What is "code monkey"

n. (context slang sometimes derogatory English) A computer programmer.

Code monkey may refer to:

• A term for a computer programmer, sometimes considered an insulting or derogatory oversimplification of their skill set
• Code Monkeys, an animated television series
• "Code Monkey" (song), by Jonathan Coulton

"Code Monkey" is a song by Jonathan Coulton, first released on 14 April 2006 and part of his album Thing a Week Three released in December 2006. It is one of his most popular songs and has since been downloaded over one million times. It has been described as "a rocking anthem about dead-end programming jobs," "a song about a computer programmer in love with a receptionist," and "a semi-autobiographical song ... about a lovelorn computer programmer."

Coulton credits the song's mention on the technology discussion site Slashdot with the earliest success of the "Thing a Week" project, remarking, "so here was this song about a sad tech geek, and it went directly – it was shot – an arrow shot directly to the heart of the tech geek community." A music video for the song was created by Mike Spiff Booth using imagery from the World of Warcraft video game series and uploaded to YouTube on September 23, 2006.

The song has appeared in television commercials, and is the theme song for the G4 television network show Code Monkeys.

In 2008, the song was featured in an animated video presented at a free ASIFA event and was written by Tom Weiser and IdleAmbition.

In 2011 pianist Louis Durra recorded an instrumental version of the song for his album Mad World EP.