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1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 38 (from laksa062)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa038.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2024/02/17/programmer-pain-in-memes/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2024/02/17/programmer-pain-in-memes/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/17\/programmer-pain-in-memes\/","crawl_time":1774372281,"first_indexed_time":0,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,economistwritingeveryday!\/2024\/02\/17\/programmer-pain-in-memes\/ s443","src_root_hash":"14260991960985024238","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Programmer Pain in Memes – Economist Writing Every Day","meta_descriptions":["Memes communicate a lot of information, yet they are rarely preserved and explained. It is February 2024. A friend of mine who works in tech just posted a fleet of funny memes about his job. I have written a research paper and a policy paper about job selection into tech. Research paper: \"Willingness to be…"],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Memes communicate a lot of information, yet they are rarely preserved and explained.\nIt is February 2024. A friend of mine who works in tech just posted a fleet of funny memes about his job.\nI have written a research paper and a\npolicy paper\nabout job selection into tech.\nResearch paper: “\nWillingness to be Paid: Who Trains for Tech Jobs?\n“\nI found that enjoyment or subjective preferences are underrated in the policy literature on the skills gap and promoting STEM in America. In a\npresentation\nin the Spring of ’23, I speculated that ChatGPT or other AI-assisted coding tools would make coding less tedious and therefore more fun.\nI observe in this set of memes (posted in February 2024) that ChatGPT is already embedded in coding life, and yet it does not feel like anything fundamental has changed. Workers still Google their own way to solutions (although surely that has diminished somewhat due to LLMs). The work still feels hard and the workers still feel undervalued.\nSenior programmers today would have grown up working very closely with search engines, largely to harvest the vast knowledge contained in tech message boards. I myself use that tool often when I have to program. Part of learning to code is just learning how to get help. This requires a certain mindset that is different from what is traditionally taught in school.\nMany such cases.\nMany people who end up as programmers want to do better. They are driven to write clean sensible code. A common theme is frustration that the product does not match the vision. This sentiment comes up more frequently than I have seen in other professions. The work they do is truly hard, and they are rarely afforded enough time to do it “right.”\nInterviews to get a high-status job are famously difficult. It takes a certain personality type to try at all. There is also a consistent complaint that HR and hiring staff don’t understand tech.\nThis must be a pretty new programmer meme.\nCommon sentiment. Tech people often report feeling underappreciated. I think this is partly due to the fact that no one can really “see” them working. Someone laying pipes in a ditch is clearly working hard and any passing stranger would notice it. Don’t hospital nurses also feel overwhelmed and overworked? Yes, and yet they would never make a meme just like this.\nCommon complaint. The programmers are unhappy that the code is bad. As long as it works, it ships. It ships before perfectionists and nerds have had time to make it beautiful. It’s only the programmers who ever have to see what lies beneath. This is evidently a source of stress.\n“Why doesn’t everyone just learn to code?”\nI asked the young man who posted this flight of memes the simple question: do you like your job? His reply:\nTruly, what is more fun than complaining? Maybe the complaining, to people who understand you, is the best perk of all. Below is a link to my post about a friend who learned to code and enjoys her new life (even the complaining).\nLastly, I found these conversations I saw over in the Threads app interesting. I don’t know these people, but I have reason to believe they are sincere.","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/17\/programmer-pain-in-memes\/#content)\n\nPrimary Menu\n\n- [Blog](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/blog\/)\n- [About](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2020\/08\/23\/about\/)\n\nSearch\n\n# [Economist Writing Every Day](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/)\n##\n\n## [Programmer Pain in Memes](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/17\/programmer-pain-in-memes\/)\n[February 17, 2024February 17, 2024](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/17\/programmer-pain-in-memes\/)\n\n[Joy Buchanan](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/author\/joybuchanan494\/)\n\nMemes communicate a lot of information, yet they are rarely preserved and explained.\n\nIt is February 2024. A friend of mine who works in tech just posted a fleet of funny memes about his job.\n\nI have written a research paper and a [policy paper](https:\/\/www.thecgo.org\/research\/the-slow-adjustment-in-tech-labor-why-do-high-paying-tech-jobs-go-unfilled\/) about job selection into tech.