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Ask HN: What has the past 12 months taught you?

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Re: Ask HN: What has the past 12 months taught you?

#221

Post by Clubber »

newfoundglory wrote: post #217

Quit earlier. I stuck around in a screwed up project until I couldn't stand talking to anyone else involved, I would have been way better off if I'd committed to leaving about four months earlier than I did - when I could see that the fundamental requirements and plans were being faked for management, and everyone else was OK with that. By the time I did leave I was having actual nightmares about work.

I learned this lesson 9 years ago, then implemented it last year. Steady paychecks are nice, but plan so you don't need them to live month to month if you can swing it. Once the company turns sour and you're always angry, it's past time to move on to something fresher. I took a nice 3 month sabbatical and it was the best summer since college. Life is too short.

Re: Ask HN: What has the past 12 months taught you?

#224

Post by Clubber »

yakshaving_jgt wrote: post #152
6ue7nNMEEbHcM wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey, can you elaborate on '"Software Craftsmanship" is a scam.'?

Much of what's said in that community is uninteresting and nonsensical. I was super interested in this "movement" for some years and joined many of those events. The trouble is, so much of it is programmers patting themselves on the back for being more "disciplined" than your average working programmer. Before Google, business listing websites competed by being the most disciplined in listing business data — they had…

Wow, I didn't realize Software Craftsmanship (capital letters) was a movement, or even an organized thing. One you put capital letters on something and start having conferences, it's probably just someone trying to make a buck off of it.

For me, software craftsmanship (lower case) is just having pride in what you are making, and constantly improving your work based on a multitude of things, performance being only a small part of it.

Software certainly shouldn't be about adhering to strict processes and principles; software is a creative endeavor. Sometimes you can write novels, sometimes you can write haiku, sometimes you can write sonnets, sometimes you can write long form articles.

Re: Ask HN: What has the past 12 months taught you?

#225

Post by DoubleGlazing »

kqr wrote: post #216
jakecopp wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for writing that. Why does distance from car to camera van matter though? I'm very curious!

If the van was in Hereville when concluding that that OP, being in Theretown, was speeding -- how reliable are their reports?

Exactly this. I brought in maps from three different mapping sources and loads of research papers on the subject of GPS, but the judge said it was irrelevant and found guilty. This is despite the fact that the prosecuting Garda could not produce the calibration certificate for the van.

For challenging and losing my wife got 5 points instead of 3 for just paying the fine without a fuss.

This situation hit me hard, made me really doubt the impartiality of the courts.

Re: Ask HN: What has the past 12 months taught you?

#226

Post by quickquest123 »

alchemism wrote: post #145

* When the CEO dumps the CTO and folds the job into his own, the startup is dead, no matter for how long it continues to turn a profit. * Freecamping in Europe has shown me as an American that America is not nearly as free as we were taught to think. Great place to make money, though. * There are definitely better things to experience in life than playing with more money than one really _needs_.

> When the CEO dumps the CTO and folds the job into his own, the startup is dead, no matter for how long it continues to turn a profit.

Is this exclusive to the c-suite, or is "CTO" interchangeable with "Head of Product?"

Re: Ask HN: What has the past 12 months taught you?

#227

Post by PJDK »

spidey1 wrote: post #188
yakshaving_jgt wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Much of what's said in that community is uninteresting and nonsensical. I was super interested in this "movement" for some years and joined many of those events. The trouble is, so much of it is programmers patting themselves on the back for being more "disciplined" than your average working programmer. Before Google, business listing websites competed by being the most disciplined in listing business data — they had…

So how do you go about it? I've only been in this field for about 18 months and I'm so overwhelmed by all these conflicting ideas and have no idea where to turn. Do you have any advice for juniors on how to internalise good engineering principles and how to avoid dogma?

Not the OP, but my advice would be:

Read the "classics" - Code Complete, Pragmatic Programmer, Clean Code etc. Google "best books about programming" and you'll find plenty.

When you're reading think about the why. You're job is dealing in complexity and there is no one true way. Understand as many of the different ways as possible.

If you think an idea is weak, try and figure out a question that exposes the weakness (how does this handle a date before 1970?). Expect that sometimes this question will reveal the idea isn't as weak as you initially expected.

