The definition of a programmer is not obvious. It has happened that I have asked questions in this forum where people believe it don’t belong here because it’s not programmer related. I thought this question may clarify the definition.

• What characteristics, roles and activities do you think defines a programmer?
• Is there a typical programmer?

The technology changes so fast that it may be hard to be typical programmer.

From wikipedia:

A programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to programming may also be known as a programmer analyst. A programmer's primary computer language (C, C++, Java, Lisp, Delphi etc.) is often prefixed to the above titles, and those who work in a web environment often prefix their titles with web. The term programmer can be used to refer to a software developer, software engineer, computer scientist, or software analyst. However, members of these professions typically possess other software engineering skills, beyond programming; for this reason, the term programmer is sometimes considered an insulting or derogatory oversimplification of these other professions. This has sparked much debate amongst developers, analysts, computer scientists, programmers, and outsiders who continue to be puzzled at the subtle differences in these occupations