Yup, kinda feel this way as well -- and I think this statement explains best how most creeps we work for think of us: CODE PRELOAD MOVEABLE DISCARDABLE.
And it's not just programming it's across the board when it comes to the computer field in general. It also amazes me to see how much idiots have control of things. Time after time in my years in the computer industry -- I have seen idiots placed in charge of things, or have power over things when they had little or no understanding of what they were dealing with.
As well, the general attitude is more like "do it cause I said so" -- rather than "do it because this will make things better."
Quoting: kingbirdfivezero If you let yourself be discardable, you will be.
Like in every single profession known to man (except maybe politics), if you do the bare minimum to get the job done, the employer is going to give a bare minimum fuck about you.
Why would it be any different?
You need to
make yourself irreplaceable. That isn't your employer's job. Just putting time in means nothing. And yes, you can do it by being an absolute whore (the easy way), or you can do it the smart way by mastering an idea that they can't live without. You can spend a year digging a foundation for a house by hand, or you can do the smart thing and do it by tractor.
Expand your beliefs.
And by the way -- not all programming bosses are dicks. However, if you think like that I can garuntee you'll never be one.
Why? Because why would you want to be something you believe to be bad in a black and white fashion?
That's like whining that you don't have money, but then going and saying that people with money are greedy assholes. Then why would you ever have money? Your belief system is self limiting as you can see.
When you work smart -- you end up working for yourself, even when you're employed. Why? Because employers do what they can to keep people that work smart.
It's a profession that requires intelligence, but that don't get "programming intelligence" blind you from your massive room for improvement.