\n\nResearch paper: “[Willingness to be Paid: Who Trains for Tech Jobs?](https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0927537122001579?dgcid=author)“\n\nI found that enjoyment or subjective preferences are underrated in the policy literature on the skills gap and promoting STEM in America. In a [presentation](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TZsKq743dTI&list=PLpKVPCCoFZ3Cp9x8OvhavLc0WZ5_1z4FZ&index=5) in the Spring of ’23, I speculated that ChatGPT or other AI-assisted coding tools would make coding less tedious and therefore more fun.\n\nI observe in this set of memes (posted in February 2024) that ChatGPT is already embedded in coding life, and yet it does not feel like anything fundamental has changed. Workers still Google their own way to solutions (although surely that has diminished somewhat due to LLMs). The work still feels hard and the workers still feel undervalued.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/goog.jpg?w=740)\n\nSenior programmers today would have grown up working very closely with search engines, largely to harvest the vast knowledge contained in tech message boards. I myself use that tool often when I have to program. Part of learning to code is just learning how to get help. This requires a certain mindset that is different from what is traditionally taught in school.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/under.jpg?w=727)\n\nMany such cases.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/progress.jpg?w=720)\n\nMany people who end up as programmers want to do better. They are driven to write clean sensible code. A common theme is frustration that the product does not match the vision. This sentiment comes up more frequently than I have seen in other professions. The work they do is truly hard, and they are rarely afforded enough time to do it “right.”\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/inter.jpg?w=712)\n\nInterviews to get a high-status job are famously difficult. It takes a certain personality type to try at all. There is also a consistent complaint that HR and hiring staff don’t understand tech.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/gpt.jpg?w=717)\n\nThis must be a pretty new programmer meme.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/client.jpg?w=715)\n\nCommon sentiment. Tech people often report feeling underappreciated. I think this is partly due to the fact that no one can really “see” them working. Someone laying pipes in a ditch is clearly working hard and any passing stranger would notice it. Don’t hospital nurses also feel overwhelmed and overworked? Yes, and yet they would never make a meme just like this.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/backend.jpg?w=631)\n\nCommon complaint. The programmers are unhappy that the code is bad. As long as it works, it ships. It ships before perfectionists and nerds have had time to make it beautiful. It’s only the programmers who ever have to see what lies beneath. This is evidently a source of stress.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/crazy.jpg?w=711)\n\n“Why doesn’t everyone just learn to code?”\n\nI asked the young man who posted this flight of memes the simple question: do you like your job? His reply:\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/boss.png?w=232)\n\nTruly, what is more fun than complaining? Maybe the complaining, to people who understand you, is the best perk of all. Below is a link to my post about a friend who learned to code and enjoys her new life (even the complaining).\n\n> [Secret Fun Tech People](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2022\/08\/06\/secret-fun-tech-people\/)\n\nLastly, I found these conversations I saw over in the Threads app interesting. I don’t know these people, but I have reason to believe they are sincere.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/img_9401-1.jpg?w=750)\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/img_9402-1.jpg?w=750)\n\n### Share this:\n- [Share on X (Opens in new window) X](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/17\/programmer-pain-in-memes\/?share=twitter)\n- [Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/17\/programmer-pain-in-memes\/?share=facebook)\n\nLike Loading...\n\n### *Related*\n\n[Uncategorized](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/uncategorized\/)\n\n[Previous Article Covid Death Structural Breaks](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/16\/covid-death-structural-breaks\/)\n\n[Next Article The Unified Theory of Excel](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/19\/the-unified-theory-of-excel\/)\n### Leave a comment [Cancel reply](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/17\/programmer-pain-in-memes\/#respond)\n\n### Recent Posts\n- [How a Protective Options Collar Cushioned a Loss in Korean Stock Fund EWY](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2026\/03\/10\/how-a-protective-options-collar-cushioned-a-loss-in-korean-stock-fund-ewy\/)\n- [When do betting markets become endogenous?](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2026\/03\/09\/when-do-betting-markets-become-endogenous\/)\n- [Young Scholars or Any Scholars](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2026\/03\/07\/young-scholars-or-any-scholars\/)\n- [Ricardian Equivalence: Reasonable Assumption \\#2](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2026\/03\/06\/ricardian-equivalence-reasonable-assumption-2\/)\n- [Iran on Markets, Markets on Iran](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2026\/03\/05\/iran-on-markets-markets-on-iran\/)\n- [The Declining Cost of Adam