Programming Jobs Losing Luster in US

Linux News carries an article about how the image of a programmer is losing it's luster. The title is misleading in that programming jobs are not going away, just the image of someone sitting in their cubicle all day only writing code is going away. Companies will always be on the look out for someone who can write inovative solutions will always be in demand.

Having said that, the days of a programmer sitting in his cubicle writing only code are going away. Programmers need to get out and find other ways of helping an organization. I believe having experience with open source projects where people look for ways to integrate and develop projects that someone might need is important. The skill to take a program and adapt it to what soemone needs will be an important skill going forward.

This reminds me of one of the manufacturing differences that many people believe exist between America and Japan. During the 70's, 80's & early 90's people looked at America and saw a great potential to develop and do the raw research to develop innovations. After that there was very little support in moving that idea towards what consumers want, much like Henry Ford's belief that you can have your model T in any color as long as it was Black
Japan on the other hand built a reputation on adapting and modifying ideas to what consumers wanted. Taking the transistor and making watches, producing TV's etc. We've come along way since then in that America has picked up the ability to adapt ideas and products to what best suits the situation.

This ability to develop and adapt programs to what best suits a situation is one area I think will be in demand in the coming years.