← back program writer Jan 5, 2026I majored in theoretical physics. It was a conscious decision, even though it pissed off my dad. He wanted me to major in computer science because he thought I'd end up as a professor. Why did he think that was bad? I dunno, it baffles me to this day.
Anyway, I usually use the title Program Writer instead of Software Engineer because, well:
- I didn't major in computer science.
- I didn't want to disrespect those who put in the effort to major in that field.
- It just felt right.
People have asked me why Program Writer instead of, say, Software Developer. Until a few days ago, I didn't have a good answer. But now I think I do:
- Programming is solving explicit problems in a verifiable manner.
- Coding is expressing a programming solution in a formal language.
- Software engineering is building a product for the real world.
I've done all three, but I think programming suits me best—for a couple of reasons:
- I'm a physicist. We're trained to approach things in a peculiar way, and our solutions are expected to be verifiable.
- Physicists enjoy solving problems, all kinds of problems, in many areas, even the ones beyond our reach.
- Physicists live with uncertainty. Maybe not love it, but we're trained to stay functional in that uncomfortable state.
- Our formal language is science.
So it kind of makes sense to call myself:
A Program Writer.
Q.E.D.