Smith](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2026\/03\/04\/the-declining-cost-of-adam-smith\/)\n\n### Categories\n- [Art](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/art\/)\n- [bayesianism](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/bayesianism\/)\n- [Books](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/books\/)\n- [crime](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/crime\/)\n- [Data](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/data\/)\n- [EconLit](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/econlit\/)\n- [Economics](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/economics\/)\n- [Education](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/education\/)\n- [Film & TV](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/film-tv\/)\n- [Food and Drink](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/food-and-drink\/)\n- [Health](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/health\/)\n- [History](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/history\/)\n- [Investing](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/investing\/)\n- [military](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/military\/)\n- [Music](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/music\/)\n- [News](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/news\/)\n- [Parenting](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/parenting\/)\n- [Politics](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/politics\/)\n- [Prediction Markets](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/prediction-markets\/)\n- [Productivity](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/productivity\/)\n- [Products](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/products\/)\n- [Religion](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/religion\/)\n- [Sports](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/sports\/)\n- [Teaching](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/teaching\/)\n- [Technology](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/technology\/)\n- [Travel](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/travel\/)\n- [Uncategorized](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/uncategorized\/)\n- [Weblogs](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/category\/weblogs\/)\n\n### Archives\nArchives\n\n### Authors\n- [![Darwyyn Deyo's avatar](https:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2133e2aad01508e353da5d6126d3003ec410047fcb0aa2ac57acaadeac2a0035?s=48&d=identicon&r=G) **Darwyyn Deyo**](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/author\/darwyynism\/)\n  - 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[![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/cropped-icon-reduced.jpg?w=50) Economist Writing Every Day](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/)\n  - Already have a WordPress.com account? [Log in now.](https:\/\/wordpress.com\/log-in?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fr-login.wordpress.com%2Fremote-login.php%3Faction%3Dlink%26back%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Feconomistwritingeveryday.com%252F2024%252F02%252F17%252Fprogrammer-pain-in-memes%252F)\n- [Privacy](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/17\/programmer-pain-in-memes\/)\n- - [![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/cropped-icon-reduced.jpg?w=50) Economist Writing Every Day](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/)\n  - [Subscribe](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/17\/programmer-pain-in-memes\/)\n    [Subscribed](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/17\/programmer-pain-in-memes\/)\n  - [Sign up](https:\/\/wordpress.com\/start\/)\n  - [Log in](https:\/\/wordpress.com\/log-in?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fr-login.wordpress.com%2Fremote-login.php%3Faction%3Dlink%26back%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Feconomistwritingeveryday.com%252F2024%252F02%252F17%252Fprogrammer-pain-in-memes%252F)\n  - [Copy shortlink](https:\/\/wp.me\/pcjidV-3KK)\n  - [Report this content](https:\/\/wordpress.com\/abuse\/?report_url=https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/17\/programmer-pain-in-memes\/)\n  - [View post in Reader](https:\/\/wordpress.com\/reader\/blogs\/181914319\/posts\/14430)\n  - [Manage subscriptions](https:\/\/subscribe.wordpress.com\/)\n  - [Collapse this bar](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/2024\/02\/17\/programmer-pain-in-memes\/)\n\n##\n##\nLoading Comments...\n\n###\n\n%d\n\n![](https:\/\/pixel.wp.com\/b.gif?v=noscript)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Memes communicate a lot of information, yet they are rarely preserved and explained.\n\nIt is February 2024. A friend of mine who works in tech just posted a fleet of funny memes about his job.\n\nI have written a research paper and a [policy paper](https:\/\/www.thecgo.org\/research\/the-slow-adjustment-in-tech-labor-why-do-high-paying-tech-jobs-go-unfilled\/) about job selection into tech.\n\nResearch paper: “[Willingness to be Paid: Who Trains for Tech Jobs?](https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0927537122001579?dgcid=author)“\n\nI found that enjoyment or subjective preferences are underrated in the policy literature on the skills gap and promoting STEM in America. In a [presentation](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TZsKq743dTI&list=PLpKVPCCoFZ3Cp9x8OvhavLc0WZ5_1z4FZ&index=5) in the Spring of ’23, I speculated that ChatGPT or other AI-assisted coding tools would make coding less tedious and therefore more fun.\n\nI observe in this set of memes (posted in February 2024) that ChatGPT is already embedded in coding life, and yet it does not feel like anything fundamental has changed. Workers still Google their own way to solutions (although surely that has diminished somewhat due to LLMs). The work still feels hard and the workers still feel undervalued.