I’m more insulted when people call themselves “full stack” but can’t restart Apache on their own.

Nah, code is code. I've done a good chunk up and down the stack. DB specs, angular, no SQL, sql, react, jQuery, c#, node, infra, k8s, pho, java, blah blah blah

Fact of the matter is if you really want to be marketable you have to learn everything thrown at you, and usually fast. I say my number one skill is being able to pick up new tech, and recognizing where I need to learn more.

Not trying to sound arrogant, there is a ton I don't know, but to be employable now as an engineer you pretty much have to say yes when they ask if you know something, or prove you can learn it.

I was rejected for one job because I hadn't learned python fully.

Oh yeah but I can pick it up, probably before starting. I've done C++, C#, NodeJS, Go, Ruby, what's another language haha

" Sorry we really need someone who can code in python"

:| k well bye, guess it's just impossible to fathom that I could learn yet another scripting backend language. 15 years into my career I'm pretty sure I can just go learn another language now. If you bothered to test my skills at all you'd see in qualified, but sure. I learned it anyway just to spite them.

If the salary is right, you can call me whatever you want.

I prefer the term “busty”

My company has everything, but the titles are usually self-assigned.

Back end developers tend to write weird front end code, so their front end PRs usually need extra scrutiny.

Front end developers tend to write careless back end code, so their back end PRs usually need extra scrutiny.

I am a full stack developer, so all of my PRs need extra scrutiny.

Not an insult, just.... highly inaccurate. I can do everything from hardware, via databases, to coding against said databases. But for your sake, I hope you're not looking for UX/UI beyond (ab)using STDIO.

EDIT: What I cannot do is spelling, it seems.

That is a compliment. The separation of front end developer and back end developer is obsolete and untrue. Either you are a developer or not. If you work on web, then you must, now or in the future, know how web browsers work, how APIs work, how to write and consume them, etc. The browser is just an API we consume from JS. There are many others.

I would mostly be confused based on my lack of any programming experience.

It's a compliment. Simply put, a senior full stack developer has leverage in their career's direction that a senior frontend or senior backend developer doesn't.

I think it depends on the context. Calling me a full stack is an acknowledgement that I can work on every step of the system and usually every part of the system. I don't consider it to mean equally good.

However if it keeps getting brought up when I am not supposed to be working on those other steps, that signals to me that maybe they are trying to push more work into me that I shouldn't be do.

I can appreciate that when someone says "Our X Expert". It definitely feels like more praise and more value.

Can't say I would take it as either. Just means I'm qualified to work on the front- and back-end code at a professional level - no more no less.

I couldn't imagine tying myself to a single category for my whole career.

I've done front end, back end, database, web, Windows, and Linux development. If the job calls for learning something new, I'm on it. These days I'm making datacenter software for admins to use to manage their distributed applications. Before this, I was doing the same thing for factory automation at the edge.

Specializing has its value, but the more flexible you can be, the more useful you will be when the landscape changes and your boss suddenly asks you to set up an AI system or something.

As a new dev who is still working on a "full-stack web dev" course. I would definitely take it as a compliment.

I think it's a complement. We're not in the dark ages anymore where you had to be intimately familiar with each target platform and have different people who each know everything about their little part of the stack. Nowadays it's feasible for one person to be productive in devops, database, backend, frontend, etc. because so many people have gone to great effort to get us there. I personally get a lot of enjoyment out of being able to stand up an app by myself without necessarily needing to work with six other teams. That way we can have an actual vision for an overall user experience rather than getting caught up in compatibilities and discussions of ever changing best practices.

Compliment. I love being able to do all the parts of modern software.

Repeat after me: full stack of deez nuts!

Before I answer, I need to give some background. I've been in IT for past 20 years. I've been a backend developer, frontend developer, mobile developer, database administrator and most recently a devops engineer. I've got a degree in electronics and telecommunications and have had quite a bit of exposure to printed circuit board design, including processor programming. To answer your question, when someone refers to me as a "full stack" I don't take this as an insult. But it's diminishing.

"Are you a full stack developer?"

"No, I specialize in ..."

I think every programmer should know how to write frontend and backend code, and how to deploy their code. Sure, everyone has their own specialization and things they like to do, but that doesn't mean they should be ignorant of all aspects of software development.

I’m an hourly customer service worker going to college part time as a statistician, so mostly I’d just be concerned at what sort of operation this person is running but accept the promotion.

It depends on the context, who is saying it and why. If my manager is trying to say that after I've made it clear that I'm not interested in frontend development then it's insulting. Mostly because my manager isn't listening to me.

Well, personally, I'd be pretty peeved because my favorite focus is database shit - but in general I don't put much stock into titles unless they're being disbursed to justify forcing more work on me without compensation.

I'd assume they were trying to pimp me to some buzzwordoholic. I don't see any reasonable interpretation of it that's insulting, though.

Having it be (perceived as) the norm is absolutely stupid - but the issue is with ignorant management and recruiters, not people who get into entire stacks honestly for fun or profit.

Times have changed.

In the olden days, being 'full-stack' also involved memorizing resistor band colors and huffing solder fumes.

Kids these days.

I would assume you were misinformed and promptly point you to my previous JavaScript projects to dissuade you of such illusions.

"Full stack" is a way to devalue front end work.

I understand most of the stack from photons to UX. I run optical, packet hardware and I define software. I consult on security and I inform the service desks. I'm that "break glass" guy you don't want to call in the middle if the night because I might be sarcastic, and then I'll cancel meetings for the next two days in revenge.

I've also been in this swamp since before the sky learned how to rain.

Call me whatever you want, but you'd best smile when you say it or I'll delete your account and blackhole your network.

/*clickety-click*

Neither