You know how this works, right? These are false statements about what non-programmers believe about programmers and programming. The proper response to every single statement is “Not always.”

• Programming is just a job that anyone can do.
• Programming is just a job that anyone who has taken programming courses can do.
• Programming is just typing into a computer.
• Programs are hard to write.
• Programs are easy to write.
• The work is done while typing.
• Most programming is done while typing.
• Most programming is just translating what the customer needs into computer language.
• Most programming is just knowing the right computer language.
• You can write any program in any language.
• You have to use the right language for each program.
• Programming languages are all very similar to each other, so if you know one, it’s easy to learn any other.
• It’s hard to learn a new language.
• It’s easy to learn a new language.
• Programming for any operating system is basically the same.
• Writing programs that can run on different operating systems is hard.
• Moving programs from one operating system to another is easy.
• Writing programs that can run on different computers is hard.
• Moving programs from one kind of computer to another is easy.
• Programmers are specialists who only work in one sub-sub-field.
• Programmers are generalists who can work well on anything.
• The length of a program is correlated with how hard it was to write.
• Anyone who knows the problem domain can write down the specification.
• Programmers work best in hierarchical groups.
• Programmers work best in flat groups.
• Programmers work best in groups.
• Programmers work best alone.
• Programmers always think very literally.
• Programmers can easily fix bugs in other people’s software.
• Programmers can easily fix bugs in their own software.
• Programmers are good at finding bugs.
• Younger programmers are more flexible than older programmers.
• Older programmers have more experience than younger programmers.
• Most programming is making new applications.
• Most programming is writing new features.
• Most programming is fixing typos.
• Most programming work is writing software.
• Programming languages are hard because they are not close to English (or your mother language).
• Programming languages which are closer to human languages are easier to use.
• The work is done when a program is accepted by the customer.
• The work is done when there are no bugs in the program.
• Customers can get any change they want in a program that they use.
• Customers can get any change they want in a program that they paid for.
• Customers who pay for software own it.
• Customers who pay programmers to write software own the software.
• Programmers who write software own it.
• Programmers who write software own the copyright to it.
• You always have to pay to use someone else’s software.
• You always have to pay to use someone else’s software legally.
• All software is owned by someone.
• The law is clear about software.