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The shittiest project I ever worked on

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Re: The shittiest project I ever worked on

#121

Post by hef19898 »

eitally wrote: post #113
redact207 wrote: post #12

Although it's a fun read, it's a classic example of diving into coding without giving a project it's due diligence. There's nothing that's derailed my projects more consistently when I started out as not understanding the user's needs. They'll never tell you what they want, only what they don't want after you deliver something. I think that's the key difference to an experienced dev/BA. One who can actually sit with…

The flip side of this is that when stakeholders/customers don't know what they really want or need, you can labor in the "requirements phase" for months. My team spent 900 hours last year just getting a functional spec and high level SRS together for a project that hasn't happened yet. Why hasn't it happened? Because at the end of the 900 hours, we presented our estimate (about 1100hrs) to the customer and he balked…

Try to keep your spirit up despite all this, especially your team. Things like that were part of the reason why I quit my last job.

Completely true is the thing with the superstars. I knew one myself, a genius in warehouse management systems. If I had him on a project, it went smoothly as anything. if I didn't I stayed in development hell for months. But seeing this guys workload, he wasn't off any better.

But in retrospect, the general direction the organisation took at my last employer wasn't that bad. Execution lacked, so.

Re: The shittiest project I ever worked on

#122

Post by OlivierLi »

adamconroy wrote: post #50
fusiongyro wrote: post #22

> In 1995 I quit my regular job as senior web engineer You had the job title "senior web engineer" when the web was 4 years old. That's pretty cool.

Sorry if it reduces self-esteem, but we (software developers) are not engineers. I've been brainwashed for many years by my brother, who is a Phd civil engineer, that professions that hijack the term engineer are kidding themselves. I know it sounds cool, and my current title is 'Senior Software Engineer', but it is all a scam.

I like the way it works here in Québec. To hold the title of Engineer one has to have an actual engineering degree.

For example I am getting a "Software Engineering" degree. It has all the same math and science classes as other engineering majors.

If I ever want to use my title as engineer I will be held to the same standards as other engineers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_engineering_professio...

Re: The shittiest project I ever worked on

#123

Post by didyousaymeow »

tripzilch wrote: post #116
chii wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

heh true, but what about if you were going to use a neural network to do some sort of pattern recognition? You dont know how its done, but the computer does! :D

That's not actually how artificial neural networks in pattern recognition tasks really work. Once you learn and understand the learning algorithms, you will experience this Wizard of Oz moment, you see how the trick's done and it's not quite as impressive as you hoped. This is confirmed by the fact that it exactly matches the limitations of a typical neural net you've established experimentally. The tasks that are wi…

I have an upcoming project where we'll be implementing a pattern recognition algorithm - think smart flash cards. I've read up some on timed-repetition and a small amount on how neural networks work.

With your experiences, do you have any recommended reading that would help me with the neural network learning curve?

Re: The shittiest project I ever worked on

#124

Post by floobynewb »

tripzilch wrote: post #116
chii wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

heh true, but what about if you were going to use a neural network to do some sort of pattern recognition? You dont know how its done, but the computer does! :D

That's not actually how artificial neural networks in pattern recognition tasks really work. Once you learn and understand the learning algorithms, you will experience this Wizard of Oz moment, you see how the trick's done and it's not quite as impressive as you hoped. This is confirmed by the fact that it exactly matches the limitations of a typical neural net you've established experimentally. The tasks that are wi…

I think this is wrong. Take for instance the task of classifying images. You can train a RBN with backprop (after contrastive divergence alg) to correctly classify images. In the process it has automagically determined properties of the image which allow it to perform the classification. These properties are combinations of pixel elements. So it has in effect determined how to solve a problem without your input. In a similar way, solving a set of simultaneous equations using any of a huge array of mechanical mathematical techniques is also solving a problem which you do not personally know how to solve. you could even consider using a Library of code as solving a problem you do not know how to solve...

Re: The shittiest project I ever worked on

#125

Post by grumps »

hef19898 wrote: post #42
grumps wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh yes the "easy" project... we just need... The real issue is sales...you make the sale because you have to. Then you stick the project on some poor PM/Ba/Dev who will fight with them forever over this stuff. Maybe I'm just bitter about the situation that I continually get stuck in.

Boy, do I feel with you. But look on the bright side of it, we are not alone, are we? ;-)

Yea there are times when I think gee "I'm so happy to be above the ground and vertical." Then I get an irritating email and well that thought flees.

Re: The shittiest project I ever worked on

#126

Post by wil421 »

"In 1995 I quit my regular job as senior web engineer for Time-Warner and became a consultant developing interactive content for the World-Wide Web, which was still a pretty new thing at the time."

I am confused the person stated that they were a senior web engineer but quit to work on a new thing the WWW. How can you be a senior web engineer for something brand new?

Just nitpicking...

Re: The shittiest project I ever worked on

#127

Post by GFischer »

pjc50 wrote: post #70
kjackson2012 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it hard to believe. In 1995 people barely knew what the internet was. I was accessing the internet through Trumpet Winsock on Windows 3.11 and had a 14.4k modem. The idea that Time Warner already had a sophisticated Web division smells like BS to me. I would accept 1997 or 1998, but not 1995.

It's a rank indicator, not about experience. Also, fancy job titles are free employee motivation.

"Give me enough medals and I'll win any war"

attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte

Re: The shittiest project I ever worked on

#128

Post by cbp »

This is why:

1. You should spend more time designing (away from the computer) so that you find a _problem_ and then come up with a reasonable solution. Instead of putting together a list of features. (see Rich Hickey's talk "Hammock-driven development").

2. Think of the sum you're going to charge for your consulting and then multiply it by 4 and charge that because you have to take risk and other factors into account.

Re: The shittiest project I ever worked on

#129

Post by PeterisP »

enneff wrote: post #37
SomeCallMeTim wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a "Senior Software Engineer" title after only about 2-3 years of real-world programming experience, at age 23 or so. I had shipped a couple games as lead by then, so it wasn't entirely unearned.

But I'm sure software had existed a long time before you started. The GP's point was that being a "Senior web engineer," when the web itself has only been around a few years is impressive.

I'd say that it is trivial - if a new topic starts and is rapidly growing, then after 3-4 years almost anybody who started working on it near the beginning would be better than 99% of everyone else (simple 99% of others are newbies in the are), and his/her tasks would include a say in 'how it should be done' and mentoring those others - so, Senior xxx.
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