And what the he*l are "Coders" and what is the difference? :confused::confused:

                        A rose by any other name.... something, something, something

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                        Lost User
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #23

                        Slow Eddie wrote:

                        When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"? :confused: :confused: And what the he*l are "Coders" and what is the difference? :confused: :confused:

                        I started out as a coder, simply by writing code. When I learned the details of the language and learned to write an application without putting procedural code in the events and got paid for it, I became a programmer. Developer was when I got my education, and requires a bit more than knowing how to program; it suggests you know a bit about databases, webservers, protocols and security. The first is a bit of a hacker. The second a strong amateur, the third should be someone who doesn't just writes a program, but who can explain when NOT to automate, and what benefits to expect from both options. Similar to the "three levels of cooking" series on Youtube. My current cooking-skill is just below level 1 :D

                        Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.

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                        • L Lost User

                          agolddog wrote:

                          Unfortunately, they work here.

                          They may use the forums, but they certainly do not work here.

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                          agolddog
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #24

                          No, no, "here" is where I am. Not your "here". Also realized it's an iterative thing, not linear. Start out as a hack, think you've got a pretty good handle on things and have moved up. Then, a year later, you look at the code you developed when you thought you were getting a pretty good handle on things and think, "what a hack". Of course, there are some who never endeavor to improve and think they're decent developers, but really just stay on the hack level.

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                          • A agolddog

                            No, no, "here" is where I am. Not your "here". Also realized it's an iterative thing, not linear. Start out as a hack, think you've got a pretty good handle on things and have moved up. Then, a year later, you look at the code you developed when you thought you were getting a pretty good handle on things and think, "what a hack". Of course, there are some who never endeavor to improve and think they're decent developers, but really just stay on the hack level.

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                            Lost User
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #25

                            Ah, thanks for the clarification. in mitigation see the third sentence at The Lounge[^].

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                            • D Dan Neely

                              One starts with a "C", the second with a "D", the third with a "P". :rolleyes:

                              Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

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                              Slow Eddie
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #26

                              Of all the other replies I have gotten, and quite a few of them are in conflict with each other, yours is the only one that makes sense to me. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

                              I repeat, "A rose by any other name..."

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                              • S Slow Eddie

                                When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"? :confused::confused: And what the he*l are "Coders" and what is the difference? :confused::confused:

                                A rose by any other name.... something, something, something

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                                MSBassSinger
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #27

                                That part sounds like a marketing spin on the term "programmers". But there are practical distinctions between programmers (developers, coders, etc) and engineers. Programmers are those who know how to productively efficiently write code to accomplish a purpose. If a professional, they understand why they choose the coding solution they use for a given problem domain. Some very experienced, very knowledgeable people choose to stick to being programmers because it suits them and the type of work they want to do. As for software engineers, Merriam-Webster defines engineering (in general) as:

                                Quote:

                                a: the application of science and mathematics by which the properties of matter and the sources of energy in nature are made useful to people b: the design and manufacture of complex products

                                Software engineers are also programmers. But they look at a project beyond just the code at hand. They consider value engineering, systems requirements and limitations, the full software development life cycle, can manage a project, manage developers, do architecture, interface with customers, etc. That is not to say some programmers are not capable of doing all this, but we are talking about roles, not individuals. The reluctance to hire good software engineers is why development teams typically have a BA, a scrum master, as well as developers and QA folks. A good software engineer can replace the BA and scrum master functions and produce a better product quicker and better. Why? Because the software engineer has the BA and scrum master knowledge domains within their total knowledge domain. BAs and scrum masters do not have the software development knowledge domain within their knowledge domains. That means an inefficiency is introduced by communication and translation to BAs and scrum masters, and that leads to an accumulation of small delays, mistakes that have to be corrected, and sometimes missed deadlines. It is not about one being better than another. Software engineers need to trust the skills of their programmers, and communicate project details and status to all, as well as mentor programmers who want to grow into software engineers. Programmers who have not yet obtained the broader knowledge and experience of a good software engineer need to recognize that, and return the trust. Differences can be seen as competitive, or hierarchical. Or, they can be seen as complementary as all part of the whole.

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                                • S Slow Eddie

                                  When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"? :confused::confused: And what the he*l are "Coders" and what is the difference? :confused::confused:

                                  A rose by any other name.... something, something, something

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                                  j snooze
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #28

                                  Programmer - Someone that positively enforces proper grammar. Developer - which sounds like Devil oper is someone who operates under H*llish conditions Coder - Cod is a fish so its a specific type of fisher person. They like cod. Full Stack - pile of pancakes or flapjacks. Analyst - going to leave that one alone... I didn't verify any of this with google, duckduckgo or bing, I just copied the letters from my keyboard and pasted them randomly on the screen to what you see now.

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                                  • S Slow Eddie

                                    When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"? :confused::confused: And what the he*l are "Coders" and what is the difference? :confused::confused:

                                    A rose by any other name.... something, something, something

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                                    M Offline
                                    Michael Bergman
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #29

                                    Because everyone now is a programmer. You can program your phone to alert you for an event, schedule meetings store phone numbers and dial them, etc. The programming environment is the user interface. A developer actually writes the applications that can be used programmed by the average user.

                                    m.bergman

                                    For Bruce Schneier, quanta only have one state : afraid.

                                    To succeed in the world it is not enough to be stupid, you must also be well-mannered. -- Voltaire

                                    In most cases the only difference between disappointment and depression is your level of commitment. -- Marc Maron

                                    I am not a chatbot

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                                    • S Slow Eddie

                                      When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"? :confused::confused: And what the he*l are "Coders" and what is the difference? :confused::confused:

                                      A rose by any other name.... something, something, something

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                                      S Offline
                                      Super Lloyd
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #30

                                      When one started to sound better and more professional than the other. The distinction is mostly a subjective one of status. Whatever looks better on your resume! ;)

                                      A new .NET Serializer All in one Menu-Ribbon Bar Taking over the world since 1371!

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                                      • S Slow Eddie

                                        When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"? :confused::confused: And what the he*l are "Coders" and what is the difference? :confused::confused:

                                        A rose by any other name.... something, something, something

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                                        A Offline
                                        Arthur Lowe
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #31

                                        Programmers became programmers when hackers became political and software became a commodity.

                                        phoenixDownunder

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                                        • S Slow Eddie

                                          When did we become "Developers" rather than "Programmers"? :confused::confused: And what the he*l are "Coders" and what is the difference? :confused::confused:

                                          A rose by any other name.... something, something, something

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                                          D Offline
                                          dshillito
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #32

                                          When I started work, in 1972, the other two terms did not exist. I was a "computer programmer". That is what I put on my tax return and on the reentry card each time I returned from an overseas trip, and anywhere else that asked. So that is what I continued to call myself until finally, 2 years ago, I switched to "Retired." Other people over the years have referred to me as, and I have answered to "Software Developer", "Software Engineer" etc but never "Coder".

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