Programmers will probably be less commonitized to a degree, but still the value of the role will decrease a bit because software. Hrm...I am not sure I agree or not with this statement. A few years ago, would've totally agreed (being a programmer myself). However now, as a software architect, I am not so sure. Everyday I am encountered with users that are unhappy with the home-grown systems due to performance, bugs, whatever.
In almost all cases the root cause of the problem is that programmers are human. And like all people (although most won't outright admit it) they will make mistakes. So will the testers and the users.
So what is being done to rectify this? Well, just like the numerous industries before us, we are re-using and automating. I mean, beyond hobbyists, how people actually learn how to build a circuit manually (with the individual chip, capacitors, etc) to make money at it? How many people (hobbyists excluded again) have a career building cars from the ground up? The answer? Not many. Most of the electronic circuits are built by machines and other automation. Same with most cars that we drive.
I envision the same thing happening to programmers, DBAs, network admins and all the other current people "in the trench". If you look at trends in software and IT, there are more and more products that are catering to the automation of IT.
Take service oriented architecture (SOA). The key concepts behind it? Re-use and letting the business control the flow of software and how it works. Where does the programmer fit into this? Right now her job is to build the services (that is the reusable components). Eventually, we are going to have 80-90% of the re-usable components we need. The the business themselves will orchestrate the communication between these components. This is akin to Lego blocks. With a handful of different shaped blocks one can build damn near anything. I suspect that in time we will get there with software as well.
I am not so naive to think that we will never need the "in the trenches" people. There will always be a niche market for this. However I think that increasingly complex systems and increasing customer dissatisfaction is beginning to give Software a violent shove into the realm of automation.
Has anyone ever played Fatal Frame for the PS2? I just started playing it about 3 weeks ago and am thoroughly addicted to it. I have never played a game that has thoroughly creeped me out before. But now I have. Living alone, I have a tendency to play this game with all the lights out late at night. Maybe that's why I have this constant spine tingling and I have had decent night's sleep since I bought the game!!! Check it out...It'll scare the bejesus out of you!!
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Thankfully this is perfectly in line with my new investment strategy - Hookers, Blow, Jack Daniels and the Craps Table.
Ah, forget the Craps!
We could all die!!! But we probably won't. At least not right away.
What do you mean *could*? Are vampires real? Last time I checked every human life had an expiry date.
I used to be your average Joe Sixpack. After 8 years of Bush, I'm now your average Joe 40-oz.
I used to be your average Joe Sixpack. After 8 years of Bush, I'm now your average Joe Gaylord.
There fixed that for you! I mean I like p***y, but 8 years straight? Without a breather? That'd be enough to make anyone switch hit!
Full disclosure: I am not an american (Thank God/Buddha/Allah/Xenu/Cthulu/Spaghetti Monster/whoever).
Has anyone ever played Fatal Frame for the PS2? I just started playing it about 3 weeks ago and am thoroughly addicted to it. I have never played a game that has thoroughly creeped me out before. But now I have. Living alone, I have a tendency to play this game with all the lights out late at night. Maybe that's why I have this constant spine tingling and I have had decent night's sleep since I bought the game!!! Check it out...It'll scare the bejesus out of you!!