I am, as a small population of you out there already know, a computer programmer/software developer/software engineer/enterprise architect/hacker.  Just in my job “title” alone you can already see that defining what I am and do, a creator of or creating software, can be difficult, and inherent to that is the job itself which is of developing software, is also equally difficult to do.

There is design, prototype, develop, iterate, refactor, prototype, design, iterate, iterate, refactor, and so on. And I did not even mention how requirements, specifications, documentation, validation, and the-list-goes-on-ations come into play. So it is not a wonder that the occupation, or pre-occupation thereof, of software development is a very complex activity that can only be described, defined, specified, and estimated as, yes, simply put, as very complex.

Blogs about “Oh just learn it!”, “Just *expletive* do it, learn coding, and build it yourself!”  And yes it is easy with all the resources at hand and available, but let’s face it.  There is a “shortage”, a need, a gap in the workforce that is programmers and techies.  And like they say, “If it was easy then everyone would be doing it.”  And frankly (or bobly or joely or whatever-ly), not everyone is doing it are they?  Yeah right, yes, it is easy somehow, but let’s face it, it is certain types that get programming and that makes it easier. But just like I learned to make a loud whistling sound by putting 2 or 4 fingers in my mouth and blowing (I get it), but it was hard to learn and I am not especially good at it. I accept that and you can also rest easy knowing that programming is NOT EASY!  IT IS HARD to learn, HARD to do, and when you do either or both, you may not be especially good at it. Accept it and move on with life.  You do not have to be the best at everything and will not be that so… whatever!

In the meantime put in a good word in your blogs or comments on blogs that want all those people out there to believe that anyone and everyone can just magically become a programmer. WRONG! Programmers unite! Put in a good word that they are WRONG and that you tried it and that you actually can say first hand that it is hard and that there is nothing wrong with saying that and owning that.  Take it from someone who has put in the magical Ten Thousand Hours and I tell you from personal experience that developing software is a lot of things, but EASY is not one of them.