Here's my number one frustration with the state of the industry today. I am a professional. I regard my work as a craft to be studied and learned. Yet, in most domains, there is no benefit to developing a high level of skill. You end up surrounded by people who don't understand a word you say, can't work at that level, and don't really give a damn. They'll get the same rewards and go home happy at 5:00 every day. It's like, once you achieve a base level of mediocrity, there's no benefit for further personal development. In fact, there's a distinct disadvantage, in that you end up pulling ridiculous hours to clean up their garbage.

Bah, there I go being bitter again. Maybe I just need to work in some other domain--one where skills count for something, and being good at your job is a benefit, not a hindrance. I'm sick of writing Address classes, anyway.