Blah I hate the term "software developer", not so much because its inaccurate but because its a symptom of the greatest evil to ever face computer science; software engineering. Software engineering's relationship to computer science is like accountancy is to mathematics. Sure they both use maths but a thousand accountants aren't likely to come up with any great proofs (unless theres a genius amongst them who does the hard work, which is generally how I think large projects ever have successes).

I think of the relationship between software engineering and computer science more like the relationship between architecture and physics. Software engineering describes the application of the theories of computer science to solve real-world problems.

Pg isn't speaking about programmers as in code monkeys, but about programmers as in hackers. Using other terminology to speak about programmers is not necessary, as programming shouldn't be disdained as an activity; you're probably better enhancing your terminology by going back to using the word "programming" without fear.

I'll grant you that.

I suppose I wrote that response as a knee-jerk reaction to the twinge I get in my left shoulder every time I hear the word "programmer". I program and I code but I also paint and write but painting does not make me an artist and writing does not make me an author. Regardless, I agree with you after taking a breath and composing myself enough to slip back into regularity of terminology fearlessness.

So you think painter and writer are derogative too?