# What They Thought of Programmers.

DevFeed: [What They Thought of Programmers.](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/what-they-thought-of-programmers-21782.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<http://blog.cleancoder.com/uncle-bob/2019/11/03/WhatTheyThoughtOfUs.html>)

Published: 2019-11-03T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Robert C. Martin](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/robert-c-martin.md>), [The Clean Code Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/the-clean-code-blog.md>)

Topics: [Programming](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/programming.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>)

Tags: [culture](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/culture.md>), [programming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/programming.md>)

## AI overview

The article examines how programmers and programming have been represented in popular culture over roughly six decades. It begins with early science fiction, especially Forbidden Planet, where programming is implied through intelligent machines and Dr. Morbius is portrayed as their creator.

## Source excerpt

It is interesting and educational to go back in time and look at how programmers were represented in popular culture. What did they think of us? Did they know who were? It's important to remember that prior to 1946 there were no programmers, that computers themselves were virtually unknown until the late '50s. That virtually nobody lived next door to a programmer back then. Nowadays virtually everyone in the western world, and even in much of the developing world, is surrounded by computers. And while programming remains a mystery to many, programmers are common neighbors. So let's scan the last six decades and watch as the culture changes it's view of just who we are and what we do. 1956 Forbidden Planet It's best to begin at the beginning. The first truly classic Science Fiction movie. Forbidden Planet. If you haven't seen it, you are missing something profound and spectacular. I urge you to watch - even study - it. There are no explicit mentions of computers or programmers in this movie. The concept was simply not something that the public could relate to. However there was a machine. A very big machine. And the implication was that it was intelligent, but not sentient. In the movie the anti-hero Dr Morbius is marooned on the uninhabited world of Altair 4. He discovers an ancient alien machine. Two decades later rescuers arrive. He shows them the machine and states: "I have reason to believe that years ago a minor alteration was performed throughout the entire 8000 cubic miles of it's own fabric." The programmers of that big machine are long dead; but they are described as belonging to a highly evolved and benevolent alien race. There is another machine on this planet. It is a robot named Robby. Robby is clearly intelligent and sentient. Robby speaks English, with the inflection of a proper british butler, rather in the manner of Carson on Downton Abbey. Dr. Morbius claims to have created the Robot; so he is clearly the programmer. Morbius is studious, austere, e