This phrase, "For the coders", is offensive to many cultures and groups of people because, to them, the word "coder" is an insult and means a second-rate programmer or engineer who does cheap, mindless monkey work"—in contrast to the proper terms "programmer", "developer" and "software engineer".
And right now, for many people, the word "coder" has negative connotations and is clearly associated with "vibe-coding".
I suggest replacing it with any of the following options, which are clear and acceptable to everyone:
"For the coders" -> "For the _"
devs
developer(s) / development
programmer(s) / programming
hacker (in its original, first meaning) / hacking
If you don’t understand the nature of the concern and are wondering why — simply look for the answers online or ask an LLM.
In which cultures and among which groups of people is it preferable to use the terms "programmer", "developer" or "engineer" rather than the term "coder", which is considered offensive?
Personally I don't understand why that is a problem, it seems perfectly fine for me. Why do you say it's offensive? I've never seen it as a synonymus of "2nd tier programmer", personally.
Damn, you're right... Yeah, I'd rather use '4 dem pickers' if referring to myself as a coder. Also 'testers' for QAs. Like that, no caps nor anything. In my subculture using caps and an accurate, descriptive, non-slang term, is offensive.
Yeah, saying ask any LLM just destroyed any credibility you had. Links to articles(non-AI generated) or research of any kind would've sufficed. Good luck, fellow coder.
I did a quick google search instead (emphasys on QUICK), and what I mostly found was other people voicing their own opinions as to why the term bothers them.
English is not my first language, but I can find an analogy with an example from my language. One of my family members works in a hair salon, and when they referred to her as what can be translated to "hairdresser", she would correct them for the term that translates to "hair stylist". In general, hairdressers are viewed as blue-collar working people, whereas stylist are somewhat sought after for their creativity and reputation. However, people who are not dealing with the hair business every day just call everyone a hairdresser.
This correction on her side only started happening after a few years of her doing training and improving her craft. So she didn't feel identified with "hairdresser" anymore. But that doesn't mean that the term is derogatory in any way, it simply stopped representing what she's capable of doing nowadays.
I believe that a coder is not something to be considered demeaning. it's what we do, we code, we deal with code; and IMO, the fact that we can do more beyond "code" (specially after years of working and improving) shouldn't be a reason to take offense to the term. It's just slightly outdated, but I think it's still ok for people who don't know the intricacies of this industry to use it.
Not only is this not really appropriate to bring up on the dev forum (if this truly is a concern for you, you should go directly to Panic), this concern doesn't seem grounded in fact.
If this concern is based off of what AI has told you, PLEASE seek help and look into AI psychosis. LLMs are not a reliable source, they just agree with users. I know alot of people are making jokes about this, but I'm genuinely concerned.
I read the playdate digest emails every time I get them and they're great, but this thread inspired me to sign up so I can ask that people take their AI whining somewhere else, it's offtopic; you're not going to convince anyone; and you're really annoying. So please just stop it.
I hope it was embarrassing, as it should be when you're being pedantic and weird with no cited sources.
But I think the attention may have been what they wanted.
