Gold.
I find it a bit less shiny every time I see it.
If Carpenters Were Hired Like Programmers
21–30 of 164 posts
Re: If Carpenters Were Hired Like Programmers
#22"Well, I’m a carpenter, so I’ve worked with all kinds of wood, you know, and there are some differences, but I think if you’re a good carpenter …"
In my experience, a good programmer in one language is very likely a good programmer in another language as well. There are a lot more commonalities than some people realize. That's the reason why I'm sceptical of claims such as "the programmer knowledge half-life is X years".
More in "Programmer Knowledge" http://henrikwarne.com/2014/12/15/programmer-knowledge/
Re: If Carpenters Were Hired Like Programmers
#23[deleted]
Re: If Carpenters Were Hired Like Programmers
#24"Well, I’m a carpenter, so I’ve worked with all kinds of wood, you know, and there are some differences, but I think if you’re a good carpenter …" In my experience, a good programmer in one language is very likely a good programmer in another language as well. There are a lot more commonalities than some people realize. That's the reason why I'm sceptical of claims such as "the programmer knowledge half-life is X yea…
I'd rather hire a programmer that knew many languages than one who only knew one language really well though. Once you've learned a few frameworks and languages, you get much better at picking up new ones quickly because you've seen the same concepts somewhere else already.
Re: If Carpenters Were Hired Like Programmers
#25Stolen from http://www.jasonbock.net/jb/News/Item/7c334037d1a9437d9fa650...
The source is listed at the end of the joke so at least there was some attribution.
I find that in this age of no one reading past the inferred end of the article, it's best to put attribution at the top so as to avoid this very confusion. Just my two pennies.
Re: If Carpenters Were Hired Like Programmers
#26Love it :) Sad thing is that it hit the nail on the head so accurately (pardon the pun)
You really rocked it there.
Re: If Carpenters Were Hired Like Programmers
#27Accurate, but missed the part where the carpenter is asked to build a cabinet by drawing it on the whiteboard.
Re: If Carpenters Were Hired Like Programmers
#28It's worse than that. The CHAOS study, among others, shows that 80%+ of all software projects are viewed as failures by the people who pay for them. Meanwhile you come onto boards like HN or reddit and instead of talking about how to establish and keep trust with the folks writing the checks, everybody's talking frameworks and tools. So picture a subdivision where 80% of the houses are broken down, priced too high, i…
A: "Dude, have you seen this Nail-o-Matic 2000 nailgun?"
B: "No. It looks totally awesome, it's so shiny and chrome..."
A: "Yeah, it's the latest thing, I picked it up last night. Let's see how it does on this roof..."
A puts a shingle down and shoots a nail in. The nail rips through the shingle, blasts a 2-inch diameter hole in the roof and embeds itself firmly into the floor of the second story.
B: "Whoa, that's AWESOME! Can I try?"
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
A: "Dude, this ROCKS! Hey, boss!"
C: "Yeah?"
A: "Good news, we're going to finish this job in record time!"
C: "Whoa! Where'd you score a Nail-o-Matic 2000!?! That's awesome! I've heard all sorts of great things about how powerful it is!"
Nail-o-Matic 2000: Because More Power Is Always Better. Always.
Re: If Carpenters Were Hired Like Programmers
#29Re: If Carpenters Were Hired Like Programmers
#30A clear difference between a carpenter and a programmer is the liability inherent in the work. A carpenter can't just produce a minimum viable product that just happens to break down as soon as a bird land on it, or leaks water as if it was constructed like a sieve. Hiring a carpenter is a comparable safe thing to do, as the worst thing a lawful carpenter can do is overcharge his clients/employer.
A programmer on other hand is not liable for anything. If it breaks or leaks information at the easiest provocation, then its not the programmer who might loose money. All risk is put on the employer or customer, and as such, it becomes their responsibility to identify and test a programmer before spending money. As a result, you get questions which are mostly irrelevant to the task at hand, but which might sorts out high risk vs low risk.
If I hired a carpenter under those conditions, I would ask what brand of paint they buy. If its an expensive one, it might hint towards a professional.