Remember you only need to solve the problem that's in front of you. If that problem doesn't seem easy try to break it up into smaller problems.

Complicated solutions are often bad solutions.

Complicated solutions can be good solutions.

Write your code for people to understand.

Advice on good writing is often very applicable to code... See Orwell(1), particularly "Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous" 1.https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/tips-masters/george-o...

Re: Ask HN: What has the past 12 months taught you?

#228

Post by noxToken »

DoubleGlazing wrote: post #207

For me I have learned that there comes a point when you need to work differently in order to protect your health and family well being. Big salaries are great, but when the price for that is massive amounts of overtime that takes you away from your family it just isn't worth it. Now I work for myself and I love it. Hobbies are vitally important to keeping you happy and healthy, don't neglect them. When you get a spee…

> For me I have learned that there comes a point when you need to work differently in order to protect your health and family well being. Big salaries are great, but when the price for that is massive amounts of overtime that takes you away from your family it just isn't worth it.

>...

>Family comes first, always.

I didn't learn this in the past 12 months, but a recent event has definitely reaffirmed this: stick to your 35-45 hours and leave. I start getting pretty useless as the day drags on. After a certain time, there is a sharp decline in my productivity. If I push through it, I just make mistakes that I have to fix later.

If you're not in a company that values your personal time[0], then start looking for another job. The burn out just isn't worth it. 6-figure salaries with equity and free breakfast/lunch/dinner just isn't worth it when you realize that your 50s will be filled with a distinct lack of motivation to ever leave the house.

[0]: I am with a company that values my personal time, but I voluntarily took on extra work to help another team meet a critical production deadline. I was compensated with quite a bit of extra time off in return. However, the stress and headache of being a duo that saved another team's ass (and possibly their jobs) and their constantly expressed anxiety was barely worth it. I actually snapped on one of those team members during this time period, and I said some things, within earshot of very many people, that definitely was not work place appropriate.

Re: Ask HN: What has the past 12 months taught you?

#229

Post by Clubber »

vertigolimbo wrote: post #108
saheb37 wrote: post #105

It takes a long time to create something rare and valuable. Patience is priceless. Going all the way for your dream (or something you believe in); it doesn't matter how many times you fail, and only you should be responsible to decide when to let it go when you think it's time to move on. Doing what you want, for as long as you want, is what life is all about. Only one or maybe two things are really important at any…

Can you expand on the last one? I reached the conclusion that I am the most creative, productive and feeling the best when I am bored. But there is price to pay - it takes a lot of effort to get bored. Our generation is constantly distracted and getting bored is actually a skill. From that perspective, it's the lack of boredom which is the biggest problem of our generation. Are we thinking along the same lines?

I think maybe the reason every generation today is constantly distracted is they are constantly bored and there are lots of frivilous things designed to fill that boredom. They are constantly distracted by things that are designed to give you something to do when you are bored.

I'm bored, lets see what's on TV. I'm bored, lets see what my Facebook friends are doing. I'm bored, let's see what I can buy on Amazon or eBay. I'm bored, let me see what's on HN.

I think a better alternative would be: I'm bored, I'll paint a painting. I'm bored, I'll write up a POC of an idea. I'm bored, I'll read a book. I'm bored, I'll create something. I'm bored, I'll learn something new. I'm bored, I'll go outside and play.

Maybe hide your browser icon and put your code editor / paint / word processor icon in it's place.

Re: Ask HN: What has the past 12 months taught you?

#230

Post by majos »

dmode wrote: post #214
97s wrote: post #192

Turn off the TV. Turn off all social media. Turn off any negative influences. Eat as healthy as you possibly can. Exercise, yoga, tai chi, or anything that gets you moving. Enjoy the benefits of all the time you thought you didn't have while having really good mental power because of your healthy diet and exercise. Live a good life.

I am really curious how you did that. The negativity on social media and politics today is really affecting my mental health and I don't know how to switch it off

I stopped using Twitter and switched to the weekly print copy of The Economist for news. It means you're slightly behind, but anything you learn you learn more deeply. And a lot of up-to-the-minute stuff is just needless button-pushing anyway.
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