Narue

>How would you respond to that same question, in as few
>words as possible, to someone who's not so computer savvy?
Snippy answer: Without me, computers would be nothing more than boxes of metal, glass, and plastic.
Serious answer: I'm both an architect and a general contractor. But instead of buildings, I design and construct tools that make a computer useful.

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Fall Back Son

To be honest, its not that hard of a question to answer if you provide some sort of analogy. You just have to make the person understand that computers aren't magic and that they operate based on what they are told. A simple explanation might be that a computer is a device that can store and execute programs - I am a person that writes programs in a language that the computer can understand.

But to a curious person, any explanation you provide will lead to more questions, this is unavoidable. Tell them to shut up?

milot

Well I always respond that question similar to Fall Back Son, I ask them "Do you know the MSN Messenger or Internet Explorer that you use to chat with people or join on HI5 or Facebook?" they will tell me that "yeees we know that" and I tell them "well I make similar programs that people use them to accomplish their tasks as you do to finish chat with your friends and be able to see their posted pictures online".

but! that wasn't with a few words though. Although I cut my words too often, and I tell them "I write computer programs", if an asker doesn't understand I tell him to google for it, if he still doesn't still understand, so I just shut my mouth and not try to explain

Soulstorm

Well, my explanation would be something like:
-Tell me any program that you like to use on a computer
-<SomeProgram>
-Well, programmers are the people who make this.

It may be a silly explanation, but it's the best I can give to someone who doesn't understand and may confuse you for a geek when he/she hears the magic word "computers".

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lectricpharaoh

But I am a geek.

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hollystyles

I personally have never found it a problem. I just say I work with computers. They usually swiftly move onto another subject or if they're a geek too we end up talking shop way too long

When I meet new people I make a point of not asking what they do for a living until I know them a little better. We're lucky in the uk because we can always talk about the weather if we're struggling for something topical to break the ice. (no pun intended)

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Ancient Dragon

You walk into a grocery store and see a lot of boxes with some writing on them in black large letters and probably a barcode also in black ink. That was done with a computer program that I might have written. For another 10 years I wrote programs for wireless handheld barcode scanners to collect cargo shipping information.

Almost everything that everyone does today is affected by computers and computer programs. It is integrated into everyone's lives, even at home. TV, dishwasher, cloths washers, cloths dryers, microwave ovens, cars, etc. etc. the number of items is endless.

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Grich

Yeah, same here. Most people relate computers to geeks so they don't push the envelope. A typical conversation is like this:
Q: "So what to you do at college?"
A: "IT."
Q: "Cool. what type of IT?"
A: "Programming."
Q: "Cool, what's that?"
A: "Making software for computers."
Q: "Isn't that hard?"
A: "Meh. It's okay."
Q: "Can you make me a game?"
A: "No."

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Ooble

I've heard that one a few times, and I go to a science-oriented university. The other one is "Can you teach me how to make a game?" which is, perhaps, even worse.

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Mocker

Describing what you are doing as a programmer is easier then describing your job as a system admin. Usually I say "I write software", but when I was a system admin it got a lot harder. I either said that and left it, or had to go in a description of how the interwebs work in order for them to have any idea of what I was talking about.

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