[trhway]

offices are for professionals and academia, cubicles are for technical staff and open [factory] floor is for blue collars and low level clerical (i.e. easily replaceable commodity). That basically reflects the evolution of status of programmers in the society during the last 60 years.

[mattgreenrocks]

It hurts to read this, but it's true.

This also explains why programmers get horrible treatment, equity-wise.

[Executor]

Then why are developers paid so well?

[trhway]

compare to what? Typical blue collar worker at the heights of their respective industry was able to afford house, car, and may be, after some careful saving, send children to college. Do developers can afford more than that?