> A programmers work is always multiplied into the world. It is a huge responsibility - and I think we all should act more like it.
Unfortunately this same fact also means that varrious kinds of important software are hard to get developed.
When someone writes code to blink a mildly annoying advert on youtube it effects a billion people and can make millions or hundreds of millions in revenue. But code needed to make a local car wash' robots more efficient? -- unlikely to get written unless someone thinks they can sell it to a chain: a large number of programmers get snatched up by places like google that deploy to billions of people. Even though in the past when there were far fewer qualified programmers it might have been easier to get the car wash software developed because there simply was nowhere that could deploy software to a billion people instead (much less highly profitably).
The enormous leverage of software is an undeniable force for good. But it also changes the incentive structures of the world in ways that have negative effects too. :(
This isn't limited to software either, improvements to mass production has made mass produced goods extremely inexpensive-- but by that same token custom work has become much more expensive. And the world around us has become much more homogenized and cookie cutter as a result. But the leverage that software potentially has is vastly greater than other things because of its zero marginal cost of production.
Unfortunately this same fact also means that varrious kinds of important software are hard to get developed.
When someone writes code to blink a mildly annoying advert on youtube it effects a billion people and can make millions or hundreds of millions in revenue. But code needed to make a local car wash' robots more efficient? -- unlikely to get written unless someone thinks they can sell it to a chain: a large number of programmers get snatched up by places like google that deploy to billions of people. Even though in the past when there were far fewer qualified programmers it might have been easier to get the car wash software developed because there simply was nowhere that could deploy software to a billion people instead (much less highly profitably).
The enormous leverage of software is an undeniable force for good. But it also changes the incentive structures of the world in ways that have negative effects too. :(
This isn't limited to software either, improvements to mass production has made mass produced goods extremely inexpensive-- but by that same token custom work has become much more expensive. And the world around us has become much more homogenized and cookie cutter as a result. But the leverage that software potentially has is vastly greater than other things because of its zero marginal cost of production.