Re: RPG Programmer Expectations (was Re: Unwanted messages) -- RPG400-L

Paul,

No problem (though David might suggest we take this to NON-TECH )

I think you might have a biased view....after all how many developers
would you see that don't want to invest in their own careers and whose
company also doesn't force the issue. Unless you randomly show up at
doorsteps I'd guess you see few of them. :)

Looking around the offices I've worked at, it seems the non-RPG
developers have more and newer books on their shelves and are more
likely to be involved in various user groups, mailing lists, ect.
Both from the office and from home. Heck there are a dozen RPG
developers here at my current employer...how many have you seen here?

I do agree some see it as a job, others as a career and that does make
a difference. But I think there are more RPG developers who see it as
a job, many of whom are older and perhaps just fell into programming
in one way or another.

As far as Hospital uniforms, at least at both the hospitals my wife
has been out, the cost is borne strictly by the employee; there's no
clothing allowance. For that matter, my wife is and is required to be
certified in her chosen profession. To remain certified, she's
required to accumulate so many continuing education (CE) credits
between renewals. While the hospital has some regular activities that
happen to count toward that CE requirement, the rest have to be gained
via courses paid for by my wife. To top it off, she has to pay a fee
for the renewal.

Another example, auto mechanics...I'm pretty sure you'll find most of
them, even at the dealerships, have to buy their own tools.

Charles

On Fri, Oct 8, 2010 at 1:48 PM, Paul Tuohy <tuohyp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Charles,

This is a topic that has been touched on in the lists a few times
recently. Charles, I am not picking on you here, just that your e-mail
is the most recent on the topic :-)

I have to say that I think a lot of the comments are being extremely
unfair to RPG programmers. I see very little difference between an RPG
programmers willingness to invest in their career and the willingness of
any other employee in any other job (not just programming) to invest in
their careers.

Yes, there are people who expect their employer to pay for everything
related to their job. And, I think, there in lies the rub. Some people
have jobs, other people have careers.

Also, I think your analogy with hospital uniforms misses the mark. The
hospital (employer) insists that employees have a uniform - I have no
idea whether or not they make a financial contribution towards that
uniform. I wonder how many employees in a hospital would be wearing a
uniform if it were not a condition of their employment.

As you may have guessed, one of my pet peeves is that, at times, we beat
down on RPG programmers in general as if they are different from
everyone else. They aren't. Some are willing to invest in their careers
(we have a number of people attending the current RPG & DB2 Summit who
are taking vacation time and paying their own way), some expect their
employers to make that investment. This is not unique to RPG programmers.

Regards

Paul Tuohy
ComCon
www.comconadvisor.com
www.systemideveloper.com