The four common types of programmers
1. Artisan
This is a very different group of programmers. Other programmers are more concerned about the technology itself, but such programmers are more concerned about the results of implementation. For these programmers, the product created by the technology is the focus, not the technology itself.
So it's hard to define them in terms of front-end, back-end, DBA, security engineers who are willing to learn any technology in order to create a great product, some just taste it, some are very proficient because of need or interest. They usually have a rebellious spirit, instinctively resist authority, like to challenge leaders in a certain field, and have a hacker spirit in the traditional sense. They are extremely strict with themselves and others, have a strong desire for control, and like to intervene in product-related things other than programming, such as design, UI, marketing, etc.; because they do not want to reduce the product due to a mistake in a certain link. influence, although they are not always right.
These programmers love to program, but programming is only part of their lives. Other parts of their lives will be traveling, farming, painting, playing music, playing kendo, and playing the flute. These hobbies are completely inconsistent with the programmer temperament in everyone's eyes. These programmers are also workaholics, stubborn, and mavericks.
Because of all these, it is difficult for craftsmen to work together in ordinary enterprises, they always feel that their talents are limited, and the people around them cannot keep up with his rhythm; they are in a sense the unstable factors of the company, or It is an angel or a devil; most companies do not need craftsmen, but for great or aspired companies, craftsmen are more important than experts. Experts can make existing products industry-leading, but craftsmen can create new products. products thus changing the rules of the game. Because a business suitable for artisans is so minimal, some of them choose to start one themselves.
2. Code Farmer
At first, there was no such word on the Internet. The origin of this word was because of a programmer's self-deprecation. In fact, the code farmer is also the main implementer of the software. Like thousands of migrant workers, they are just the creators of the software building. Maybe they are familiar or proficient in several languages, developing existing frameworks.
They are blue-collar programmers and do some physical work, but this is not a bad thing. Someone has to do things, and the freedom of programming gives coders a lot of room for creativity and learning. If you admit that you are a coder and enjoy what you do, that's a very beautiful thing, but the problem is that many people are not willing to be coder themselves, but are forced to become coder, they should be musicians, Athletes or businessmen can become code farmers for various reasons, doing what they think is boring and repetitive physical work, so they are not happy. In this state, they are exhausted physically and mentally, that is, they are most likely to send programmers to eat youth meals. , After the age of 30, it is useless to write programs, and you should switch to management and other stupid things.
But when they do become managers, usually, only a very small number of people find what they like to do, and most of the other coders will continue to complain. To sum up, code farmers are the largest group of programmers, and they have the highest plasticity. There are middle school students who have just learned programming, graduates who have just started working, and senior engineers who are still willing to fight on the front line after working for many years; Code farmers, first of all, they must admit their identity, and then find their own interests and directions, or be willing to be code farmers for a lifetime, or prepare to switch to the other three types of programmers, or change industries to pursue their original dreams.
3. Expert
In the software industry, these experts have struggled for many years. They are proficient and knowledgeable in one or more areas. Within a company, these experts are often referred to as senior programmers, CTOs, or architects. After they have designed the structure of the software building, they usually arrange for coders to do it, and then write the core code themselves.
They are experienced and technologically forward-looking, able to plan ahead and react to the decaying trends of the software edifice and technological changes in the industry. They are simple-minded, like their jobs, and pay well. They keep up with the times by reading the papers of scientists. The software industry is very special. For the manufacturing industry, the difference between the results brought by the outstanding and the mediocre is usually only one to two times.
Therefore, experts are the treasures of the company, and any company must spare no effort to win or cultivate experts; at the same time, becoming an expert is usually the ultimate dream of many coders. So if you are an expert, please accept my high regards.
4. (Computer) Scientist
They are not so much programmers as they are mathematicians. They invented all kinds of theories, algorithms, and terminology, and the lengthy proofs and calculations in the textbooks came from them, and other programmers benefited more or less from their results. Sometimes one of their papers can change the mindset of an entire industry, but they usually don't and don't like to commercialize that shocking theory. In contrast, they prefer to be immersed in the ivory tower of science, enjoying themselves and being happy.
They are the least frequent programmers among programmers. There are even some masters who have never written programs in their entire lives. You may think that this violates our definition of programmers at the beginning, but who said that programming has to use a keyboard?
Two different types of programmers
There are two extreme archetypes of programmers—the "Zen programmer," who we call the stagnant programmer, and the "programmer who can't control distractions," which we call the restless programmer. Both are pretty extreme, so they should be on opposite ends of Bell's bell curve, right?
wrong. In fact, moody programmers are incredibly common.
The effect of pictures is more useful than words, so I now use pictures to illustrate the state of the mental world of two programmers.
Programmer with a heart
What would a programmer with a heart like water do?
He writes code. It's the only thing he does, and that says it all. Perhaps the more important question is what he's not doing: he's not being affected by distractions. Focused attention, focused revision, focused coding. One to two hours of pure code time, followed by a 20-30 minute break, usually away from the computer. After that he will continue to start writing code. (The time mentioned above is just an example. He can schedule his time in other ways - but he always balances and manages long-term productivity.)
His thoughts flowed slowly like calm water. Of course it's not like that kind of permanent frozen ice.
This is what the mental world of a programmer with a calm mind looks like:
Unsettled Programmer
Even if your mental world looks like a stagnant programmer right now, as long as you open Facebook or check your email or whatever while compiling.
After a few minutes it will look like this:
Ladies and gentlemen, this is what happens when you check your email and open Facebook. If you also have a bunch of real-time notifications, instant messengers, and checking your RSS feeds and Twitter, the result is a brain-shattering disaster like the picture above.
You may not have fully recovered from this picture. It can happen at any time, not on a particular day. Even if you minimize all the useless things in the spiritual world to the taskbar, it will still stay there, constantly tempting you and draining your spiritual resources. Friend, time just goes by and you'll be confused how it's gone.
By the way, if you're a moody person, you can still check out the webcomics on our site! Don't have to come back right away to finish reading this article. Don't forget to subscribe to that manga feed! After watching all the manga you can share it with your friends and chat! It's not too distracting to do these things, really!
The difference between a restless programmer and a restless programmer