[cjbprime]

> It's "real coding" to me, though I haven't done any in fifteen years.

For what it's worth, as someone who's done both (Linux kernel maintainer and web developer), this sentiment reads as a kind of chauvinism to me -- the implication that higher-level work isn't real coding.

If I had to choose which was more difficult, I'll probably go with web development: the kernel simply had much less that you had to know to be effective, compared to the massive stack of protocols and frameworks that even a simple web app runs on top of and demands competency with.

[erickj]

OP made a judgement call and ranked his/her preferences. So be it. I understand the sentiment.

Comparing work I do, the higher up I go the less it can feel like coding. Javascript, Python, and Ruby frameworks at times can feel like a paint by numbers puzzle - and I don't mean that to be complimentary under any interpretation.

That doesn't make good web development "easy", nor does it diminish the value of good ideas and fast product development.