Since my explanation in the thread didn't clear this up ...
I suspect most of the people making a living as programmers today could be described as "digital carpenters." That's not a criticism. Good carpenters deserve the high salarys they get. They produce some beautiful work that most of us could never imagine doing. But they're not usually inventing anything new.
Take someone making one-off furniture. Each one is different from the rest. Some pieces can go for tens of thousands of dallars. Some are even considered art. But in the end, you can be fairly unoriginal but highly skilled with the tools of the trade and still make very good money.
You (Todd) are working someplace creating new things. You are (I believe) the exception. Why is it an insult to suggest that other people with a similar job description aren't doing anything really creative or abstract?
