Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#271

Post by tayo42 » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 3:11 AM UTC

I think I do, though not for the reason everyone else seems to be posting. Like I do hate my job, like most people do but that's not why.

I think it would force me to get out of my comfort zone, find something new to be excited about. I'm pretty sure I'm to comfortable at the job I hate. I guess it would be interesting to see what I end up doing without work sucking up time. Maybe ill find time to be excited about programming again. Maybe get good at something that I want to be good at.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#272

Post by ludston » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 3:13 AM UTC

zdragnar wrote: post #200

lacampbell wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm bewildered as to why a CEO would have any opinion on version control at all. Or why you'd ask a CEO whether you could use one. It's like a builder asking a construction company CEO if he can hold a hammer lower in his hand and that CEO forbidding it. Can someone explain?

A good friend of mine worked for a small company whose CEO also tried hard to convince him that introducing version control was wrong. Of course, this same CEO also didn't see any problem with the fact that the password field in the login form was never checked against the database, because who would know someone else's login name?

Why a developer would be asking a CEO for advice or opinions on either of these things?

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#273

Post by james_s_tayler » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 3:14 AM UTC

rjplatte wrote: post #100

I'm the sole developer working on my current project, which is overhauling a massive DOS era application, as well as overhauling an early 2000s era CRM/business management tool, that almost all of our work happens through. Did I mention that the DOS application is a HIPAA billing application that must meet all HIPAA guidelines as well as write EDI X12 billing files? I'm very junior, been coding for ~5 years, 3 profes…

Wow. Just wow. Run. There is no way this will end well.

No version control = no way.

You're junior in years, but 3 years working professionally makes you perhaps less junior than you think. It's right around the point it becomes easier to get other jobs.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#274

Post by alexpetralia » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 3:15 AM UTC

throwaway58129 wrote: post #64

I didn't know this format was a thing and am so very excited to discover it. I hope you folks enjoy reading horror stories. I got a job as a Software Engineer in my current company 4.5 years ago; friend-of-a-friend sort of thing. The company had an apparently disastrous piece of software that was their main LOB. They had gone through pretty much every local consulting agency - at least once, on a few occasions they h…

I nominate this for "best of Hacker News" comments

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#275

Post by NullPrefix » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 3:16 AM UTC

seizethecheese wrote: post #267

I sure hope this format doesn't take off. Having worked as a dishwasher, line cook, pool manager, business analyst, software engineer, and startup founder, I have to say software engineer was, by far, the most coddled job. How about this: I'm a line cook, and I can't afford to be fired. I make minimum wage, and burn or cut myself badly at least once per week. I'm not allowed to take the day off and have to work throu…

I'm sure there are worse jobs than line cook.

If someone would provide a description of a worse job, would that invalidate your argument in the same way you tried to invalidate OPs argument?

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#276

Post by xpe » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 3:16 AM UTC

seizethecheese wrote: post #267

I sure hope this format doesn't take off. Having worked as a dishwasher, line cook, pool manager, business analyst, software engineer, and startup founder, I have to say software engineer was, by far, the most coddled job. How about this: I'm a line cook, and I can't afford to be fired. I make minimum wage, and burn or cut myself badly at least once per week. I'm not allowed to take the day off and have to work throu…

People at all ranges of life experience have authentic concerns.

Listening can be hard, because, yes, we might hear stories of things that seem, well, entitled. That’s ok. Perhaps people that take too much for granted can reassess by putting their stories out and getting feedback?

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#277

Post by toomanybeersies » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 3:18 AM UTC

lacampbell wrote: post #269

zdragnar wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A good friend of mine worked for a small company whose CEO also tried hard to convince him that introducing version control was wrong. Of course, this same CEO also didn't see any problem with the fact that the password field in the login form was never checked against the database, because who would know someone else's login name?

Why is a CEO even getting involved in an issue on that low a level? Unless these are 'CEOs' of 3 people tech companies, I guess.

OP said they are the sole developer on their project, so it sounds like they are.

Gotta love those companies where there are more board members than employees.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#278

Post by seizethecheese » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 3:18 AM UTC

NullPrefix wrote: post #275

seizethecheese wrote: post #267

I sure hope this format doesn't take off. Having worked as a dishwasher, line cook, pool manager, business analyst, software engineer, and startup founder, I have to say software engineer was, by far, the most coddled job. How about this: I'm a line cook, and I can't afford to be fired. I make minimum wage, and burn or cut myself badly at least once per week. I'm not allowed to take the day off and have to work throu…

I'm sure there are worse jobs than line cook. If someone would provide a description of a worse job, would that invalidate your argument in the same way you tried to invalidate OPs argument?

Of course not. And there are better jobs than software engineer. However, I do believe it's possible to stack rank jobs, and Software Engineer must be in the top quintile in terms of quality of work-life.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#279

Post by whatshisface » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 3:18 AM UTC

seizethecheese wrote: post #267

I sure hope this format doesn't take off. Having worked as a dishwasher, line cook, pool manager, business analyst, software engineer, and startup founder, I have to say software engineer was, by far, the most coddled job. How about this: I'm a line cook, and I can't afford to be fired. I make minimum wage, and burn or cut myself badly at least once per week. I'm not allowed to take the day off and have to work throu…

I'm a third world sweathop worker. I was forced to make clothes here ever since I could walk. There are hundreds of people packed in to this tiny windowless room, and every time there is a fire I die. My coworkers can't even afford alcohol. Every time I hear decadent American line cooks complain about their working conditions, all I can think is, they have it so easy.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#280

Post by xapata » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 3:18 AM UTC

NullPrefix wrote: post #275

seizethecheese wrote: post #267

I sure hope this format doesn't take off. Having worked as a dishwasher, line cook, pool manager, business analyst, software engineer, and startup founder, I have to say software engineer was, by far, the most coddled job. How about this: I'm a line cook, and I can't afford to be fired. I make minimum wage, and burn or cut myself badly at least once per week. I'm not allowed to take the day off and have to work throu…

I'm sure there are worse jobs than line cook. If someone would provide a description of a worse job, would that invalidate your argument in the same way you tried to invalidate OPs argument?

What argument was made?