Posted on Wed 29 May 2019

falsehoods non-programmers believe about programming

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.

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