[resplin]

Starving artist is not a good analogy. Software is a trade that provides economic benefit to the recipient, rather than purely entertainment.

Better analogies would be to an architect, general contractor, plumber, or mechanic. Anyone can do these jobs with proper training. They don't live off repeated sales of single pieces of intellectual property. And they all make reliable livings (though few of them become millionaires).

[JohnnyBrown]

I think the tradesman analogy is good, but the future programming career may have elements of the starving artist in it as well. Working for free to build a portfolio is a feature typical of creative trades that would be foreign to an architect or plumber.

[demallien]

Well, I don't know about plumbers, but architects know all about working for free to build a portfolio... For example, if an architect wants to do something a bit more challenging than yet another McMansion, they are going to have to enter competitions where only the winner gets paid. They do it anyhow, because placing well in a competition also helps to build your reputation as a designer.

[richcollins]

Entertainment isn't an economic benefit?