Life's too short to write shitty software • Hacker News Board

Re: Life's too short to write shitty software

#81

Post by cpeterso » Fri, Apr 13, 2012, 10:39 PM UTC

kacy wrote: post #57

cpeterso wrote: post #46

The "non-shitty" software the author works on is an ad-serving platform. Advertising is only one or two steps above TPS middleware.

That hurts a little. Sorry you feel that way. :-/ I particularly enjoy working on the technical challenges, but to each his own. Cheers.

I'm sorry. My comment was supposed to be funny, but it was just rude. Thanks for calling me on that. All kinds of software can be shitty or non-shitty. I appreciate the call-to-action to developers stuck in the "trenches" of corporate software development. The "C++ coding mines", as one co-worker put it. I just feel the world is inundated with advertising and I hope inspired hackers have the opportunity to solve problems that help people more than businesses.

As FAKEGRIMLOCK says: "FIND CONTENT USERS WANT TO PAY FOR. ADS JUST WAY TO GO BANKRUPT SLOWER."

https://twitter.com/#!/FAKEGRIMLOCK/status/18952272845223117...

Re: Life's too short to write shitty software

#82

Post by Znash » Fri, Apr 13, 2012, 11:33 PM UTC

I think that this is true no matter what field you are in. Income is important and it is very hard to change course in life when you have a family and other financial obligations but it is worth it. A happy person makes a much better partner then someone who is frustrated and depressed.

Re: Life's too short to write shitty software

#83

Post by joe24pack » Fri, Apr 13, 2012, 11:51 PM UTC

debt wrote: post #48

Khao wrote: post #37

I lived mostly the same story as this guy, except I was working in a startup when this happened. I was working on great software, but I hated my job and hated everyone around me. And yet I joined this startup because I felt it would be the best job ever. I was so wrong. I finally left for BigCo afer 6 months and I plan on staying there for years and years because this job is incredible. We write the most beautiful so…

I can hear the chorus of HNer's working at startups saying "yeah, but just wait until we go IPO or get bought or go viral then you'll see why we worked so hard so late so often for so long..."

it's also a risk that might not work out.

Re: Life's too short to write shitty software

#84

Post by jroll » Fri, Apr 13, 2012, 11:56 PM UTC

nollidge wrote: post #69

jroll wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Out of curiosity, why the downvotes? When I worked at a corporation, I tried to do what Ed recommended here, and these are the problems that I encountered.

> Out of curiosity, why the downvotes? Don't worry about downvotes until time has passed. Things usually balance out.

I see that now, thanks :) I don't mind being downvoted, I'd just like to hear out any rebuttals to my comment.

Re: Life's too short to write shitty software

#85

Post by indiecore » Sat, Apr 14, 2012, 12:16 AM UTC

aiscott wrote: post #41

jeffesp wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"When life hands you lemons, make lemonade."

"Never rub another man's rhubarb."

The words I live by.

Re: Life's too short to write shitty software

#86

Post by michaelochurch » Sat, Apr 14, 2012, 12:24 AM UTC

edw519 wrote: post #12

For those of you now browsing Hacker News at his cubicle during his break under soul-sucking fluorescent lights : You can have it both ways (work for BigCo and build cool stuff), but it's not easy. You have to make it happen within the corporate systems and structure. I have many times. A few examples: - Boss to me: "Purchasing is complaining that the legacy system isn't doing what it should. Go find out what they ne…

I think the trick to surviving either big-company jobs (with the tendency toward bureaucracy and risk aversion) or startup (with the high risk and uncertainty) is realizing that it's just a job, not what you have to be doing for the next 15 years. If it's boring for a couple months, who cares? If the company goes out of existence (or fires you) there will be others. I think it's becoming increasingly important to learn this, although it's easier to give this advice than follow it.

Re: Life's too short to write shitty software

#87

Post by canadiancreed » Sat, Apr 14, 2012, 1:01 AM UTC

pelemele wrote: post #28

fusiongyro wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a hard time imagining that this guy reading HN is going to let his/her skills become obsolete. Besides that, was there really no writing on the wall? They really had 40 hours of work to do every week, and then suddenly none, with no warning?

