Re:Child's play
by ravenstine on Wednesday April 18, 2018 @02:14PM
(#16869581)
I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. I have nothing against actual IT workers, but grouping developers under "IT" is like referring to ER surgeons as EMTs.
IT also gives people the impression that one is a "computer expert", which can't be further from the truth for many developers. I happen to have a relatively detailed understanding of how computers work, but I'm by no means an expert on hardware, setting up large networks, troubleshooting, etc.
Yeah, taking Information Technology literally, we would fall under that. But so would someone operating a book press.
Yeah, it works both ways. "No, Auntie Susan. I have no idea how to fix your printer. Never call me again."
Um wow there's a lot wrong with this comment. But that aside, what if I told you programming was just modern accounting, glorified data entry? All programmers do is put code into repositories. Very very few people are actually inventing new systems and algorithms. If you're a "framework programmer" you know what I mean.
Anyway point is it's a spectrum. Yes some "IT" labor is menial, but I also know IT people who know way more about security and networking and identity etc. than most software engineers will in their entire career.
I would put security experts and networking experts in the "technically-skilled" category. However, my experience of most people who have something like "IT security" in their job title, is that they're just the guy who updates a spreadsheet that has a list of security policies in it, and they send emails out to people who have breached one of those policies. Admin.
Re:Child's play
by ravenstine on Wednesday April 18, 2018 @02:43PM
(#16869850)
That's very true, although I am sure that IT experts wouldn't be particularly happy being called "programmers" if the tables were turned. Then again, I could be wrong... it has surprised me over and over how few programmers care about being referred to as IT. I personally prefer having my specialization be explicit as opposed to being generalized or misattributed.
So its the common term for the entire industry in the UK its like the USA is bad as India or Germany in being obsessed with job titles.
Oh man I hate this. An "IT" job to me just means an admin job where the subject of the admin tasks happens to be computers.
It's worse when "IT workers" try to lump actual technically-skilled roles in with them, like it's just another task to be performed.