What Makes a Great Software Engineer? [pdf] • Hacker News Board

Re: What Makes a Great Software Engineer? [pdf]

#121

Post by Froyoh » Mon, Dec 11, 2017, 6:15 PM UTC

dwheeler wrote: post #115

Aaargh20318 wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Having children has made me happier and more fulfilled in ways that I could never have imagined. That's my main problem with it, it's super selfish to procreate. I don't feel I have the right to force new life (with all the pain and suffering that entails) onto this world for the sake of making me happy. I love my potential children too much to do that to them.

That's rediculous. For most people, having children is the most selfless possible thing. Kids are extremely expensive.

Some night even argue that not having kids is selfish.

Re: What Makes a Great Software Engineer? [pdf]

#122

Post by msla » Mon, Dec 11, 2017, 7:51 PM UTC

saltedmd5 wrote: post #103

Aaargh20318 wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Having children has made me happier and more fulfilled in ways that I could never have imagined. That's my main problem with it, it's super selfish to procreate. I don't feel I have the right to force new life (with all the pain and suffering that entails) onto this world for the sake of making me happy. I love my potential children too much to do that to them.

I think this is probably the most self-indulgent thing I've ever read.

It's self-indulgent to not have children?

How is it not self-indulgent to have a child to fulfill your own sense of purpose?

You are utterly alien to a lot of people.

Re: What Makes a Great Software Engineer? [pdf]

#123

Post by msla » Mon, Dec 11, 2017, 7:53 PM UTC

Froyoh wrote: post #121

dwheeler wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's rediculous. For most people, having children is the most selfless possible thing. Kids are extremely expensive.

Some night even argue that not having kids is selfish.

> Some night even argue that not having kids is selfish.

People argue all kinds of insane things.

Having kids to fulfill your own sense of purpose is very selfish.

Re: What Makes a Great Software Engineer? [pdf]

#124

Post by yeukhon » Mon, Dec 11, 2017, 10:25 PM UTC

austincheney wrote: post #107

yeukhon wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you lack confidence and need frameworks, abstractions, and other bullshit to write a couple lines of code you will be a weaker programmer So you like to reinvent everything? Do you reinvent HTML & CSS because they are FRAMEWORKS, one of the foundational frameworks of today's web. If your job only ask you to fix a bug, there here is how to make yourself valuable AND technically challenging: * go through the bugs…

Perhaps if you wrote software in addition to doing that which is strictly assigned to you your question would answer itself. This isn't rocket science.

But there is creativity. You don't have to go an extra mile though, but you can. My response is to this:

> If you aren't independently finding new problems to solve then you will be a weaker programmer than somebody who is constantly stepping up their game.

Re: What Makes a Great Software Engineer? [pdf]

#125

Post by tellarin » Mon, Dec 11, 2017, 11:50 PM UTC

pc86 wrote: post #113

TeMPOraL wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There have been times where I've tried to sit down and work on something but it's no fun when there's a strong feeling of "I should be spending this time with my family". That doesn't sound like a recommendation for becoming a parent. In fact it sounds the opposite - "don't have children, or you'll guilt yourself out of every other thing you could be doing".

Well life is about choices. People are free not to have children. But yes, when you do you bear a certain level of responsibility to them. I think a lot of people would characterize sitting in your office building CRUD apps every night so that you have a sweet green GitHub calendar while your kids sit alone on the couch watching TV as an abdication of that responsibility.

Teach them to code and do it together! ;)

Re: What Makes a Great Software Engineer? [pdf]

#126

Post by miranda_rights » Tue, Dec 12, 2017, 4:59 AM UTC

Manglano wrote: post #63

This study seems to be asking, "What makes a great Microsoft software engineer," given their sample cohort.

Agreed. The paper treated having a Microsoft-only sample as being good since it's a "large sample size", but the skill set of an engineer can be perceived as good or bad at different sizes of companies, and not addressing that seems like a huge oversight.

Re: What Makes a Great Software Engineer? [pdf]

#127

Post by jwdunne » Tue, Dec 12, 2017, 5:29 AM UTC

msla wrote: post #123

Froyoh wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some night even argue that not having kids is selfish.

> Some night even argue that not having kids is selfish. People argue all kinds of insane things. Having kids to fulfill your own sense of purpose is very selfish.

On the flip side, there is some probability that your child may save 1 or more lives.

On the flip flip side, there is some chance your child may take 1 or more lives.

Arguing about the selfishness of procreation is silly. It is your biological purpose. Whether you choose to run with that or not is down to you. It is not selfish if you choose whatever way.

As a parent, my children come first. I would die for them. You make that choice when you have children. That is NOT selfish.

Re: What Makes a Great Software Engineer? [pdf]

#128

Post by Aaargh20318 » Tue, Dec 12, 2017, 9:55 AM UTC

coisnepe wrote: post #116

saltedmd5 wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this is probably the most self-indulgent thing I've ever read.

Is it just a coincidence that there was an article about this very thing a few days ago here? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15869983

In my case, yes. I've been an antinatalist for a long time.

Re: What Makes a Great Software Engineer? [pdf]

#129

Post by Aaargh20318 » Tue, Dec 12, 2017, 9:56 AM UTC

dwheeler wrote: post #115

Aaargh20318 wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Having children has made me happier and more fulfilled in ways that I could never have imagined. That's my main problem with it, it's super selfish to procreate. I don't feel I have the right to force new life (with all the pain and suffering that entails) onto this world for the sake of making me happy. I love my potential children too much to do that to them.

That's rediculous. For most people, having children is the most selfless possible thing. Kids are extremely expensive.

Use our planets limited resources because you think your DNA needs to survive ? Of course it's selfish.

Give one reason to have children that doesn't include words like "I want".

Re: What Makes a Great Software Engineer? [pdf]

#130

Post by jwdunne » Tue, Dec 12, 2017, 1:23 PM UTC

Aaargh20318 wrote: post #129

dwheeler wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's rediculous. For most people, having children is the most selfless possible thing. Kids are extremely expensive.

Use our planets limited resources because you think your DNA needs to survive ? Of course it's selfish. Give one reason to have children that doesn't include words like "I want".

Give one reason why you do anything you do without "I want".

Wanting something isn't selfish. It entirely depends on what it is you actually want.

Oh yes, you could argue from a hardcore libertarian stance that altruism does not exist and every action is inherently selfish but is that a good way of looking at the world? I think not.