1. Comfort zone - if you ever worked in corp world you know what I'm talking about (he mentioned that he enjoys family time after 8 hour work shift so I would like to know how he keeps up to date with skill set). 2. I've seen it myself at least two times - no warning, nothing. Thank you for your service, here is you severance package - 2 weeks of pay and application for COBRA coverage.

I'll second this. I had this happened three months ago, the owner walked into the office, sat down and apologized profusely, and handed me a months severage. No advanced warning, no slowdown of work, jsut boom, you're done. Doesn't pay to be comfortable.

Re: Life's too short to write shitty software

#88

Post by kirinan » Sat, Apr 14, 2012, 1:02 AM UTC

actf wrote: post #70

kirinan wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't have a window near me, although that may give me a bit more Zen than I Have now. I get loud support people near me instead. We are stuck in the 90's with our technology and are a Microsoft shop. We do have "career growth" opportunities, but they are the standard tuition reimbursement kind (which are fine). There are great corporations to work for (Google, SAS, Facebook), but the majority of them are soul crus…

Saying that, "the majority of them are soul crushing boring with no care or love for the developers" is a pretty strong claim, for which you've provided no evidence. Certainly some corporate jobs are soul crushing, but the "majority"? The wrong startup, for the wrong person, can be just as soul sucking as a large corporation. There's plenty of startups that I would never want to work for. This suggestion that corpora…

Almost all the people I know that work for corporations hate their jobs and would call their job's soul crushing. Granted, I would not be able to find empirical evidence for this claim,it is just based on my experience. There are plenty of good corporations like I stated though. I will agree with you that a crappy job is a crappy job no matter where it is, but I would argue and say that there is a higher possibility of getting a good job at a startup because of the very nature of the work. I will also agree that you should do whatever makes you happy, including if that means you don't get rich or you dont even make money doing it.

Re: Life's too short to write shitty software

#89

Post by Khao » Sat, Apr 14, 2012, 1:30 AM UTC

debt wrote: post #48

Khao wrote: post #37

I lived mostly the same story as this guy, except I was working in a startup when this happened. I was working on great software, but I hated my job and hated everyone around me. And yet I joined this startup because I felt it would be the best job ever. I was so wrong. I finally left for BigCo afer 6 months and I plan on staying there for years and years because this job is incredible. We write the most beautiful so…

I can hear the chorus of HNer's working at startups saying "yeah, but just wait until we go IPO or get bought or go viral then you'll see why we worked so hard so late so often for so long..."

I prefer having time for myself rather than killing myself at work hoping that it will pay out. If it does, great for you! But if it doesn't, all those years you've worked your ass off and didn't have time for yourself and people close to you will never be given back. I have my good salary at BigCo and I know that the moment I leave the office, I don't have to think about it.

I think this work / life separation is really important (to me at least). I don't personally think that what you do at work represents who you really are, and having activities outside of work defines you way more than that thing you do from 9 to 5 to earn a salary. In the end, a job is only there to provide you enough money to pay for your lifestyle.

If your personnal goal is to be crazy rich, then go and work your ass off like crazy for years. But when your job pays enough that you can keep your current lifestyle and you like what you're doing like this, I don't see anything that would make me leave BigCo for a startup filled with dreams of being rich.

Re: Life's too short to write shitty software

#90

Post by Wickk » Sat, Apr 14, 2012, 2:24 AM UTC

pelemele wrote: post #28

fusiongyro wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a hard time imagining that this guy reading HN is going to let his/her skills become obsolete. Besides that, was there really no writing on the wall? They really had 40 hours of work to do every week, and then suddenly none, with no warning?

1. Comfort zone - if you ever worked in corp world you know what I'm talking about (he mentioned that he enjoys family time after 8 hour work shift so I would like to know how he keeps up to date with skill set). 2. I've seen it myself at least two times - no warning, nothing. Thank you for your service, here is you severance package - 2 weeks of pay and application for COBRA coverage.

I don't understand your stance on family time vs skill set? My day to day is usually like this: Get up, shower, pick up my house, go to work for 8 hours, come home where I make dinner and invariably end up cleaning my kitchen. Then i sit down with my boyfriend and just do whatever so that we're spending time together.

This past weekend I managed to pick up a book on Go and hoping to deploy something through appengine by the end of week. If you want something, you find the time.

And I work 48 hours a week minimum.