Not sure whether I should be a programmer or a network administrator

[jc0811]

I am currently picking out which online university I should go to. Its a big job. I have to pick going online because of my schedule. But that's besides the point.

The problem I am having is picking my future career a programmer or a network administrator. I look thru the newspaper from time to time and I see a lot more jobs for a computer programmer then a network administrator. Regarding programming here are my concerns/questions:

1. I am afraid it will be outsourced more in the future than a network administrator. A network administrator has to be there to make the network run smooth.

2. What kind of personality do you need to have to become a programmer? Do you need to be a mathematician? (Looking into getting that book "Do what you are". Here is the link:
http://www.amazon.com/What-You-Are-Personality-Type-Revised/dp/0316880655

3.Will installing Ubuntu on my laptop become more of a programming powerhouse than installing Windows XP or Windows Vista?

4. I heard somewhere that programming is a faster growing career
than a network administrator. Is this still true?

5. Has anybody here have done both jobs?

6. Anybody know any good online universities? Where they offer both courses?

I am just afraid of picking the wrong field or right now the schoul course on the online university. I don't want to make any regrets regarding what field I should study and make a career out of it. It will be an expensive mistake to make.

By the way I never have dabbled with HTML. I heard that was a good programing to start to learn programming. Not sure though. And I have setup a couple of home networks for family and friends. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[RiceMonster]

Become a programmer; the networking guys just jiggle cables.





I'm kidding, by the way. But seriously:


2. What kind of personality do you need to have to become a programmer? Do you need to be a mathematician? (Looking into getting that book "Do what you are". Here is the link:
http://www.amazon.com/What-You-Are-Personality-Type-Revised/dp/0316880655

No, you don't need to be a mathematician, but you can't be bad at math either.


By the way I never have dabbled with HTML. I heard that was a good programing to start to learn programming. Not sure though. And I have setup a couple of home networks for family and friends. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

HTML is a markup language, not a programming language. I'll tell you right now, unless you get into Javascript when you're doing HTML, you're not going to learn anything about programming by doing HTML. Try python for your first language.

[zmjjmz]

Sysadmins generally have stabler jobs, but you get treated like crap by upper management from what I hear.