[orillian]

Getting paid is only a form of acknowledgment that you worked, but it in no way denotes respect.

It simply says " to the best of our knowledge s/he did <insert type of job here/> work for the duration of this pay period.

I agree that some people do get respect in this industry, but too many of us are simply cogs in a wheel.

[dolvlo]

What's so bad about being a cog in a wheel, if you're enjoying your life?

[elmomalmo]

I think that's precisely one of the the points Zed is making. That is, that coding is a cool, rewarding pursuit. But that you shouldn't expect a coding profession to necessarily be the either cool or rewarding.

If you're happy in that profession, great. I don't think the chapter in this book says you shouldn't be, in fact I think it would suggest that you have the right disposition for such a profession and are therefore fortunate.