The "Spanish Theory" of software project management
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The "Spanish Theory" of software project management
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Re: The "Spanish Theory" of software project management
#2> In practice what this often means for the developer is unpaid overtime (also known as "crunch time"), something very familiar to game developers, and also common in traditional software development, as the project nears its deadline. But those unpaid hours are actually costing you, the developer, because you can't get them back.
Sure you can. A good employer will give you time off in lieu later.
Of course, an even better employer would never let it come to that.
Re: The "Spanish Theory" of software project management
#3> In practice what this often means for the developer is unpaid overtime (also known as "crunch time"), something very familiar to game developers, and also common in traditional software development, as the project nears its deadline. But those unpaid hours are actually costing you, the developer, because you can't get them back. Sure you can. A good employer will give you time off in lieu later. Of course, an even…
And also I agree to work overtime near deadlines because my employer lets me super flexible work time when there's not much work. So it's a tradeoff.
Of course, if your employer doesn't compensate with something, you're getting screwed. But that's true for developers, waiters, clerks, everybody, it's not something specific of our kind.
Re: The "Spanish Theory" of software project management
#4> In practice what this often means for the developer is unpaid overtime (also known as "crunch time"), something very familiar to game developers, and also common in traditional software development, as the project nears its deadline. But those unpaid hours are actually costing you, the developer, because you can't get them back. Sure you can. A good employer will give you time off in lieu later. Of course, an even…
In days of yore they had a mechanism so that if an employer ever let it come to that, there would be financial repercussions.
I believe they called it "time and a half."
Re: The "Spanish Theory" of software project management
#5I'm Spanish and I approve this article!
I didn't knew that there was a "Spanish Management Theory" ;), it seems we are just giving the world awesome things... like the Spanish Flu.
Re: The "Spanish Theory" of software project management
#6There even a not written rule in Spanish companies: «you never leave the work office before your boss». Effort in Spain only correlates to the time spent in the office and not with results. That is the reason why telecommuting never really took off in Spain.
Re: The "Spanish Theory" of software project management
#7This meme about how unfair it is that programmers work unpaid overtime is starting to drive me nuts.
I've been in big stodgy software company where everyone worked exactly 8 hours, and the whole company filed out the door at 5pm as if a factory whistle had blown. I've also worked at a smallish software company where the norm was at least 10 or 11 hours a day, and half the programmers came in on Saturdays and Sundays (and I did too).
I much preferred the latter. Why? The work was more interesting, and the programmers were smarter (and nicer!), but the main reason I preferred it is, "What's the alternative for my free time?"
What do you really do with the rest of the day? Yeah, sure, you have great "personal life with your family". But really, the typical programmer at BOTH companies was single, didn't have a girlfriend, and didn't have many friends.
The free time was wasted on video games, lots and lots of video games, mindless chatter at a bar, watching team sports,... you get idea.
Let's stop with the whining and sniveling about unpaid overtime among programmers. The average programmer is well paid, his work is usually interesting, and his free time will be squandered (applies to me too). I prefer to be at work where at least I'm doing something real.
Re: The "Spanish Theory" of software project management
#8This meme about how unfair it is that programmers work unpaid overtime is starting to drive me nuts. I've been in big stodgy software company where everyone worked exactly 8 hours, and the whole company filed out the door at 5pm as if a factory whistle had blown. I've also worked at a smallish software company where the norm was at least 10 or 11 hours a day, and half the programmers came in on Saturdays and Sundays…
Maybe I'm missing your point, but from what I gather, no one should be whining about unpaid overtime because you don't think programmers have social lives and their time is better spent working for free.
Have you heard the expression, "Speak for yourself"? It applies to you here.
Re: The "Spanish Theory" of software project management
#9This meme about how unfair it is that programmers work unpaid overtime is starting to drive me nuts. I've been in big stodgy software company where everyone worked exactly 8 hours, and the whole company filed out the door at 5pm as if a factory whistle had blown. I've also worked at a smallish software company where the norm was at least 10 or 11 hours a day, and half the programmers came in on Saturdays and Sundays…
Let me make sure I understand your point correctly. You're saying that we should stop complaining about unpaid overtime because we have nothing better to do with our time anyway?
If that is indeed correct, then you are off base to an insulting degree. I personally work a 40 hour week and never have enough free time to truly be satisfied despite that. I know no programmers who like working excessive hours simply because they never have anything else they'd rather do.
Maybe you're single and can't think of anything else to do besides video games, bar hopping, and sports, but I'm married with a child and I have more than enough interesting hobbies to occupy as much time as I care to give them.
Re: The "Spanish Theory" of software project management
#10This meme about how unfair it is that programmers work unpaid overtime is starting to drive me nuts. I've been in big stodgy software company where everyone worked exactly 8 hours, and the whole company filed out the door at 5pm as if a factory whistle had blown. I've also worked at a smallish software company where the norm was at least 10 or 11 hours a day, and half the programmers came in on Saturdays and Sundays…
Your "wasted time" is my "stress relief", so I can actually be productive when I am in the office. There have been times when I've worked significantly more hours than my usual 40 (I'm hourly though, not salaried), and I can honestly say that for me it's unsustainable. After about the first week of working 60 hours+ I'm probably _less_ productive working the second 60 than if I'd just worked 40s.