Re:Coders Automating Their Own Job
by bmj on Tuesday October 02, 2018 @06:03PM
(#18126092)
What about programmers automating other programmers out of jobs? My employer's core product line is designed in such a way that it can be configured for specific customers via an API. Much of that work is done by "operations developers." The complexity of their work varies based on the customer's needs. We are currently developing a designer tool that will allow the configuration to be developed via a graphical interface that will allow much of the work to be done by non-programmers (and eventually the customers themselves). As the tool matures, it will generate the code necessary to handle more complex requirements.
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Re:Coders Automating Their Own Job
by ambicapter on Tuesday October 02, 2018 @06:25PM
(#18126218)
Those "operations" engineers can be moved to making sure Ops are running well at home (you apparently have an API) or into Technical Sales if they'd rather stay in the field. Informing the customer of all the configuration that is available to them, for example. Just because there's a nice graphical configuration tool, doesn't mean any clients are actually going to look at it when they have an issue. They'd much rather call you up and bitch about it. Operations guy's job is safe, but he might be able to address more customers than he could before.
Re:Coders Automating Their Own Job
by bradknowles on Tuesday October 02, 2018 @06:45PM
(#18126345)
Nope.
Operations is a pure cost center. Cost centers only exist for the express purpose of being compressed twice as much this month as they were last month, so that you can make them half as expensive.
Developers are valuable. They create value.
When all the good Operations staff has left because they're tired of being treated like mushrooms, all the Operations stuff gets thrown over the wall and then the Developers get told that they are now DevOps.
Re:Coders Automating Their Own Job
by toomuchtodo on Tuesday October 02, 2018 @07:22PM
(#18126522)
Truth. Left ops for infosec and wouldn’t ever look back.
Not trying to diminish it's role or value, but wouldn't security be kinda looked as a cost center as well?
Re:Coders Automating Their Own Job
by toomuchtodo on Tuesday October 02, 2018 @09:07PM
(#18126928)
That’s a really good point as it relates to costs between security and ops. My hunch would be downtime is your own business, but data and financial loss is everyone’s (either through liability, legislation, or insurance costs).
Think about the cottage industry of programmers who produce and maintain Wordpress websites for their clients. I think just like any other industry, there is need for products on many points of the [mass produced <--> bespoke] spectrum.