They're not joking, nor are they mad... They just don't realise our skillset is valuable. They just see our punching on our keyboard and nothing physically gets produced so they think "i can do this, it's more of a hobby, why would i pay anybody for this". Offcourse, our skillset also takes years to develop, it's not free, it's not our hobby either... But hey, that's just not how we are perceived.
Yup. This is a very interesting disconnect between 'physical' work and the virtual. I don't think it's a perception that's going to change soon enough to save many an industry either. So many other areas have been blown open by the advance of technology too.
If I were starting a working life now I would have to think very carefully about the future of the area I was planning on specialising in. Most of the people I know in practical trades make loads more money than those who spent years at university to end up pressing buttons.