# The Eight Levels of Programmers

**URL:** <https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194>\
**Category:** blog\
**Created:** [April 3, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194 "2009-04-03T00:00:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 8

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**Author:** ![Serinox](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@Serinox](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/Serinox)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/141 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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I’m kinda scared to think about where I fall on this list. Its probably depressingly low. Oh well I guess that gives me something to work towards :) .

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**Author:** ![Silvercode](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Silvercode](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/Silvercode)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/142 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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Whatever, but there needs to be designers, architects, and analysts too. And their levels. Programmers are or at least shouldn’t be alone.

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**Author:** ![AndreiR14](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@AndreiR14](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/AndreiR14)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/143 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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I see myself at 4.8 but I aim to be 6.0

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**Author:** ![James](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/j/bc8723/32.png) [@James](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/James)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/144 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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Well we all know Jeff is number 3, an Amateur Programmer.

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**Author:** ![Guitarmother](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/g/ee59a6/32.png) [@Guitarmother](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/Guitarmother)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/145 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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How do you people find the time babbling about this nonsense while you’re working programmers?. Either you’re very talented with multitasking capabilities or you don’t work enough…

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**Author:** ![JoeP](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@JoeP](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/JoeP)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/146 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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This is pretty bad.

All these levels are obvious. Why do they need to be stated at all?  
This list has no redeeming values whatsoever.

Tongue planted firmly in cheek? Nothing in here approaches humour.

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**Author:** ![oraclep](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/o/a88e57/32.png) [@oraclep](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/oraclep)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/147 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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going to b-school so i don’t have to freakin code any longer.

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**Author:** ![evan1](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/e/e47c2d/32.png) [@evan1](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/evan1)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/148 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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Hmm… shouldn’t this have gone from level zero to level seven instead?

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**Author:** ![genghis](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/g/e79b87/32.png) [@genghis](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/genghis)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/149 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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Why don’t you change ‘dead’ programmer to ‘immortal’ programmer?

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**Author:** ![Jay](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Jay](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/Jay)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/150 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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Sorry but Gates is not a programmer.

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**Author:** ![Nat1](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/n/9fc348/32.png) [@Nat1](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/Nat1)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/151 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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To be honest, the levels of programming are probably better represented by a B-tree rather than a list.

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**Author:** ![Ananth](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Ananth](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/Ananth)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/152 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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Lmao @ Jay, afraid Gates was a programmer, doesnt know what he does now

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**Author:** ![fschwiet](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/f/85f322/32.png) [@fschwiet](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/fschwiet)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/153 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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I’m sorry to hear Mr. Knuth has passed away. He was quite a remarkable person.

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**Author:** ![Sarat](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Sarat](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/Sarat)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/154 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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Excellent post Jeff

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**Author:** ![FutureT](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@FutureT](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/FutureT)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/155 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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So when a programmer builds a business around his work he ALSO has to be famous in order to be successful?

What a load of poppycock.

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**Author:** ![chrishad95](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chrishad95](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/chrishad95)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/156 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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Geez, when I read this post, I didn’t think it was meant to be an exhaustive list of programmers… I guess I was wrong, because based on the comments, most people thought that was what Jeff was trying to do. No love for Bill Joy!!! ha ha

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**Author:** ![Auir](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Auir](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/Auir)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/157 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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I’d label myself #4. I began coding as a hobby and luckily landed a fantastic programming job, but I have no aspirations to be programming professionally in the future. Not even 2 years from now.

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**Author:** ![sillya](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@sillya](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/sillya)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/158 "2009-04-05T00:00:00Z")

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obviously some programmers are better than others… this article is pointless/useless

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**Author:** ![UNKNOWN7](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/u/c4cdca/32.png) [@UNKNOWN7](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/UNKNOWN7)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/159 "2009-04-06T00:00:00Z")

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Stupid people..the level posted by jeff dont mean anything…  
he is just trying to show directions to programmers…  
and about bill gates..  
he may not be a programmer ..but he certainly has a very strong background in programming ..and that reflects in his company..enuf said..  
and now back to programming(read blogs..)…  
:)

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**Author:** ![gogole](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v2/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gogole](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/u/gogole)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://discourse.codinghorror.com/t/the-eight-levels-of-programmers/194/160 "2009-04-06T00:00:00Z")

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Gates was a programmer? Whom are you kidding? What code did he actually wrote?

Are you kidding me? get updated here : [http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/History/The-History-of-Microsoft-1975/](http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/History/The-History-of-Microsoft-1975/)

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