Excuse me. I work as a programmer for a large investment bank, have dignity, and am respected by my users (commodities trading, sales and operations). I am also respected. However, I also took the time to learn my users' business and product-lines. One major problem that software developers have is that they don't take the time to learn their users' product. If you don't take the time to learn about what they do, why should they take the time to learn about what you do?

It goes both ways, I suppose. But, the description of the situations in this article sounded pretty much inexcusable and intolerable. And, specifically, the tone of the author was downright infuriating.

Honestly, I do know several people working in finance (Perl is apparently heavily used in that industry, and we're a Perl shop, so we meet folks in that industry quite often at conferences), and they generally seem happy with their work and their jobs. It's certainly an interesting field, and one in which you'd get to work on a massive scale, which is usually fun. I worked in the oil and gas industry for a while, and they've got big data (terabytes of it for a single well, for example). It's definitely interesting.

But, the big money guys do have a reputation for supreme arrogance, and recent events in our economy have not made them seem any less so.

If you want to work as a programmer in the finance industry, work for a finance software firm, as opposed to a bank. At least you'll be a first class citizen.

Or work on a trading desk as a quant developer, at a big bank, hedge fund or wherever. Only a foolish trader will fail to understand the value of the quants working for him.

Work at a prop shop that values programmers. You will feel valued.