My perspective: I've wanted to be a developer since I was like 11, and first started using HyperCard on the Mac. I liked being able to create stuff and share it

My perspective: I've wanted to be a developer since I was like 11, and first started using HyperCard on the Mac. I liked being able to create stuff and share it with people (via AOL shareware libraries, back then :P). I've been out of school and working for a big company in the InfoServices dept. for 2 years, and it sucks. Great pay, benefits, really boring support work with lots of vendor management and semi-incompetent peers. So tell him not to do that. But if he likes development, I'd definitely encourage him to be a developer. I'd just strongly encourage him to start writing his own stuff now. Don't get bogged down with the coursework in college, but start a few personal projects and finish them. Sell them if you can, but don't focus on Big Money, just do fun stuff. And when school's over, at least try doing your own thing before taking a job somewhere. I didn't try; never really thought it was an option, and now I have to do my project on the side. Definitely doable, but when you're young, it's a great chance to give it a try fulltime. I think PG's mentioned this kind of thing in his essays ;). Uh, I'm rambling, but it boils down to: Encourage him, but let him know that the real fun of software development comes in an environment where you have some control/responsibility, and lets you use some creativity without going through the bureaucracy. So get good early, do some fun stuff, get a job somewhere cool or start your own thing. Programming is fun, but I wouldn't recommend the big company path.