I know this is slightly off-topic, but is washing your hands twice per hour really considered a Hughesian level of compulsiveness?
Twice an hour is not even Hughesian level of compulsiveness IIRC.
I have a theory that software drives people insane
171–180 of 206 posts
Re: I have a theory that software drives people insane
#172Software development untethered from the practical realities of the customer / user is what drives people insane. When developers are required to interact with the customer on a regular basis , the freewheeling effects described in this article are damped massively. The potential for insanity goes off the charts when the development team is siloed away in solitary confinement and the only interactions with the client…
Oh boy, I do mostly agree with you but this applies well if you’re making software for the fellow SWEs. While a lot of them can be an annoying bunch, once you’re making something for general consumption, like let’s say running an e-commerce platform, interacting with your end users could be probably better compared to a front desk/service industry job. It’s very hard to keep that positive attitude then.
Re: I have a theory that software drives people insane
#173Seems like your actual argument is that competitive profiteering makes people insane. That is the motive here. Software is just the conduit.
As well as the people who work on software not being the ones making decisions about that work. A gap between the deciders and the laborers. Which is a result of the structure of the current micro political economy within organizations. It is not separate from it.
Re: I have a theory that software drives people insane
#174Earlier quoted context omitted.
"What problem are we trying to solve?" is a question I have to ask constantly in corporate development environments, and rarely does anyone presenting the task to be done actually know the answer! It's very frustrating.
I try to remember to say something like this: "This is an interesting solution, but I'm not confident we have a shared understanding of the problem we're solving. I have a few guesses, but I don't want to bias the discussion, so please restate the problem without suggesting a solution. If it's too difficult to explain, I can suggest what problems I think you might be running into." I wish I always remembered to say t…
Until you run into that most stubborn, "my problem is the absence of this solution" type of stakeholder...
Re: I have a theory that software drives people insane
#175Since software is less constrained by physical resources and has low perceived friction for change, it's easy to adopt a development strategy based on the common ideas that "more is better" and that continuous change is inherently good.
But things don't have to be this way. Buttons moving around after every update isn't inevitable. AI-assistants in text editors aren't inevitable either. I use and love xfce, for example
Re: I have a theory that software drives people insane
#176Since software is less constrained by physical resources and has low perceived friction for change, it's easy to adopt a development strategy based on the common ideas that "more is better" and that continuous change is inherently good. But things don't have to be this way. Buttons moving around after every update isn't inevitable. AI-assistants in text editors aren't inevitable either. I use and love xfce, for examp…
Hacker News itself is a great example too
Re: I have a theory that software drives people insane
#177I'm starting to believe computer work and screens make me lose touch with reality and dissociate. I remember starting an apprenticeship as a dev in 2015 and I saw a guy like me, but 2 years in, with deep eye bags and he just smiled, didnt say anything and he looked extremely exhausted. Well 11 years later and here we are, we are all tethered to this mess
This is why I hope to retire on a farm
Re: I have a theory that software drives people insane
#178My long running message of the day: "eventually all programmers turn into mumblers."
Re: I have a theory that software drives people insane
#179I think there's some truth to this. All those decisions and interactions at your fingertips cause dopamine release, which in excess can cause things like psychosis, paranoia, or delusions.
[dead]
Re: I have a theory that software drives people insane
#180I was about to post this thought on the latest "We're moving from tech/architecture X to Y" post on the HN front page today, but now I feel it belongs here. I was recently chatting with a friend about how we used to do so much more with so few developers: 20 years ago, we developed mission critical, real time software (trading systems) in C++ with team of a couple of dozen developers. The core trading kernel team was…
Man I wish I was born 20 years earlier so I could be working in the golden age of developers like this (and also buy a home at a decent price)
I feel for you. We didn't know how good we had it. Wooed by multiple companies right out of university, good salary, comfortable, fulfilling work (some nights though), fast path to car and home ownership and long term financial security. Few rules/restrictions more perks compared to other professions. We were spoiled. Perhaps this is why the current crop of tech leaders are behaving like spoiled brats.