I am happy to hear that one can be a developer and understand TCP/IP and not be a "techie" since the dimunitive nounized form of tech, "techie", always has a condescending air about its use. Likewise "coder" and often even "geek". When my partner stays up all night reading wikipedia I can humorously say "Looks like you had a major geek-out session." This is taken in a very different sense than when a touring MBA says "So is this the cage where you keep the geeks?"
That last bit struck a nerve to me. I think the dichotomy between "suits" and "geeks" really hurts a lot of companies.
A former boss loved mentioning things his "engineers" have accomplished when he's on teleconferences, but when he's upset at something done at the technical level, he refers to them as the "geek squad".
I see the same thing when I'm surrounded by the engineers. They all refer to management as "the suits" and speak condescendingly of non-engineering work.
This difference seems like it's transcended a bit in startup culture, which is one of the most attractive parts of it to me.
I use the term coder for myself, because I think it is more accurate than any other phrase. I will never be a software engineer. I don't think of myself as a Real Programmer, and I don't expect to ever publish any program that will be used by my grandmother.
I like doing stats, and making sure that I really understand how things work, and at times automating parts of my life. At most I will end up knowing three of the programming languages that currently exist, and those only to a moderate level.
Calling myself a coder is, I believe, an accurate summary of my skill set and desires. Is there a better term? Is it condescending only when applied to engineers or programmers?
I despise it when people call me a "techie". Pushes my buttons like few other things. Seriously? Yeah, I'm the "techie" and you're the "widdle manager-wanager"