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/goog.jpg?w=740)\n\nSenior programmers today would have grown up working very closely with search engines, largely to harvest the vast knowledge contained in tech message boards. I myself use that tool often when I have to program. Part of learning to code is just learning how to get help. This requires a certain mindset that is different from what is traditionally taught in school.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/under.jpg?w=727)\n\nMany such cases.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/progress.jpg?w=720)\n\nMany people who end up as programmers want to do better. They are driven to write clean sensible code. A common theme is frustration that the product does not match the vision. This sentiment comes up more frequently than I have seen in other professions. The work they do is truly hard, and they are rarely afforded enough time to do it “right.”\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/inter.jpg?w=712)\n\nInterviews to get a high-status job are famously difficult. It takes a certain personality type to try at all. There is also a consistent complaint that HR and hiring staff don’t understand tech.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/gpt.jpg?w=717)\n\nThis must be a pretty new programmer meme.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/client.jpg?w=715)\n\nCommon sentiment. Tech people often report feeling underappreciated. I think this is partly due to the fact that no one can really “see” them working. Someone laying pipes in a ditch is clearly working hard and any passing stranger would notice it. Don’t hospital nurses also feel overwhelmed and overworked? Yes, and yet they would never make a meme just like this.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/backend.jpg?w=631)\n\nCommon complaint. The programmers are unhappy that the code is bad. As long as it works, it ships. It ships before perfectionists and nerds have had time to make it beautiful. It’s only the programmers who ever have to see what lies beneath. This is evidently a source of stress.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/crazy.jpg?w=711)\n\n“Why doesn’t everyone just learn to code?”\n\nI asked the young man who posted this flight of memes the simple question: do you like your job? His reply:\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/boss.png?w=232)\n\nTruly, what is more fun than complaining? Maybe the complaining, to people who understand you, is the best perk of all. Below is a link to my post about a friend who learned to code and enjoys her new life (even the complaining).\n\nLastly, I found these conversations I saw over in the Threads app interesting. I don’t know these people, but I have reason to believe they are sincere.\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/img_9401-1.jpg?w=750)\n\n![](https:\/\/economistwritingeveryday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/img_9402-1.jpg?w=750)","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	Programmer Pain in Memes – Economist Writing Every Day
Meta Description	Memes communicate a lot of information, yet they are rarely preserved and explained. It is February 2024. A friend of mine who works in tech just posted a fleet of funny memes about his job. I have written a research paper and a policy paper about job selection into tech. Research paper: "Willingness to be…
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Boilerpipe Text	Memes communicate a lot of information, yet they are rarely preserved and explained. It is February 2024. A friend of mine who works in tech just posted a fleet of funny memes about his job. I have written a research paper and a policy paper about job selection into tech. Research paper: “ Willingness to be Paid: Who Trains for Tech Jobs? “ I found that enjoyment or subjective preferences are underrated in the policy literature on the skills gap and promoting STEM in America. In a presentation in the Spring of ’23, I speculated that ChatGPT or other AI-assisted coding tools would make coding less tedious and therefore more fun. I observe in this set of memes (posted in February 2024) that ChatGPT is already embedded in coding life, and yet it does not feel like anything fundamental has changed. Workers still Google their own way to solutions (although surely that has diminished somewhat due to LLMs). The work still feels hard and the workers still feel undervalued. Senior programmers today would have grown up working very closely with search engines, largely to harvest the vast knowledge contained in tech message boards. I myself use that tool often when I have to program. Part of learning to code is just learning how to get help. This requires a certain mindset that is different from what is traditionally taught in school. Many such cases. Many people who end up as programmers want to do better. They are driven to write clean sensible code. A common theme is frustration that the product does not match the vision. This sentiment comes up more frequently than I have seen in other professions. The work they do is truly hard, and they are rarely afforded enough time to do it “right.” Interviews to get a high-status job are famously difficult. It takes a certain personality type to try at all. There is also a consistent complaint that HR and hiring staff don’t understand tech. This must be a pretty new programmer meme. Common sentiment. Tech people often report feeling underappreciated. I think this is