IT dev that actually improve people lives

schuits said:
Anyone one here that is a dev that feels their job actually contributes something meaningful to society in general? I'd like to hear your stories.
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I am changing the future of South Africa one line of code at a time.
 
Yes - I write software that directly helps schools to improve their management, reporting and value for students. The software and related systems has directly led to an increase in various subject performance metrics provincially.

My actual job... no, not so much with the fulfillment.
 
IT is similar to Admin jobs
If you are good coder and write clean maintainable code, you are disposable as you cannibalize your own job.
If you are a bad coder and write messy unmaintainable code, your company is forced to keep you.
 
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Yes. We create service delivery software which has proven to improve service delivery in various cities and towns.
 
I guess. I improve (mostly :laugh: ) our users' entertainment experience. I suppose that makes people happier.
 
My personal, spare-time projects often add more value than those I work on during office hours. Admittedly, they add value only for me, but that is usually more than I can say about my day job.
 
skimread said:
IT is just like you are Admin.
If you are good coder and write clean maintainable code, you are disposable as you cannibalize your own job.
If you are a bad coder and write messy unmaintainable code, your company is forced to keep you.
Click to expand...

A well run company would realize that the continued employment of such people digs them deeper every day and that they should be cutting their losses as early as possible. I have seen this take the form of outright firing someone to sequestering said person to a very narrow responsibility in order to prevent the harm from spreading. I know one person who pats himself on the back daily for how essential he has made himself to my ex-employer, while everyone around him slowly gets promoted and/or moves on to better companies.
 
On topic:
When I was a researcher I worked on ideas that were very much applicable. This research has been used in numerous fields for real products, and has probably been used by some degree by many millions of people.

When I worked in tech, I worked on products that have been used by hundreds of millions of people - the products would have been measurably worse without my contributions, and in some cases probably wouldn't even have seen the light of day.

Moving to finance, the contributions obviously became less direct, but the technology I work on, from accelerator hardware, to networking and super-computing is generally applicable. Our financing and interaction with the various parties involved (requirements for hardware and software vendors), as well as the skill sets that we build in house before they move to other companies or research is definitely a solid win for society.

There is definitely a discourse about whether or not these big brains would better serve the world doing research at a university or tech company. It is certainly a valid criticism, but does have its flaws. I believe that many of these people would not have thrived if they had to teach, and in order to achieve (monetary) career progression, many of the best researchers end up becoming deans, research managers/supervisors/directors, or other types of administrators, rather than doing the work that they are best at.
 
schuits said:
Anyone one here that is a dev that feels their job actually contributes something meaningful to society in general? I'd like to hear your stories.
Click to expand...
Its a myth mostly but sometimes you do work those projects like delivery system for schools, handheld a medical device or even systems that promotes better money management. If these projects are implemented and used correctly, then of course you've done something meaningful over just another cost management system.

However, capitalism is about money build by people on people..
 
I worked on medical software which saved lives. Then they needed someone to blame for a project management issue.

If a project is successful the PMs takes credit for its success even if they did 0% . If a project fails because of PM issues then the coder is blamed.

This is South Africa.
 
schuits said:
Anyone one here that is a dev that feels their job actually contributes something meaningful to society in general? I'd like to hear your stories.
Click to expand...

I can go on about how my code helps capture criminals at the borders, makes the queues at points of entry shorter, makes individual and business tax filing processes much easier and process refunds quicker...

...and how I've helped loan sharks optimize their platforms...

...but mostly I fo it because the money improves my life.

Let's not **** around, it's all about me in the long run else I would've become a paramedic or game ranger.
 
Depends on how you define meaningful way and what % contribution on an existing system constitutes worth mention.

I’d say yes though a lot of times indirectly.. but then if you work for large organizations in telecoms from the start of career it’s nothing special that you Impact lots of people.

Guys working for FANG companies though.. those guys potentially impact globally large audiences for good and bad haha.
 
Now if only I didn't sign those non-disclosures.

I've helped individuals make money, start businesses, expand into new markets. I've helped educate students in every major country on earth, I've helped launch 6 youtube channels, free of charge. My errors on a spreadsheet cost a company a client, that they later found out was laundering money.

But my proudest moment, was the joyful tears in a 74 yo man's eyes when my dad and I fixed and restored his ancient mercedes. Why? It is the car he used to take his late wife on their first date, the car that took them all the way past our borders on their honeymoon, the car that carried his children to school and the car he drove when he had to say goodbye to her for the last time.

Giving him that beige land ship back,
Giving him another way to remember the good times in his life.

That, was a good day.
 
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