As A Programmer I Really Hate my Work

Because it always involves supporting some corporate infrastructure or web sites, while I always dreamed working on something cooler, like research or engineering project. So I'm always happy when employers fire me, due to my zero initiative to do the boring work.

>>1
In my limited experience, REAL ENGINEERING PROJECTS aren't any better than ENTERPRISE. In the end you're still pouring your energy into a tiny corner of some system that nobody appreciates except as a necessary part of a larger whole.

People who are in a position to effect changes to a whole system generally aren't programmers. Many technical leads were programmers once, but they've long since had any sense of joy squeezed out of them as a result of prolonged constant contact with marketing and management types.

Some say consulting or startup work are better, but you'd better be very, very good or the cost of the more interesting work will be your steady paycheck.

I've worked in a research lab, it was great, somewhat regret quiting that job. Did a wide mix of programming from experiment control to data analysis, system & network admin, even worked in the machine shop occationally. Of course you'll need a fairly broad skill set for that sort job. Also look for labs that have multiple funding sources.

I hate programming for others. I've hated it since college, where it took a mind bogglingly large amount of effort to get the clueless frat boys, potheads, and Indians that I always got stuck with in group projects to do the simplest of things. Even most open source projects that are interesting to me are full of people who have all the ideas and no skill to implement them, or assholes who try to pull rank for petty internet penis points. And lately, more and more social justice types that fuck every thing up, and ``artists'' that want to make everything look like Chrome by removing all the features.

For me, the true enjoyment from programming comes from tinkering with things alone.

I've never programmed for money and I love programming. So fucking addictive.

>>2
I've done consulting and it's actually worse than being a programmer.

As a consultant you end up doing a lot of trivial work that you could pass on to graduates if you were working at a software company.