Are You Just In It For The Money?

Peter Van Ooijen made a post today that ended up being Kicked and generated some discussion.  Basically he's saying that a Software Architect should code.  I agree.  A Software Architect should be someone who is passionate about technology and development.  Some people say they were never given time to code.  I say that's bullshit.  Are you a developer for the pay, or because it's something you love? 

If you are not passionate about what we do, get out.  Seriously.  I don't want you in my industry, make room for those developers who ARE passionate about what they do.  Make room for those developers who spend at least some of their free time putting around with languages they don't know, technology that's just coming out.  If all you want is a paycheck there are plenty of other places you can go.

I want the kid who hacks on vBulletin in his spare time for his World of Warcraft guild.  I want the father who waits until his kids go to sleep and then spends a few hours hacking in XNA.  Where are those people? 

Why does the guy who simply got in this business because it was "hot" get promoted, while the people who Live To Code are left at the bottom rungs?    Part of it is choice I'm sure, I've done the managerial bit, it's less "fun" for sure.  But those in the trenches are frequently ignored, while those who read "Buzzword Weekly" make all the important decisions.

Fortunately, it seems Peter has a good architect who at least knows what he doesn't know, and that's a good start.