I liked the article.

I'd like to apologize with some liberty to the sentiment in this thread who deny someone has value because they can't see it. If I may go out on a limb, I'd like to try and apologize for what I feel is being trivialized, but to me, is non-trivial.

I'm sorry every piece of software looks like CRUD and Reports to SA's. Nothing's special like Pagerank special, no matter how many magical automating unicorn wands of libraries and frameworks and methodologies we try to make it seem magical with. Domain knowledge, and experience, on the other hand, seems generic, but it's understanding how the data works, plays, interacts, and exists in all it's states.

I'm sorry if some developers forget that software only answers one question, "Where is everything at?" in different ways for different users, and it's made to be more than it is. We're not out to trivialize anyone's work, however, this point is a rallying point, not something to feel insecure about on anyone's part.

I'm very sorry for all the failed software projects that are inherited for wanting to use the latest, greatest, untested, unhardened. They have compensated well for letting me teach customers how you shouldn't build a house without a blueprint just because you can build a shed without one. No agile mega global waterfall method will get around having to understand the world people face when they use computers in their day to day life. No one cares what we code in, or how we coded. It's up to us to do well, but most importantly, reach a goal for a wider audience without getting hung up on ourselves. I love the latest and greatest tools, but I know better than to put it into production somewhere to be kind to the future me.

I'm also really sorry to myself that I might have learnt some skills I may never use or enjoy using, like overseeing a full cycle ERP implementation.

It did help tremendously, though in being able to find and connect the dots in intricate relationships between data and be able to put a picture together that makes sense for everyone beyond me.

SA's existing do not mean anyone is a dummy, or smarter. It just is, what it is. Trivializing what anyone does is a pretty close minded, harsh judgement for the intelligence and open-mindedness here. Just because one person can't imagine a position having value, doesn't mean the value can't exist.

Architects get thrown down more wells than they deserve and smart developers are always open to learning from the rattlesnake biting the other person. It goes both ways. Great architects listen, listen, listen. They provide the foresight that today can't always show. Good architects code. Most I know thrive on Proof of concept coding things.

If there's SA's that don't stay current (meaning, they don't keep hacking with new stuff), that's something that can be faulted in anyone.

We can look at it the same way with developers.. having a legion of coders who have not yet had a relationship with a code base for more than a few years don't really learn the reality of being kind to your future self in code, thought, and trivialization of what anyone does.

Maybe some part of this is from having been online for almost 2 decades, and building web based software for over a decade. If I'm off, I apologize and ask for your tolerance.

Our coding isn't special. Frameworks come and go. All glorious languages worshipped today were made in the 90's. Any code that is 2 years old is legacy. So, what is your legacy?

Mine is writing code that can outlast and not need me anymore and can be well structured and maintained without me. Why? So I can go solve the next problem.

Connecting a need to technology and making ourselves invisible is what I really enjoy doing, but maybe it's just me.