Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure • Hacker News Board

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#121

Post by agumonkey » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 2:35 AM UTC

jamesmiller5 wrote: post #49

ranie93 wrote: post #22

Through the article I found he livestreams many of his meetings on Twitch! This is particularly candid moment I happen to find: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGjvFyRk_4I&feature=youtu.be... edit: I wasn't aware of the negative opinions regarding his ego, but from listening to this meeting I can say they aren't unsubstantiated!

I think this video highlights as a leader being the 'bad guy' in a meeting because they are demanding excellence to a specific vision/goal and their subordinate's output isn't meeting their expectations. There are no personal attacks, just critiques on the thought process, output and plan (or lack of planning), all of that is fair game. The dev(?) even admits at ~25:40 that they should be taking notes and fixing what…

There's a bit of passive aggressive hierarchy conflict at play but it doesn't go that far IMO. Tone mostly goes back to relaxed ... could be friendlier but alas.

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#122

Post by chrisseaton » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 2:37 AM UTC

travisr wrote: post #98

newnewpdro wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for the amusement, I'm left with the distinct impression that if everyone on that call were in the same room it would have gone a lot better. His staff didn't even seem engaged in the subject.

From the article: "Often I’ll do a meeting where I have lots of people in case we need to get their input. But for most of the meeting I don’t need all of them to be paying attention (and I’m happy if they’re getting other work done)." So they're not paying attention because he enjoys having excess people on calls and wasting their time. Sounds like torture. The CEO wants you on the call, probably won't need you, and…

> and I’m happy if they’re getting other work done

It seriously doesn't sound like he's happy when he snaps at them to unmute and start responding!

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#123

Post by sgc » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 2:37 AM UTC

avinium wrote: post #90

ranie93 wrote: post #22

Through the article I found he livestreams many of his meetings on Twitch! This is particularly candid moment I happen to find: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGjvFyRk_4I&feature=youtu.be... edit: I wasn't aware of the negative opinions regarding his ego, but from listening to this meeting I can say they aren't unsubstantiated!

First, it's awesome that these are live-streamed and publicised. Second, I didn't hear anything unreasonable in that meeting. SW has a reputation for ego, but honestly this particular extract just sounds like frustration with buggy/messy documentation. I mean, the fact that the CEO is personally going through documentation is telling in itself.

I agree. If that seems ego driven, then you shouldn't be working in a professional environment. It's not even so much frustration as just getting to the bottom of the issue and resolving it.

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#124

Post by chrisseaton » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 2:38 AM UTC

avinium wrote: post #90

ranie93 wrote: post #22

Through the article I found he livestreams many of his meetings on Twitch! This is particularly candid moment I happen to find: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGjvFyRk_4I&feature=youtu.be... edit: I wasn't aware of the negative opinions regarding his ego, but from listening to this meeting I can say they aren't unsubstantiated!

First, it's awesome that these are live-streamed and publicised. Second, I didn't hear anything unreasonable in that meeting. SW has a reputation for ego, but honestly this particular extract just sounds like frustration with buggy/messy documentation. I mean, the fact that the CEO is personally going through documentation is telling in itself.

I don't know why you're bending over backwards to excuse it.

It's toxic. He's being nasty. He could say everything he does without the snapping, blowing up at questions, dramatic sighs, 'oh boy's. It's all so incredibly passively aggressive.

And that's actually the worst bit! It's hard to call him out when he's not explicitly calling them 'idiots' or something. It's like it's some kind of plausible deniability of being horrible to people.

But I don't know these people and maybe they're all fine with it. And Wolfram is paying the bills so it's his style if he wants.

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#125

Post by newnewpdro » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 2:40 AM UTC

travisr wrote: post #98

newnewpdro wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for the amusement, I'm left with the distinct impression that if everyone on that call were in the same room it would have gone a lot better. His staff didn't even seem engaged in the subject.

From the article: "Often I’ll do a meeting where I have lots of people in case we need to get their input. But for most of the meeting I don’t need all of them to be paying attention (and I’m happy if they’re getting other work done)." So they're not paying attention because he enjoys having excess people on calls and wasting their time. Sounds like torture. The CEO wants you on the call, probably won't need you, and…

If that's what he's arranging, then its his own self-created dysfunction.

The people on that particular call didn't even seem to know what they were talking about half the time though. It's entirely possible that they're both asked to passively participate in oversubscribed meetings and neglecting to do their jobs creating further frustration.

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#126

Post by nodesocket » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 2:44 AM UTC

There is something that makes me a little sad inside that running on the treadmill while being on the computer and working is even a possibility. It's like in the movie WALL-E where people are shuffled around on lazy-boy like chairs while eating ice cream. It just feels wrong. There is much to be appreciated with being with your thoughts, music, and running.

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#127

Post by watmough » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 2:45 AM UTC

foxhop wrote: post #55

oh_sigh wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Old-school non-optical mouse

Did you know even the old-school computer mouse uses light to work? The new school just don't have a mechanical component of a ball and two rollers which spin two separate "gears" which blocks light and then math to figure out the horizontal change + vertical change. I found that pretty neat when I learned. (I'm old enough to remember the pains of using a gunked up ball mouse.)

For old-school meaning about '85 or so, 'optical mouse' meant a mouse on a special gridded pad that worked optically.

See this: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sun_optical_mouse.jp...

That's not a regular mouse pad, it's a special red/blue/silver grid detected by a laser in the mouse.

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#128

Post by idlewords » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 2:47 AM UTC

argd678 wrote: post #71

ranie93 wrote: post #22

Through the article I found he livestreams many of his meetings on Twitch! This is particularly candid moment I happen to find: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGjvFyRk_4I&feature=youtu.be... edit: I wasn't aware of the negative opinions regarding his ego, but from listening to this meeting I can say they aren't unsubstantiated!

Reminds me of this Sir Issac Newton quote: > Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy.

This is a Howard Newton quote. I think you're confusing it with "F = ma".

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2018/07/18/tact/

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#129

Post by agumonkey » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 2:48 AM UTC

77pt77 wrote: post #120

argd678 wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reminds me of this Sir Issac Newton quote: > Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy.

Do you have a source for that? That does not sound like Newton ar all.

Maybe mastery doesn't imply usage

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#130

Post by avinium » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 2:52 AM UTC

chrisseaton wrote: post #124

avinium wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First, it's awesome that these are live-streamed and publicised. Second, I didn't hear anything unreasonable in that meeting. SW has a reputation for ego, but honestly this particular extract just sounds like frustration with buggy/messy documentation. I mean, the fact that the CEO is personally going through documentation is telling in itself.

I don't know why you're bending over backwards to excuse it. It's toxic. He's being nasty. He could say everything he does without the snapping, blowing up at questions, dramatic sighs, 'oh boy's. It's all so incredibly passively aggressive. And that's actually the worst bit! It's hard to call him out when he's not explicitly calling them 'idiots' or something. It's like it's some kind of plausible deniability of bei…

I guess "toxic" is pretty subjective. Personally, I draw the line at personal insults. You might draw the line a little earlier.