If Software Is Eating The World, Why Don't Coders Get Any Respect?
There are a lot of very fundamental misunderstandings of economics and labor structures in here.  But I'll start with the general objection that you'll run into:<p>The core of your argument is entitled whining.<p>Computer programmers can make truckloads of money the same way that everyone else can:  by seeking it.  If your professional goals are aligned with making money, then your chances of making a lot of money go way up.  Top lawyers aren't paid the most because they know the law the best; that's ancillary.  They're paid big bucks because they win money for their clients, prevent their clients from losing money and build networks to people that have money to give them.  Likewise, programmers who define their goals economically (which broadly includes creating value for users) have nearly unparalleled earning potential.<p>8 of the 20 richest people in America are (or have been, at least nominally) programmers.<p>The crux of things is that you don't get rich for being a skilled technician -- and I use that word broadly.  Lawyers don't get rich for knowing the law, bankers don't get rich for understanding economics and programmers don't get rich for slinging code.  You get rich by creating value (or at least tying yourself at an opportune moment to a benefactor whose goals are so aligned).<p>The rest of folks are compensated at prevailing market rates for their technical skills -- and incidentally, American programmers are paid better than in almost any other country.<p>But claiming that "computer programmers don't get respect" is broken on so many levels.  First, computer programmers are certainly among the most respected trades.  You need to interact with a broader cross-section of society if you believe that not to be the case.  Second, the baseline for becoming a programmer isn't very high -- certainly nothing on the order of becoming a doctor or lawyer.  The median programmer has jumped over far fewer hurdles than the median doctor or lawyer.  (I got my first programming job at 17.  I'd have needed another decade of non-trivial training before I'd have been able to get a job as a doctor.)  The spectrum is far broader for programmers, and as such, the respect a programmer commands has more to do with their actual status within those ranks than simply being a part of that trade.  But again, the spectrum extends up to "richest person in the world", so we're hardly being shafted.<p>If being respected among the elite is something that you want, align your goals with that.  If it's not, enjoy the fact that you're in a trade where even untrained, mediocre practitioners reach the top 10% of American incomes.