I know a lot of people disagree with me - but is writing a program really considered to be creative work? Coding using some weird syntax, pounding away furiously on your keyboard trying to define some kind of logic which would make 3=99...... call me computer illiterate, but this to me is not creativity. And people who manage to sit in front of their PC 24X7 totally groggy-eyed, trying to write a line of code which automates my toaster... Whew, well that indeed boggles the mind!
I'm sitting in my cozy cubicle - and I'm looking around. At my surroundings, I mean (not at the pretty girl who also seems to be more interested in her monitor rather than my latest hairstyle). Anyway, it's a typical IT office - and I mean typical - the only thing u can see are heads - heads with black hair, heads with brown hair.. a few bald heads too. And these heads are all staring at one thing - their PCs. A closer look reveals that each of these PCs has got some weird Hebrew on their screen. So in a nutshell, 50 odd employees are trying to be creative. Kinda a scary to lok at if u think about it - reminds me everyday how we're turning more into robots and forgetting that we have a human side. (I wonder if these guys even bother to go to the bathroom if there is an emergency - they seem so engrossed! Oh well, that's another story)
Now, we all talk about burn-out and depression due to work.... blah blah blah. Well, what is the single best remedy for this? Yup - do something creative, spend time doing something which freshens up ur grey cells. Well bully me, but if we IT guys are soo busy being creative (and getting paid wads and wads of dough for it) and trying to make this world a better place to live in, then why these problems in the first place?? I leave that as an open-ended question - becoz obviously I am not a prophet with all the answers. Hell, I'm a nerd as well - but I am trying, oh so trying to change!
Well this is nothing but an on-the-spot insane post by me - so before I lose my train of thought - let me invite all u nerds busy writing lines of code, to BLOG a few lines instead. Because, believe me, I don't require my toothbrush to be programmed to regenerate it's bristles. I'd rather go out and buy a new toothbrush instead. And I think u'll feel a lot better doing something really creative!!!
10 comments:
Your post seems a bit paradoxical to me... You say that you work in the IT industry and on the other hand you mentioned a good looking female in your office ?? THATS NOT POSSIBLE.. well, atleast its hard to digest.. Just tell us the company you work for, I am applying for a job there ;-) Pretty gals, freedom to write a blog at 3 in the day.... what else do you need ?? ;-)
Prasanna..u know something.. coding is not at all about creativity..it is about innovations..it is about facilitating easy life for users..
Oye Handa, tu yahan bhi pahunch gaya..yaar..Do something else also other than writing creative blogs
good, you don't allow anonymous comments. Kay mein yaha enter maar sakti hung?
I agree with you. That's why I am not marrying a software engineer. heck! am I dying a spinster?
Prasanna, you yourself being in software industry say all this... then why are you here ? :) ..you know the advantages..whatever points you have mentioned are not true about software industry... anyway.
Arunima.. IT is not bad and software engg. are also human..they work , think this way that they innovate new things..the fuzzy logic in your washing machine and refrigerator has been implemented by some software engg. which is making your life easy . and ofcourse there is no hype about it.. its all truth..now if u wish to marry software engg. then do consider....:)
Arunima don't listen to Amit - ya software is a bad industry - it is evil and corrupts you inside out - just look at Amit!!! Don't worry I am changing my job - decided to be a gardener - wanna marry a gardener Arunima???
if 99=3, 3=99. it's simple. no logic required. why are u thinking so hard.
I would love to. My house will be full of flowers. how romantic! you don't have to pay to gift me flowers. So, shall I propose or you will do the honours?
mere blog mein bhi aaa be!
hey prasanna, looks like u are having that free day between deadlines :). Yeah I have also heard my friends complaining about the monotonous lives that they have at times. But I don't think there is anything wrong with the IT industry as such. Because: 1. Almost all the industries put u in such routines. Consider banking, manufacturing etc. Few have the luxury of working in really creative things.
2. People go into IT just for money and so they don't enjoy it. Believe me there is a lot of creativity that u can put into mere coding if u really enjoy it :)
And also consider that the wonderful things like IM, email and even the blogger were created by some sw engg. Now it would take some amount of creativity. Won't it?
Well creativity is not the be all and end all. At the end of the day I guess you sleep a satisfied person when you know you have given your best. And I think the happiest person is one whose hobby is his profession.
needless to say i disagree..
lookin at ur pc monitor 24x7 is definitely not creative if u dont hv a vision.. when i create something.. may it be a program for toaster.. which wud be a typical example for embedded systems.. which cud be adopted to maybe a rocket propulsion system.. or i create a simple semaphore controlling threaded reader or writers.. when it works.. i feel a sheer pleasure thinking that all intricate systems the logic.. the components put together.. all thought conceived and created by me works!! and if i can publish it some ppl can actually take advantage of my effort.. this is the pleasure or creativity.. when galilio measured the speed of falling objects it must hv been lot of complex numbers and equations.. he must hv been a geek.. dont u think he is creative?
all comes back to one point.. do u like the work u r doing.. for the sake of creativity.. or u do it cuz u hv nothing else to.. or do u hv to..
well written anshuman - I won't agree or disagree with your comments. They are yopur views after all, and once upon a time when I was your age I did actually think a lot like you did (I had stars in my eyez back)
Maybe I am a lot cynical these days - anyway, for me it's like - "Been here, done that!" So what I am gonna do is let u finish ur education, let you work for a few years in the industry and then I'll get back to you and see whether u still have stars in your eyes!
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