A guide for how to talk to a developer • Hacker News Board

Re: A guide for how to talk to a developer

#31

Post by LyndsySimon » Wed, May 23, 2018, 7:16 PM UTC

mfoy_ wrote: post #14

throwaway2016a wrote: post #6

Rather than memorize a bunch of flash cards it seems much easier to just talk to them like humans and if they say something you don't understand don't be embarrassed to ask them what it means.

I know non-technical people who, when they think they are hearing anything remotely technical, seem to shut down and go into "I don't know technical stuff!" mode... Not that flashcards are going to cure _that_.

True, but one-sentence explanations can be helpful for managers and PMs that aren't familiar with the specific tech stack to get up to speed quickly.

I don't think this is a bad idea per se, but I do think that it's got a long way to go before it's really useful (or even correct).

Re: A guide for how to talk to a developer

#32

Post by psetq » Wed, May 23, 2018, 7:17 PM UTC

tbirrell wrote: post #11

This is as condescending as it is wrong.

IMO, being wrong makes for the most amusing condescension. This website is excellent in that regard, but otherwise remarkably wrong!

Re: A guide for how to talk to a developer

#33

Post by LyndsySimon » Wed, May 23, 2018, 7:21 PM UTC

I sent them a message offering to review their definitions. There's a lot that are incorrect, but complaining about it doesn't solve anything :)

Re: A guide for how to talk to a developer

#34

Post by iaml » Wed, May 23, 2018, 7:21 PM UTC

alxlaz wrote: post #19

1. Is this for real? 2. Here are exactly two things that you need to memorize in order to make this sort of talk productive: a) I don't know what X is, sorry. Can you tell me what that is/Can you explain to me what it does? b) I'm not sure I follow. I thought X is [...]/does [...], what am I missing? 3. Did anyone who actually knows what these things mean review these definitions? E.g: Vanilla: "Plain or basic, often…

>This sort of matches what an API is in web land, if you squint a little. If someone were to ask me what that definition describes, "API" is about the last thing I'd say.

I struggle with defining simple things like this, and I think what author offers is a good generic way to define API. This definition includes any actual way I can imagine one can get (programmatic) access to generic service that does not belong to them. I would really like to know how you would define it though.

Re: A guide for how to talk to a developer

#35

Post by ben509 » Wed, May 23, 2018, 7:25 PM UTC

Animats wrote: post #23

The "computer science" terms are funny. That's not computer science, that's web project development. "Agile - A adapted method of project management in which tasks are divided into short phases, and plans are regularly revisited and modified in response to new information." What does "adapted" mean in this context, anyway?

I think they mean "adaptive" in that it adapts to changing circumstances.

Re: A guide for how to talk to a developer

#36

Post by jspash » Wed, May 23, 2018, 7:27 PM UTC

This is quite funny. Not the website itself, but the comments on here. And it proves the point so well! The website in question is a seemingly obviously quick project that someone whipped up quickly on the hatchapps website. But almost all of the responses here seem to think it's a serious project, taking it at face value.

And therein lies (one of) the problem(s) in talking with developers. We (developers) assume what you (the customer) said is what you meant, but it rarely is.

Re: A guide for how to talk to a developer

#37

Post by sulam » Wed, May 23, 2018, 7:58 PM UTC

rhapsodic wrote: post #20

If you look past the poorly-thought-out title, this page is actually a good information resource for non-technical people.

Except for the part where a bunch of the definitions are wrong, misleading, or woefully incomplete.

Re: A guide for how to talk to a developer

#38

Post by rhapsodic » Wed, May 23, 2018, 8:51 PM UTC

sulam wrote: post #37

rhapsodic wrote: post #20

If you look past the poorly-thought-out title, this page is actually a good information resource for non-technical people.

Except for the part where a bunch of the definitions are wrong, misleading, or woefully incomplete.

>Except for the part where a bunch of the definitions are wrong, misleading, or woefully incomplete.

Examples?

Re: A guide for how to talk to a developer

#39

Post by IshKebab » Wed, May 23, 2018, 9:00 PM UTC

watwut wrote: post #24

thorell wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're right. I also know technical people who obscure gaps in their own knowledge with jargon. So clarifying questions that might expose the gap are responded to with increasingly technical rambling. Bad habits all around, feeding off each other.

Increasingly technical rambling is good. What I hate is when techies start to imply that whoever they talk with is an idiot after they reach limit of their knowledge. That tactic is used surprisingly often. It makes people scared to ask and passive.

No he means increasingly technical rambling that is also meant to obscure the fact that they don't know the answer. Definitely not good.

Re: A guide for how to talk to a developer

#40

Post by Animats » Thu, May 24, 2018, 4:18 AM UTC

ben509 wrote: post #35

Animats wrote: post #23

The "computer science" terms are funny. That's not computer science, that's web project development. "Agile - A adapted method of project management in which tasks are divided into short phases, and plans are regularly revisited and modified in response to new information." What does "adapted" mean in this context, anyway?

I think they mean "adaptive" in that it adapts to changing circumstances.

That's worse. "Adaptive" in web-level tech speak is related to features for disabled people.

Just leaving the word out would improve that sentence.