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Happy to answer your queries

I have no authority to tell the people to do something or not to do something. But I can tell you that I am older than 35. I became a professional programmer after I was 35.

If a person began his/her programmer career 30 years ago and now seeking a Java programmer position, probably I won't give him an opportunity for an interview. I think I am just following the nature rules. If I lose my job after I am 50, I don't think I can get a new job as a programmer. The exception is that I have ever helped some younger people and they want to reward me by helping me re-employeed.

I guess you got very emotional on my predudice towards the old guys. Please don't feel offended. Some managers have prejudice toward femaled programmers, but we still see some female programmers survive and do great jobs. If you are older than 35 and you are condifent in your skill set and competence, you should not care much for my words. All of us are getting older and older!
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  • 工作学习 / IT杂谈 / Jabber and all IT Expert,Let's discuss how to become an architect!
    I think it is a better way for us to become an architect because we cannnot write code all the life as we are getting older and older. So how to become an architect? What should one learn?This is the way I have done now:

    1>.I have read the book <<Design pattern>>.
    2>.I have read the book <<Uml and Ration Rose>>.

    Then how to continue? Could anyone discuss with me?Could anyone give some advice in details?Thanks in advance!
    • 丰富的经验, 还要有比较广的NETWORK方面的知识. 我这里的ARTECHITECTOR是UBC的博士.经验不足, 还是会犯一些简单错误.
      • Database modelling is also very important
    • Archtect sometimes is very platform specific. A dot net architect may not know much about the design of the dot in the dot com for example
    • Sorry for replying to you so late....
      本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Sun's Java Center ( Sun's consulting divisiion) has a lot of architects and all of those people are programmers, too. I understand that an architect needs to be hands-on. If an architect has not written any code for 2 years, I think he/she is doing architect things for architecture. At the same time, an architect cannot be always an archect. Today, I reviewed 15 resumes for my company and I found that a lot of candidates have ever been architects. If we hire one of them, I can only use them as a developer. Even they are very experienced, they have to follow my instructions if they are hired---I have no time to hear their good ideas.

      Being an architect, one must be good at corporate politics. Being an architect does not mean being savvy in technology. You should be able to deal with a lot of administrative things. All these are established on your personality and your commanding of English language, not on your technology.

      I would be happy to discuss some details. If I am late in responding to you, however, please forgive me.更多精彩文章及讨论,请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
      • You are so kind to give your idea.
        You are so kind to give your idea. I have some quextions to discuss with you:

        1> According to what you said ,it is very hard for us to become an architect,very few of us can become an architect . Is that right? How to solve it? Well,we are getting older and cannot write code all the time.So what's the right way for us ?

        2> Could you describe a way that we can become an architect step by step? What to learn and how to learn in details?

        3> How do you see the future of J2EE,Java , C++ and C# .Net?

        4>Would you mind telling me what your position is right now and how do you see your future in next 5 years?

        Thanks very much!
        • Some thoughts to share with you
          本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛I have met a lot of archiects in my short programmer career. Most of them are dummies---they have many years of experiences but their skill sets are obsolete. These architects are actually managers. They don't do architecture things. They might choose Java technology simply because other companies are using Java. In the team led by such architects, the design things may be done by some lower-level persons without an architect title, or by a consultant from the outside. However, these people are good at playing with buzz words such as scalability, maintainability, reusability, turn-key solution, web-enabled, Java-enabled, .....you name it. Such persons are very superficial but they are there. In comparison to them, our weakpoints are too purtruding. Because of our lack of a good commanding of the English language, we cannot follow these people's examples.

          In some sense, an architect should be a person who can be placed on any positions. Of course, an architect takes the responsibility to conjecture the whole architecture. In any project, however, there are some hard bones and the archiect should be able to lead the people to work on them. Reading the gang of four book, playing with Rational Rose, and getting a Sun or Microsoft certificate are very helpful and even necessary. However, it's still far away from being an architect. An archietct needs some hands-on skills and good coding ability, otherwise he is doing guessing work. The question is: Who gives you the first opportunity? Usually, some architects grow up from a programmer. They were good programmers and they earned their manager's trust and then got their first try.


          An architect needs to possess a character of leadership, otherwise his teammembers won't respect and follow him. Simply creating some class diagrams and documentation does not work. In a team, there are various kinds of people. Some people may think they are better than you, can do better jobs than you, and even try to overturn you. Under my wing, there are some very experienced people. For instance, one of my Oracle developers are very savvy in PL/SQL programming (My PL/SQL skill is not good). He thinks he can do anything well and he is as proud as a peacock. He even told me that he is a threat to all the other people where he is about. What I need to do is to handle him and make sure he follows my instruction.

          An architect needs to have a very good communication skills, otherwise he cannot survive the corporate politics and make his developer understand his idea. Clients' business requirement are not always reasonable, implementable. In such a case, an architect should be able to communicate with the clients or users, suggest new ideas and help the clients out. This task is by no means a piece of cake. Some clients are very, very stubborn but you need be able to do business with them. Some people are very good at C++, or PL/SQL programming, but they cannot be an architect. The reason is that they cannot communicate with the business owver. If you think you have to use technology jargons as you talk, you cannot be an architect. Business owners are interested in business only, and they cannot understand your technology terms such as RequestDispatcher, materialized view, and ....


