Earn money with programming

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Hello people,

I like programming and have learned C++ by myself (up to making 2D games using SDL). I also know the basics of HTML and CSS. I now need to earn myself some money, and I'm hoping I could combine a hobby and work. I checked out some sites like rentacoder.com, but the C++ jobs are far to complicated for me, and it seems there are tons of Asians programmers who apply for $2/hour on every job. I don't have any degree (and don't have the level to get one by far), so at this moment that's not really an option. My question is: what do you think is the best way to make some money with programming, without a degree or much experience? I don't mind learning some new stuff, but is it worth my time to learn, eg, how to develop software for an iPod?

I realise it would be more easy to earn money with webdesign, but I just enjoy programming more ;)

Thanks for any advise!

Oromis
To develop software for an iPod, you can go to Apple's website and download an SDK(although you must have a Mac). To actually get your software on an iPod, and in the App Store, you must pay a fee of $100(I think this is yearly).
Just so you know, the competition between apps and the immense amount of apps out there makes it fairly hard to get some decent money (decent = $500+) from an iTouch application.
Its almost the same with me. I am currently working on a big project using C++ on linux, but that does not include much of C/C++ as such as much of the business level and OS related functionality comes through a third party tool, leaving C++ just to call its functions as APIs.
From where I am, there are not enough companies using C++ as the language of choice mostly because most of the work with them is centered around web design and banking applications using database or they are mostly working in ERP space, and I just cant find interest doing web-work.

To move out to some other place would require some solid knowledge of C++, for which I wish to develop an application or some library and if possible, earn some money in the process.

I too checked out rentacoder, but the few C++ projects posted there are out of my reach on my own.

What could be the way out?
The idea of iPod software was just an example. I'm basicly just looking for freelance online work (or some other way to earn money) in the field of programming. Maybe I should learn PHP & mySQL?
Go to school for it. That is the best answer to your question and it yields a very high success rate. Everything else mentioned is a poor, poor gamble.
It's unlikely to find much success in freelance work. You need to get into school and learn more than just C++. Programming isn't just about understanding the language, there are core underlying principles you need to understand as well before you can take on any challenging projects.
closed account (oz10RXSz)
Unless you are going to make games or maintain legacy code, C++ won't bring you much possibilities to earn money (ok, there are still *some* at Google or Microsoft, but you need to be really good to get there). The singlecore / desktop era is over, the future belongs to multicore / web applications. Better learn something targeted at web (Scala, Ruby, Python, etc.) or multicore (Scala, Erlang) or both (Scala). ;)
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xoreaxeax wrote:
C++ won't bring you much possibilities to earn money


What?? That's a load of crap. Granted there are far fewer opportunities than some of the more mainstream technologies such as .net, but they're out there and typically they pay more than web development, .net, java, etc... positions. C++ is not going to just suddenly disappear in the next 10 years.
Any web application needs to run somewhere.
Almost all of the programs are written in C or C++, both on server and client sides
http://www.lextrait.com/vincent/implementations.html
closed account (oz10RXSz)
This list is a joke. Facebook is 99% PHP.
Most serious web apps run Java, .NET, PHP, Ruby, Python. C++ is almost non-existent there.
Client side is mostly Flash followed by Java and Silverlight. No C++ there (legacy corporate apps using ActiveX don't count).


Granted there are far fewer opportunities than some of the more mainstream technologies such as .net, but they're out there and typically they pay more than web development


No, they don't pay more.
The differences in salaries are mostly caused mostly by difference in skill / experience, then by how rich/large the company is and long afterwards by the language. Banks and financial corporations are those who pay the best salaries. They use mostly COBOL, Java and .NET.



C++ is not going to just suddenly disappear in the next 10 years.


Suddenly not. Just as COBOL is alive and kicking.
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xoreaxeax wrote:
No, they don't.
The differences in salaries are mostly caused by difference in skill / experience, then by how rich is the company and long afterwards by the language. Actually banks and financial corporations are those who pay the best salaries. They use mostly COBOL, Java and .NET.


Obviously salaries fluctuate based on skill/experience, but when you line up a Junior, Senior, etc... C++ Programming job, they almost always pay more than a C#, Java etc... position of equivalent experience. This is because there are far less C++ developers than C#, Java, etc... and the projects tend to be more challenging (simulation, securities, etc...). My comment does not factor experience or company success. Banks and financial instituations are some of the worst employers with horrible annual pay increases! Where the hell did you get that idea from??
Most serious web apps run Java, .NET, PHP, Ruby, Python. C++ is almost non-existent there. Client side is mostly Flash followed by Java and Silverlight. No C++ there (legacy corporate apps using ActiveX don't count).

Java, Flash and Silverlight are written in C++,
.Net exists for C++,
PHP, Ruby and Python are written in C
Servers, Browsers, Databases and Operating Systems are written in C and C++
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I'm seeing a lot of big claims in this thread and without citation.
I got mine from Wikipedia and source of OSS
... and common sense. The only reason you'd write an operating system in anything like Java or C# is for proof of concept/fun.
closed account (oz10RXSz)

Java, Flash and Silverlight are written in C++ (...)


So what? This does not proove anything and is totally offtopic. (C++ runtime is written in C and assebly and the first C compiler and C libraries were written in assembly - yeah! we should all program in assembly!).

If you wish to earn money programming you are unlikely to get a job programming runtime platforms or operating systems. Where the money is are applications.

And quote from another discussion list (http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-534348.html)

In my area (Australia), the latest salary index figures for major programming languages are (all in AUD$ per year, as of June 2007):
Junior < 3 years experience
Intermediate 3 - 5 years experience
Senior > 5 years experience

junior intermediate senior
Developer - .Net (C#/VB.NET) $58,000 $78,000 $105,000
Developer - C++ $54,000 $68,000 $85,000
Developer - Java/J2EE $63,000 $86,000 $110,000
Developer - Visual Basic $57,000 $64,000 $75,000


A junior VB developer earns more than a junior C++ developer.
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So what? This does not proove anything and is totally offtopic. (C++ runtime is written in C and assebly and the first C compiler and C libraries were written in assembly - yeah! we should all program in assembly!).
C++ doesn't have a runtime environment. compilers are written in C and C++.
A junior VB developer earns more than a junior C++ developer.


If your initial comments were based on the Australian job market and if this is where you currently reside, then IMHO you're comments are null and void. Australia, and the United States are completely different markets. My comments were all US based and therefor would not be valid in a global sense.

I am also confused... every word from you has been anti C++... so what exactly are you doing in this forum?
xoreaxeax wrote:
C++ runtime is written in C and assebly and the first C compiler and C libraries were written in assembly - yeah! we should all program in assembly!).

Your straw man is showing...
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