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1725 people responded (so far) to the poll out of 10 million users. Don't you think there might be some selection bias in those who choose to respond. Two points. First, the ones who respond are more likely to be the sorts of folks who are engaged in and interested in the programming community. I'd say those folks are more likely to be exceptional. Second, and perhaps more important, maybe the exceptional folks are more likely to be willing to toot their own horn than the below average folks are willing to admit to themselves that they might be in the wrong profession.
Frankly, I'm surprised the results aren't even more skewed towards the top.
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Of course, it is well known that 60% of drivers believe themselves to be of above average skill.
(And 42% of all statistics are made up on the spot.)
Ian
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Well,i feel like above average but still there is a thing to consider it.Comparing my circumstances,logic and skill with the people i knew or i worked, my mind considers mine as above average,  .
But,damn sure if i would participate an world class event where some very good developers would compete then i could find myself as below average,  .
Shuvro
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If more than 60% consider themselves above average than the average must be really higher !!
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Or, the below average do not participate on the Code Project! 
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For another elephanting week of lingering self-doubt is before me.
Hey - survey makerizer . . . watch where you point that thing !
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Nice msg 
-ank
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But sadly, no one believes in the gods anymore. 
I also feel like a fallen god, there is so much I don't know at this point. Now, while lack of knowledge doesn't make me a poor programmer, it does make me an unskilled programmer in a variety of areas! Ah, semantics!
Marc
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63% are above average - that's not mathematically possible. Some people are lying!!! 
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Maybe it means that people on CodeProject are slightly better developers than people who don't spend time here.
/Fredrik
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None of the below average programmers that I know would spend any time on a site like CodeProject. I would expect the CP members be better on average than the general programming population.
Just because the code works, it doesn't mean that it is good code.
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CIDev wrote: None of the below average programmers that I know would spend any time on a site
like CodeProject
Have you spent any time in Q&A[^]?
It was broke, so I fixed it.
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I'm sorry, I should have said that the below average programmers would not spend any time actually reading the articles on Code Project. There are plenty of below average types who post "Gimmie the codez".  
Just because the code works, it doesn't mean that it is good code.
modified 23-Sep-13 11:17am.
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Ed,
I see you point and the math behind it, but I disagree about lies. In this case the question has the "do you consider yourself" which is not enough. What is missing is the strict definition of the comparison in a form like globally, in your company, in CP etc (you may not agree). Because of that and since the question triggers self-esteem in the background, I recognize two possible states in any answer: true or false not truth or lie.
To make it more clear if I say that I'm well above average comparing myself with my colleagues in my company, it may be true for this comparison but not necessarily for all other comparisons. To make it wider and add another aspect, if I say that I’m better than you and it is also true, that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm good.
Living in an owned "fairytale" is the most common way of living and this is not a lie.
Cheers
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There's no problem or mystery.
Taking you into account the load is now balanced !
yuk yuk yuk - I loved typing that!
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Don't take the CP polls too serious!
This is like with all on-line polls: the statistics is heavily biased - the participants decide themselves to participate...
If *you* choose an arbitrary sample of programmers worldwide and ask the question, you would get
a) a better confidence in the "average" figures
b) may detect a slightly distorted self-perception of the people of this profession
Cheers
Andi
PS: How about a poll on this topic: "Do you think participating in online polls is silly? If so, do you consider yourself silly?" - Your poll would collect data on something else: schizophrenia 
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Well basically, it’s very complicated. Do I possess an illusory superiority, or do I underestimate my own abilities based on how I perceive other peoples performance? Dunning–Kruger Effect[^]
I have the ability to solve problems that others have told me that can’t be solved (When someone tells me “you can’t do that”, I’ve probably already finished the task) But I also get a lot of “why are you doing it that way, there’s already a method to do that for you?”
[EDIT] Fixed link. (Overestimated Chris's CP auto link feature) 
It was broke, so I fixed it.
modified 23-Sep-13 10:23am.
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I have been a professional developer for just over 13 years now. For all of that time I've felt like I don't know what I am doing, like I am getting away with it, that I am bluffing my way through.
I have mostly worked in Progress and C# .Net with bits of a number of other languages.
Yet those I have worked for have always been more than happy with what I have done, the users I have developed for the same. I have always been able to do things that other developers where I work cannot.
I have, however, never thought of that as being down to my coding ability, but my problem solving abilities and the way that my mind works.
If you tried to apply any sort of code review or other test to what I do I am certain it would fail miserably, the same with any sort of formal coding test or exam.
But I get things done, I get things to work, I fix problems that have been hanging around for ages.
And all along I feel that I don't really know what I am doing, that I am fudging my way along.
I put below average.
I'm not very good.
I do, however, seem to be very useful.
“I believe that there is an equality to all humanity. We all suck.” Bill Hicks
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Quote: I have always been able to do things that other developers where I work cannot.
This makes you at least "above average". If you can do it faster with less errors as well then you are "well above average".
The question was how good a developer are you, not how good a coder are you. A good coder may know the syntax of every command in the book - or even several books - and yet cannot work their way out of a paper bag. A good developer knows how best to solve problems, code is just the means.
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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It makes me at lest above average for where I have worked.
I suspect that most of those places have employed a lot of idiots. 
“I believe that there is an equality to all humanity. We all suck.” Bill Hicks
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Unfortunately there are more idiots every day. For some reason they are still able to breed at a prodigious rate!
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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judge by the satisfaction of the customer/client upon the software.
The customer/client:
- is very happy with the software: Good Developer
- is somehow happy with the software: Average Developer
- is unhappy with the software: Bad Developer
there is no perfect code to write.
The client said: "Don't tell me what it is, all I want to know is can the code solve the problem?"
working code might not good code.
another criteria to judge a developer is good or not: WTFs/Minute
http://www.osnews.com/story/19266/WTFs_m[^]
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This is useless as you can say whatever you want about yourself.
What really matters is what others can say about you as a professional.
What you really show sometimes is much different than what you think you are, and chances are that this metric is more accurate than your own (if you even have one).
Having a clear knowledge about others perception of you can really help improving yourself.
A good example are Client or Employee Yearly Reviews.
When a client or boss is asked to review someone, and that task is handled properly, the person under review may discover things about himself that wouldn't be easy or even possible on a daily basis interaction.
Cheers!
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No.
What matters, as a producer of something, is what you produce.
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In this specific question I don't think so.
Whe're not addressing the quality of your work but how you preceive your own quality as a professional, and this might have nothing to do with end result quality.
In fact, end product quality adds another level of abstraction to this as also perception of quality varies.
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