10. Requests that begin with, "All you have to do is...".
9. Deadlines fabricated by others.
8. Single character variable names.
7. Being spoonfed requirements on a need-to-know basis.
6. SQL Selects within iterations.
5. Requests that describe how, but not what.
4. Variable names that don't describe what they are.
3. Meetings without beer.
2. Dropping everything for the emergency du jour.
1. Top 10 Lists that infer that all programmers think alike.Top Things That Annoy Programmers
21–30 of 62 posts
Re: Top Things That Annoy Programmers
#22Coding standards documents written by people who can barely program.
Re: Top Things That Annoy Programmers
#2310. Requests that begin with, "All you have to do is...". 9. Deadlines fabricated by others. 8. Single character variable names. 7. Being spoonfed requirements on a need-to-know basis. 6. SQL Selects within iterations. 5. Requests that describe how, but not what. 4. Variable names that don't describe what they are. 3. Meetings without beer. 2. Dropping everything for the emergency du jour. 1. Top 10 Lists that infer…
Surely there's nothing wrong with single-character variable names, used appropriately.
Re: Top Things That Annoy Programmers
#24Being thought of as a "subordinate" (I mention this, because he talks about programmers as being subordinates). Am I the only person on earth that rails against this? I trade my time for money, but I am no-one's "subordinate". To me, a manager is someone who makes sure I can get my work done and checks on the overall progress. I guess I'm asking for a mighty downvoting but I really want to know if others think its ok…
That's funny, because "subordinate" has replaced the previous generation's "inferior" as the commonly-used term for an employee down a step in the org chart. However, to answer your question: if someone can determine whether you get to keep your job, whether you like it or not you are that person's subordinate.
However, to answer your question: if someone can determine whether you get to keep your job, whether you like it or not you are that person's subordinate.
It's interesting how two different perspectives on what is largely the same arrangement can yield such different answers.
By organization, if someone can fire you, you are their subordinate. By productivity, the "subordinate" is not necessarily subordinate at all. The working relationship may be much more than of peers, where the pair of them manage to both get things done, and keep people informed of what is going on. It might even be that the subordinate in the traditional sense is anything but in the tangible sense.
What sucks is that the traditional organizational arrangement has a very difficult time representing this. It mandates a strict hierarchical arrangement of staff, even if the staff themselves does not view themselves as hierarchical.
Because, in this arrangement, one person is usually granted the ability to terminate the employment of the other, there is necessarily an adversarial component to their relationship. Even if they work as peers, one has to report to a chain-of-command about the other.
For people and teams who don't need this sort of arrangement, having it imposed absolutely sucks. But, because it so entrenched in corporate tradition, it emerges anyway.
I rail against it as well.
There are people who don't need it, but those who don't need or want this arrangement get it anyway, regardless of the detriment it causes. I get the sense this happens simply because of the perspective that it must necessarily happen, because people have all these preconceived notions about management and subordination that they have a hard time letting go.
I think we'd lose the adversarial perspective if we lost the notions, and that would be a good thing.
Re: Top Things That Annoy Programmers
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
You could learn to love the mundane aspects of your job. Seriously though, no one expects you to be creatively invested in that fix to the contact form, but that's the work people need done.
This is thinking like a user, not thinking like a programmer. As a programmer, you don't want to fix the contact form, you need to fix the need to fix the contact form. This is how you avoid deathmarch projects; you program away the tedious parts so that you have a functioning system instead of a bunch of code that does stuff. Just sayin'.
I'm thinking as an employee, and not as a dreamer living in a world where the boss asks you what sounds like fun.
Re: Top Things That Annoy Programmers
#26I would actually say that my #1 is when a client (non-programmer) will tell me how easy or difficult it will be to perform the task that they have just assigned me, in an attempt to have their fee waived/lowered.
A typical conversation would involve them saying something along the lines of:
"I just need you to do this (insert non-trivial task) for me. It's really easy, it should only take you about five minutes."
Re: Top Things That Annoy Programmers
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
"It's very hard to get away from, even in start-ups (which you'd think would be a breeding ground for creative company organization schemes.)" That's because you can't get away from human nature. Most people can't lead. They need someone telling them what to do and keeping them on-track. The ones that do become managers, presidents, ceos, or run their own company.
Most people can't lead. They need someone telling them what to do and keeping them on-track. These are two separate skills - the ability to lead others, and the ability to work productively without being led. I'm not convinced either claim is true to be honest - it's probably more true to say that most people have never had the opportunity to even try to develop these skills.
"These are two separate skills - the ability to lead others, and the ability to work productively without being led."
One skill leads to another. If you can show upper management that you have the ability to work without being led, you can eventually become a manager.
"I'm not convinced either claim is true to be honest - it's probably more true to say that most people have never had the opportunity to even try to develop these skills."
People that want to lead, will find a way to lead (either starting their own organization, joining an existing one, or worker their way up through management at a company). If you aren't given the opportunity, it means you aren't interested in becoming a leader (or just aren't trying). Leadership isn't just handed to you.
Re: Top Things That Annoy Programmers
#28I would actually say that my #1 is when a client (non-programmer) will tell me how easy or difficult it will be to perform the task that they have just assigned me, in an attempt to have their fee waived/lowered. A typical conversation would involve them saying something along the lines of: "I just need you to do this (insert non-trivial task) for me. It's really easy, it should only take you about five minutes."
Amen. I hear this all the time.
Re: Top Things That Annoy Programmers
#29[deleted]
Re: Top Things That Annoy Programmers
#30Being thought of as a "subordinate" (I mention this, because he talks about programmers as being subordinates). Am I the only person on earth that rails against this? I trade my time for money, but I am no-one's "subordinate". To me, a manager is someone who makes sure I can get my work done and checks on the overall progress. I guess I'm asking for a mighty downvoting but I really want to know if others think its ok…
I don't mind being a subordinate so long as I can use the "just following orders" excuse whenever something blows up in a customer's face. Part of management's responsibility, after all, is to shield us mere developers from the ugliness out there.
Sadly, I've dealt with management that was more interested in protecting themselves than the people they "managed."