We Should All Learn How To Code, Period!

One day we will all be developers, won't be?

Do we really need all those writers, designers, translators, paralegals, and other freelance categories? After all, the freelancing party was initially and exclusively organized for developers. Then, the others joined.

The facts are undeniable. The overwhelming majority of all available freelance projects is reserved for coders. There's a constant demand for new developers. It seems that we just can't have enough of freelance programmers, can we?

I can tell you first-hand that it's not easy being a freelance writer. I mean, it's not easy working as a freelancer. I create the content for a new website. Then I'm done. And, a client is gone. In the best-case scenario, I have to hope that a client cares a lot about his website's blog. Even then, nobody needs new blogs every single day. You design a logo, and you are already looking for a new client. You just created a contract, and it's time to make a new one. The same applies to all freelancers, expect the developers.

When I look at all those hourly-based projects for coders, the jealousy overwhelms me. Whether it is the development of a new app or maintenance of the existing systems, you have something to do as a programmer every single day. So, who or what is stopping me from learning some Java to begin with?

I used to do some writing work for a client who also happened to be a developer. I was obviously not in the good mood when I complained about my situation. I was the only writer working on his projects where dozens of coders were needed. So, I said that I wished I could become a programmer in his team rather than a writer.

My client told me that there was a chance for me to match his coding skills one day in the distant future. He also said to me that was no way he could become a writer, ever. His two cents for me was that I should continue working as a writer. Furthermore, I should try to become even a better writer than I was. Why? According to my client, it's easier to find a good developer than an excellent writer.

Was he telling the truth? Maybe he already had enough developers and he was just being kind to me. Or, maybe he knew something I didn't. You know, the luxury of being able to see the big freelance picture.

So, here's the million-dollar question I have to ask.

Imagine the world where all other "digital species" are extinct. No designers, translators, virtual assistants, writers, data entry clerks, and similar - only coders. Wouldn't that be a sight? Not sure that would be an ideal world, though. Are we already experiencing the hyper-production of developers? The statistics favor the coders. There's so much work to be done that there's a constant shortage of developers. But, for how long? Is there a limit on how many developers our brave new digital world can provide the work for?

I don't know and I don't want to know. I'm an old writing dog who's too old to learn new code tricks. So, I will stick to writing.

class HackerNoon {
    public static void main(String[ ] args) {
        System.out.println("To code or not to code?");
    }
}