Sunday, May 16, 2004
Invisible Workers
In this article from today's Boston Globe, the author describes how she lost her job as a Web developer and ended as a "day porter", restocking and cleaning office kitchens. She talks about how the employees treat her, virtually ignoring her presence. She was once among their ranks and now is invisible. Sad.
Are all software developers just one economic downturn away from "day porter" jobs? Perhaps but I don't think so. Software development is a profession. It can't be fully automated and only to a limited extent can projects be moved offshore. Becoming a software developer takes years of proper experience before you're any good.
In the late 90s, self-taught Web developers who knew a little HTML and JavaScript crowded into hundreds of Internet startups. The bubble burst and those jobs disappeared. A lot of more-seasoned folks got caught up in this as well. I was at a startup when the bottom fell out. But the profession hasn't disappeared. There are fewer jobs than during the boom and less venture investment but the need for experienced software developers is still there.
Are all software developers just one economic downturn away from "day porter" jobs? Perhaps but I don't think so. Software development is a profession. It can't be fully automated and only to a limited extent can projects be moved offshore. Becoming a software developer takes years of proper experience before you're any good.
In the late 90s, self-taught Web developers who knew a little HTML and JavaScript crowded into hundreds of Internet startups. The bubble burst and those jobs disappeared. A lot of more-seasoned folks got caught up in this as well. I was at a startup when the bottom fell out. But the profession hasn't disappeared. There are fewer jobs than during the boom and less venture investment but the need for experienced software developers is still there.
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