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The layoffs are here for those who chose to ‘learn to code’

businessinsider.com

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Re: The layoffs are here for those who chose to ‘learn to code’

#61

Post by the_only_law »

lelanthran wrote: post #38
ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't worry, the sweet irony is hitting those condescending tech-bros now too the same way it hit the condescending crypto/stock bros who kept preaching "the market only goes up", "to the moon" and, my personal favorite which I read on HN, "developer demand is infinite". How's that infinite demand working out now tech-bros? Just ask Twitter employees. https://imgur.com/a/ZSEl44o A lot of people working in tech were d…

> https://imgur.com/a/ZSEl44o I was around for the last 13 years, and I'm pretty certain that it was *self-identified left-leaning journalists* who told coal-miners "LearnToCode" and then got all huffy when they got told "#learntocode". Developers weren't taking part in this mess.

There were some developers at least condoning it. I remember having debates about this around the time it had really picked up and I remember people here and otherwise telling me developers would never have to worry because demand was seemingly infinite or something. I fucked up listening to them.

Re: The layoffs are here for those who chose to ‘learn to code’

#62

Post by SketchySeaBeast »

hef19898 wrote: post #55
SketchySeaBeast wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, I was just trying to point out that median is a silly measure, but now we're really comparing apples to oranges. Every astronaut is not a NASA astronaut and so they haven't had to undergo a uniform skill test but there are still excellent odds that every astronaut is qualified for their role even if they are below the median "astronaut". Yes, it could be argued that every space agency has some sort of test, but…

The median does apply to NASA astronauts as well, it is just measuring a different population.

Yeah, the median can be measured, I never said it couldn't, it's just not a useful measure.

Re: The layoffs are here for those who chose to ‘learn to code’

#63

Post by ericmcer »

ProllyInfamous wrote: post #39
ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't worry, the sweet irony is hitting those condescending tech-bros now too the same way it hit the condescending crypto/stock bros who kept preaching "the market only goes up", "to the moon" and, my personal favorite which I read on HN, "developer demand is infinite". How's that infinite demand working out now tech-bros? Just ask Twitter employees. https://imgur.com/a/ZSEl44o A lot of people working in tech were d…

I'm a blue collar IBEW electrician that inevitably injured myself working in confined spaces. Summer 2022, I set out on my quest to become a technical writer, but by Holidays 2022 I was generating images and tip-toe-ing into the emerging ChatGPT stuff. By January 2023, I was already certain that professional writing would be increasingly-difficult to enter (as a career field) as a novice content creator: I was alread…

Another front page thread is about how in demand electricians are. Maybe there is some way you can make get money out of it?

Re: The layoffs are here for those who chose to ‘learn to code’

#64

Post by epolanski »

ep103 wrote: post #57
yobid20 wrote: post #12

There are a lot of "software engineers" who can't code well. I see a lot of "google and copy paste until it works and deploy". No thoughts behind design. No idea about performance. No testing. No innovation. They all need to go.

But I bet you these people sure can leetcode!

While I've met plenty of terrible developers from the best universities and with the best grades and interviewing skills, people that was easily outclassed and outperformed by 3-month bootcampers, I can't lie crappiest one are much worse, people who struggle to implement very basic algorithms such as Fizz-Buzz.

Re: The layoffs are here for those who chose to ‘learn to code’

#65

Post by epolanski »

peddleroftruth wrote: post #48
tyingq wrote: post #44

So, the same companies that overhired and ended up with underskilled developers are somehow going to accurately identify the underperforming developers and lay them off?

I think one of the problems is that they are about as good at identifying talent as they are at laying off underperforming developers. One of my friends has worked at the same place for 10+ years, dodging several layoffs. When he talks about layoffs it seems pretty random who gets the stick. He doesn't have the complete picture though, so they might very well be great developers, but still underperforming...

> When he talks about layoffs it seems pretty random who gets the stick

Because it mostly is.

Re: The layoffs are here for those who chose to ‘learn to code’

#67

Post by falcolas »

moate wrote: post #28
drewcoo wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> By definition, half of us are under the median. Given that no one can agree how to measure, I'd bet that most of us are.

No, don’t do that, now you’ve upset math. Or rather: I’ll mortgage my house and put my life savings on the line against that bet.

Nobody specified what measure the median was made against - or that skill is involved in any way - so it’s still possible.

Brought to you by another chapter in the book Recreational Arguments.

Re: The layoffs are here for those who chose to ‘learn to code’

#69

Post by randomdata »

hef19898 wrote: post #8
SketchySeaBeast wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this one of those sentiments people like to say until the monkey's paw curls and they too find out they are mediocre?

By definition, half of us are under the median.

If we are all equal, none of us would be "under the median".

Re: The layoffs are here for those who chose to ‘learn to code’

#70

Post by gorbachev »

peddleroftruth wrote: post #48
tyingq wrote: post #44

So, the same companies that overhired and ended up with underskilled developers are somehow going to accurately identify the underperforming developers and lay them off?

I think one of the problems is that they are about as good at identifying talent as they are at laying off underperforming developers. One of my friends has worked at the same place for 10+ years, dodging several layoffs. When he talks about layoffs it seems pretty random who gets the stick. He doesn't have the complete picture though, so they might very well be great developers, but still underperforming...

It is usually not that random.

People get laid off from low impact projects/teams. People working on higher profile, more important projects get to stay, even if they're objectively worse than those who got laid off.

There are obviously exceptions, like strict "lay off 10% of all teams" type of layoffs, or a family business firing everyone who's not family, or Elon Musk firing anyone who disagrees with him.

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