          My present title is archiect. I, along with our lead developer, lead a team of 9 people. I am the third one that my CTO hired. I may say I helped to establish the whole team. I have very strong influence on my CTO. Without my recommendation, no one can join our team. I don't want to see very far. Of course, we need to face a cruel fact---- we are getting older. Sometimes I have a very bad feeling. I give you an example. I have beening hiring and am continuing to hire people (Sorry, I am in USA and I cannot hire people from Canada because of corporate policy). As I screen those job candidats, I relentlessly throw away those
          old guy's resumes. I have ever asked mmyself: Am I a reasonable person? Is it fair to do so? After a thought, my answer is yes. My reasoning is: If I were at those people's position, nobody would show sympathy on me. There is no job security in this market. What I can tell you is: If I lose my job now, I don't know how much time it's going to take me to get a new one. Another thing I want to tell you is that I have been tired of being an architect. I prefer to be a developer---fewer responsibily and easier life. Since the beginning of October, I have worked 10-16 hours everyday,.... this is why I have stopped posting my English notes.

          It's never too late for us to learn. We should keep learning until we give up. It is very important for an archiect to have a big picture, because he/she cannot command all the technical details. You should have some experiences and knowledge in the following fields: data modeling, performance theory, testing theory, uml, design patterns, software life-cycles.....


          It is a good idea for you to try to become an architect. However, archiect is only a title, not a profession. In my humble opinion, an architect is just a special type of programmer and he/she has more qualifications and responsibilities. If you get an opportunity to be an architect, go ahead and do it. If you don't get it, be a programmer and be happy! If you have been in Canada not for a long time, please be patient and observe the world. There is no short-cut for you to become an archiet. Taking Sun's architect test does not help much.


          Java is not dying. It is still there. But it is no longer overheating. I think Java is a very good technology for creating web pages. I have more reservations for EJB technology. C++ is still there. It won't die very soon. I dare not overlook C# and .Net. Microsoft has strong marketing momentum and it can succeed if it pay attention to an IT sector). I don't think .Net will completely defeat Java and J2EE. The life has come back to its true status--- no technology should be as overheated as Java 2 years ago.更多精彩文章及讨论,请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
          • 你说的有一点我感受比较深,不少洋人靠些buzz words 活着,还有不懂硬撑的。
          • Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. You've been very frank and deserve my respect.
            Once I visited a US forum for programmers. One said that he had been a programmer, IT department manager and even CEO. He was in his forties at the time and was working as a programmer analyst again. It's his own choice. His reason was exactly what you said - "fewer responsibilities and easier life". He spent 40% of his time analysing, 60% coding and testing. He was used to leaving his office at 5pm. He said he was able to enjoy his life once again.
          • I wish I saw this years ago. Thank you!
            Although during the past several years I did quite a bit architect work, I still put my title as "Senior Software Engineer" on my resume. Whenever I have been asked what kind of work I like to do, I always say design and implementation because that is something I really enjoy doing.

            In Silicon Valley there were people with half year experience declaring themselves as "Architect", especially in last year and the year before. But they failed to explain what a "Command" pattern is.

            I share your view on EJB. Compare to the excellent design of J2SE, EJB seems marginal to me. Of course Sun still offered good stuff in J2EE, such as the proven JDBC, and my favorate - JMS.
          • very nice article!
          • My understanding are
            Thank you for your article! My understanding are:

            1.Only a few chinese can become a archiect because of english.

            2.To be a programmer is also a good choice,so a programmer donot need to try to be a archiect.

            3.It seems that the future of our chinese programmers is not bright after our age are 40 or 50.

            Are they right?
          • Thank you for your post. But I have two questions: 1. Why old guys are refused? Old = bad
            Thank you for your post. But I have two questions: 1. Why old guys are refused? Old = bad performance? 2. Do you think new immigrants older than 35 should go directly to labour work, and give up persuing decent job? Thanks in advance!
            • Happy to answer your queries
              I have no authority to tell the people to do something or not to do something. But I can tell you that I am older than 35. I became a professional programmer after I was 35.

              If a person began his/her programmer career 30 years ago and now seeking a Java programmer position, probably I won't give him an opportunity for an interview. I think I am just following the nature rules. If I lose my job after I am 50, I don't think I can get a new job as a programmer. The exception is that I have ever helped some younger people and they want to reward me by helping me re-employeed.

              I guess you got very emotional on my predudice towards the old guys. Please don't feel offended. Some managers have prejudice toward femaled programmers, but we still see some female programmers survive and do great jobs. If you are older than 35 and you are condifent in your skill set and competence, you should not care much for my words. All of us are getting older and older!
              • Hello, jabber,
                First, Thank you for your reply.
                Second I am not offended by your post, neither get emotional. I am sorry my post make you feel that way. Actually I am interested in your posts and respect your opinion, though not agree all.
                I am not a programmer. I just don't understand why programmer must be young. According to nature rule, people get more knowlege and experience as they get older.
                Yes, you don't have the authority or responsibility to make decisions for people. But many guys here include myself like to listen to DX's voice on this issue. How slim the oportunty is for old guys, in your opinion? We know little about HR market in North America. Your advice surely will help us make decisions.
          • Jabber,Why do you have more reservations for EJB technology?
            Is it because the speed of Ejb is slower or it requires more resouce? Borland said now 10% of application use Ejb,it will be 40% in 2003.