partly due to the fact that no one can really “see” them working. Someone laying pipes in a ditch is clearly working hard and any passing stranger would notice it. Don’t hospital nurses also feel overwhelmed and overworked? Yes, and yet they would never make a meme just like this. Common complaint. The programmers are unhappy that the code is bad. As long as it works, it ships. It ships before perfectionists and nerds have had time to make it beautiful. It’s only the programmers who ever have to see what lies beneath. This is evidently a source of stress. “Why doesn’t everyone just learn to code?” I asked the young man who posted this flight of memes the simple question: do you like your job? His reply: Truly, what is more fun than complaining? Maybe the complaining, to people who understand you, is the best perk of all. Below is a link to my post about a friend who learned to code and enjoys her new life (even the complaining). Lastly, I found these conversations I saw over in the Threads app interesting. I don’t know these people, but I have reason to believe they are sincere.
Markdown	[Skip to content](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2024/02/17/programmer-pain-in-memes/#content) Primary Menu - [Blog](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/blog/) - [About](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2020/08/23/about/) Search # [Economist Writing Every Day](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/) ## ## [Programmer Pain in Memes](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2024/02/17/programmer-pain-in-memes/) [February 17, 2024February 17, 2024](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2024/02/17/programmer-pain-in-memes/) [Joy Buchanan](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/author/joybuchanan494/) Memes communicate a lot of information, yet they are rarely preserved and explained. It is February 2024. A friend of mine who works in tech just posted a fleet of funny memes about his job. I have written a research paper and a [policy paper](https://www.thecgo.org/research/the-slow-adjustment-in-tech-labor-why-do-high-paying-tech-jobs-go-unfilled/) about job selection into tech. Research paper: “[Willingness to be Paid: Who Trains for Tech Jobs?](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927537122001579?dgcid=author)“ I found that enjoyment or subjective preferences are underrated in the policy literature on the skills gap and promoting STEM in America. In a [presentation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZsKq743dTI&list=PLpKVPCCoFZ3Cp9x8OvhavLc0WZ5_1z4FZ&index=5) in the Spring of ’23, I speculated that ChatGPT or other AI-assisted coding tools would make coding less tedious and therefore more fun. I observe in this set of memes (posted in February 2024) that ChatGPT is already embedded in coding life, and yet it does not feel like anything fundamental has changed. Workers still Google their own way to solutions (although surely that has diminished somewhat due to LLMs). The work still feels hard and the workers still feel undervalued. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/goog.jpg?w=740) Senior programmers today would have grown up working very closely with search engines, largely to harvest the vast knowledge contained in tech message boards. I myself use that tool often when I have to program. Part of learning to code is just learning how to get help. This requires a certain mindset that is different from what is traditionally taught in school. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/under.jpg?w=727) Many such cases. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/progress.jpg?w=720) Many people who end up as programmers want to do better. They are driven to write clean sensible code. A common theme is frustration that the product does not match the vision. This sentiment comes up more frequently than I have seen in other professions. The work they do is truly hard, and they are rarely afforded enough time to do it “right.” ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/inter.jpg?w=712) Interviews to get a high-status job are famously difficult. It takes a certain personality type to try at all. There is also a consistent complaint that HR and hiring staff don’t understand tech. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/gpt.jpg?w=717) This must be a pretty new programmer meme. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/client.jpg?w=715) Common sentiment. Tech people often report feeling underappreciated. I think this is partly due to the fact that no one can really “see” them working. Someone laying pipes in a ditch is clearly working hard and any passing stranger would notice it. Don’t hospital nurses also feel overwhelmed and overworked? Yes, and yet they would never make a meme just like this. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/backend.jpg?w=631) Common complaint. The programmers are unhappy that the code is bad. As long as it works, it ships. It ships before perfectionists and nerds have had time to make it beautiful. It’s only the programmers who ever have to see what lies beneath. This is evidently a source of stress. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/crazy.jpg?w=711) “Why doesn’t everyone just learn to code?” I asked the young man who posted this flight of memes the simple question: do you like your job? His reply: ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/boss.png?w=232) Truly, what is more fun than complaining? Maybe the complaining, to people who understand you, is the best perk of all. Below is a link to my post about a friend who learned to code and enjoys her new life (even the complaining). > [Secret Fun Tech People](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2022/08/06/secret-fun-tech-people/) Lastly, I found these conversations I saw over in the Threads app interesting. I don’t know these people, but I have reason to believe they are sincere. