Computer People In Your Neighborhood
The Software Scientist
This is a man who takes a mathematical algorithm, performs a series of
transformations on it and ends up with a program in lambda-calculus. This program is
_correct_, meaning it will do what it is supposed to. Now all he needs is a
lambda-calculus interpreter, a stable operating system, a computer with a proven
architecture and an uninterruptable power supply.
The Software Engineer
This is a man who thinks that if he divides the task up into small enough pieces, it will
disappear and he can go back to reading news.
The Programmer
The programmer will listen to your requirements, sit down and actually write you a
program. Unfortunately, it doesn't do what you want it to, but what the programmer
thinks you _ought_ to want it to do.
The Hacker
The hacker will listen while you tell him what you want, say "that's easy", and type an
amazingly long command line with about 30 pipes. As the line executes, you can hear
the disk thrashing away with the effort of opening and closing all the temporary files.
The Hardware Buff
This is the guy who tries to implement an awk interpreter in discrete logic...
The System Administrator
While idly looking round to see what's going on, discovers a process with a
suspicious-sounding name, kills it and asks you via mail what it was. This happened to
me: the process was my login shell, bash!