Re^2: Software engineering: a useless profession?

Is it just me or do some of the rest of you also attempt avoid letting people find out you work with computers?

No, thats a common behavior. If you tell someone that you're a programmer or something similar, some of them want you to fix their IT-problems, the other ones think that you're somehow a strange person. So it is sometimes the best idea to give only vague answers to questions about your job.

Comment on Re^2: Software engineering: a useless profession?

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•Re^3: Software engineering: a useless profession? by merlyn (Sage) on Nov 05, 2004 at 18:24 UTC
I sometimes say "I write books about computers, and teach computer classes". But more often, I just say "I'm a professional standup comedian". It's simpler, and about the same craziness, and people can relate to it a bit better. -- Randal L. Schwartz, Perl hacker Be sure to read my standard disclaimer if this is a reply.	[reply]
Re^4: Software engineering: a useless profession? by digiryde (Pilgrim) on Nov 05, 2004 at 23:43 UTC
I just tell people I am an entrepreneur. Then they think I have no job skills at all (outside of making money off other people's work).	[reply]
Re^3: Software engineering: a useless profession? by poqui (Deacon) on Nov 05, 2004 at 18:57 UTC
I don't avoid telling people that I work with computers, but I don't get into the details of what I do, unless they are persistent. I am a Data Warehouse designer, ETL programmer, and SQL expert; none of which are easy to explain to non-techies, so usually I will tell people that I am a professional Computer Nerd. That usually gets enough across.	[reply]