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/img_9401-1.jpg?w=750) ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/img_9402-1.jpg?w=750) ### Share this: - [Share on X (Opens in new window) X](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2024/02/17/programmer-pain-in-memes/?share=twitter) - [Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2024/02/17/programmer-pain-in-memes/?share=facebook) Like Loading... ### Related [Uncategorized](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/category/uncategorized/) [Previous Article Covid Death Structural Breaks](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2024/02/16/covid-death-structural-breaks/) [Next Article The Unified Theory of Excel](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2024/02/19/the-unified-theory-of-excel/) ### Leave a comment [Cancel reply](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2024/02/17/programmer-pain-in-memes/#respond) ### Recent Posts - 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Readable Markdown	Memes communicate a lot of information, yet they are rarely preserved and explained. It is February 2024. A friend of mine who works in tech just posted a fleet of funny memes about his job. I have written a research paper and a [policy paper](https://www.thecgo.org/research/the-slow-adjustment-in-tech-labor-why-do-high-paying-tech-jobs-go-unfilled/) about job selection into tech. Research paper: “[Willingness to be Paid: Who Trains for Tech Jobs?](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927537122001579?dgcid=author)“ I found that enjoyment or subjective preferences are underrated in the policy literature on the skills gap and promoting STEM in America. In a [presentation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZsKq743dTI&list=PLpKVPCCoFZ3Cp9x8OvhavLc0WZ5_1z4FZ&index=5) in the Spring of ’23, I speculated that ChatGPT or other AI-assisted coding tools would make coding less tedious and therefore more fun. I observe in this set of memes (posted in February 2024) that ChatGPT is already embedded in coding life, and yet it does not feel like anything fundamental has changed. Workers still Google their own way to solutions (although surely that has diminished somewhat due to LLMs). The work still feels hard and the workers still feel undervalued. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/goog.jpg?w=740) Senior programmers today would have grown up working very closely with search engines, largely to harvest the vast knowledge contained in tech message boards. I myself use that tool often when I have to program. Part of learning to code is just learning how to get help. This requires a certain mindset that is different from what is traditionally taught in school. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/under.jpg?w=727) Many such cases. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/progress.jpg?w=720) Many people who end up as programmers want to do better. They are driven to write clean sensible code. A common theme is frustration that the product does not match the vision. This sentiment comes up more frequently than I have seen in other professions. The work they do is truly hard, and they are rarely afforded enough time to do it “right.” ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/inter.jpg?w=712) Interviews to get a high-status job are famously difficult. It takes a certain personality type to try at all. There is also a consistent complaint that HR and hiring staff don’t understand tech. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/gpt.jpg?w=717) This must be a pretty new programmer meme. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/client.jpg?w=715) Common sentiment. Tech people often report feeling underappreciated. I think this is partly due to the fact that no one can really “see” them working. Someone laying pipes in a ditch is clearly working hard and any passing stranger would notice it. Don’t hospital nurses also feel overwhelmed and overworked? Yes, and yet they would never make a meme just like this. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/backend.jpg?w=631) Common complaint. The programmers are unhappy that the code is bad. As long as it works, it ships. It ships before perfectionists and nerds have had time to make it beautiful. It’s only the programmers who ever have to see what lies beneath. This is evidently a source of stress. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/crazy.jpg?w=711) “Why doesn’t everyone just learn to code?” I asked the young man who posted this flight of memes the simple question: do you like your job? His reply: ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/boss.png?w=232) Truly, what is more fun than complaining? Maybe the complaining, to people who understand you, is the best perk of all. Below is a link to my post about a friend who learned to code and enjoys her new life (even the complaining). Lastly, I found these conversations I saw over in the Threads app interesting. I don’t know these people, but I have reason to believe they are sincere. ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/img_9401-1.jpg?w=750) ![](https://economistwritingeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/img_9402-1.jpg?w=750)
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