Realistic Portrayals of Software Programmers?

lwbecker2 asks: "Warren Harrison has written a thought-provoking editorial piece on The Software Developer as Movie Icon. He explores the fact that new entrants to Computer Science curriculum are typically clueless about what 'real' developers actually do. While researching the issue of why this is the case, he determined that some potential CS degree seekers are forming opinions from portrayals in movies and cinema. He describes what he asserts to be inaccurate portrayals of developers in War Games, TRON, and The Net, and asks for input and opinions on 'the impact of the cinema and television on new software developers' expectations, as well as learn of any films that do a better job of portraying our profession...' I am sure Slashdot readers have some input on this, and I am curious if people believe _any_ movie has acurately portrayed software developers?"

Comments

Yes there is one...

[KDan]

But it was so boring it never got published.

Daniel

got one...

[igottheloot]

revenge of the nerds.

duh.

[Telastyn]

Has the film industry portrayed any normal person accurately? No. Normal people are boring.

Re:duh.

[mike_mgo]

Exactly.

Most cops aren't out there chasing down serial killers, most lawyers aren't fighting some evil corporation, and I doubt many spies blow up a whole lot of stuff. But movies about writing traffic tickets, filing divorce papers and staring at satellite photos aren't that exciting.

You've really got to get out a little more if you're basing career decisions on the movies.

What?

[cybermace5]

Computer guys are the ones that hack into computers in a minimum of keystrokes, and say "We're in." And they always develop some evil artificial intelligence that threatens the world, and they can get incredible detail from a blurry photo simply by saying "Enhancing." Everybody knows this stuff.

I don't think the portrayal is inaccurate at all. But then I'm an EE.

Most Accurate Portrayal of a Computer Award...

[$$$$$exyGal]

The most accurate portrayal of a computer has to be when the little girl says: "I know this, this is UNIX" - Jurassic Park.

--sex

so what's new?

[mgs1000]

Do cop shows accurately depict cops?
Do westerns accurately depict cowboys?
Do war movies accurately depict soldiers?
Does pr0n accurately depict sex?
The list goes on...

Re:Office Space

[syle]

I don't know about you, but I've never dated Jennifer Aniston.

startup.com

[gosand]

Yep. startup.com was a pretty accurate portrayal. IMDB Link

It was a documentary, and it was real people, but what do you want, another Office Space comment?

Actually, a pretty accurate portrayal of a programmer in a movie was in Pump Up the Volume, even though he ran a pirate radio station and wasn't a programmer. He worked out of his parent's basement, was a loner, and had a different on-air personality than in real life.

here's a day in my life...

[tx_mgm]

so you're looking for accurate depictions of software programmers in movies? i hope this helps!
i usually roll out of bed around 11 or noon (up all night clubbin wit da ladies!) and drive to work in my brand new hummer, completely disregarding traffic signals, speed limits and roads in general. assuming there arent any high speed chases with the bad guys on the way, i make it in to work in time for the boss to yell at me again for "violating protocol" again! im such an eXtreme programmer and i do things my way! thats about when the terrorists show up to the building to take my girlfriend hostage, forcing me to have to fight them all with my bare hands and the occasional uzi taken from fallen enemies (everyone else is taken hostage too, so im the only one that can fight). since im so ripped, i can streetfight anyone and win easily! at around 4 or 5 pm i manage to get to the leader and fight him to the death at the top of the building, throwing him off in the process. once i get my woman back, we get it on and then im off to the clubs for the night! but trouble arises at the club......

oh wait, you want honesty? well heres honesty: unless its a comedy, dont make movies about software developers!

Independance Day!

[iocat]

All aliens use AppleTalk...

Doctors, Lawyers, and Cops

[Chazmati]

My friends (mostly engineers) and I were discussing the success of shows like ER, Law and Order, Ally McBeal, Scrubs, etc. It seems like the popular shows are based on doctors, lawyers, or police work.

"Why not a show about engineers?" someone asked.

"Yeah, we could call it 'CR' - Conference Room! They could show us sitting around at boring meetings, eating doughnuts, writing emails and stuff..."

That's when we realized why there are no shows about engineers.

Speaking as a Jedi....

[SuiteSisterMary]

Speaking as a Jedi, I have to say, the movie portrayals are quite unrealistic, but frankly, it's the only way to get new members.

I mean, for every trade negotiation that turns into an assassination attempt and daring escape from a battle fortress, there are thousands that are just plain boring; you sit around, listen to proposal and counter-proposal repeated verbatium for hours, until somebody changes something a whit, repeat, for a few weeks, then you break up for consultations.

For every five minutes you get to duel with a Sith Lord, you spend YEARS doing the sword-technique equivalent of sitting at a keyboard, typing 'jjj[space]fff[space]jjj[space]fff[space]'

Anywho, I don't mean to get off on a rant here, but the life of your typical Jedi is NOTHING like those flashy bastards you see in the movies.

Make it like Star Trek

[GuyMannDude]

The Hollywood portrayal could be worse, you know. Just imagine if they portrayed debugging like a ST:TNG episode, complete with flashing red alert lights and lots of noises:

Picard: What's our status?

Data: The process is attempting to completely allocate all available memory and CPU cycles.

Worf: Available memory is down to 50%. 40%...

Picard: Suggestions?

Riker: Perform a break. Try to find out what happened.

Picard: Make it so.

Data: Ctrl-C was not successful. Process is still consuming resources.

Worf: 30%, 20%...

Wesley: Captain, this may be due to an incorrect check in the while loop...

Picard: Shut up, Wesley!

Geordi: Captain, we're losing segmentation containment. We've got to dump the core!

Worf: ...10%...

Picard: All hands, this is the Captain! All hands, log out! Repeat, all hands log out!

Kaboom! Blue screen of death.

GMD