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The 501 Developer Manifesto

501manifesto.org

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Re: The 501 Developer Manifesto

#2

Post by petercooper »

There's a gulf between a stereotypical "day job" developer and someone for whom programming is a core part of their self image, but in real life there's more of a subtle gradient.

People who write technical blogs, go to user groups, or endlessly read programming books seem to be in the "not us" group, but I know of day job developers who do (some/all of) those things. Drawing lines in the sand doesn't seem useful when, I think, the issue behind this seems to be "don't look down on us day job developers." :-)

Re: The 501 Developer Manifesto

#3

Post by debacle »

I thought this was going to be another one of those 'Internet Manifestos.'

I was very pleasantly surprised. This is something I am definitely behind, even though for me it isn't just a job. I love programming, but for years my programming at home has languished because my programming at work is a soul-sucking endeavor that leads me to have a sinking feeling every time I look at the Komodo icon on my home PC.

I think the core problem here is not about an us versus them when it comes to the guys who go home to their wife and kids and the guys that go home to their git and vim. It's more about the fact that both groups probably spend too much time away from their homes, and right now the programming scene is incredibly fractured. Programmers are certainly not a homogenous group. Off the top of my head, I can think of about a dozen different flavors of programmer, all with their own innate perceptions about things both programming related and not.

What we really need is a coming together of the programmers-by-trade and the programmers-at-heart to declare war on all of the silly little stereotypes that have created a workplace unfairness in IT in the last fifteen to twenty years. You need a communion of individuals to create a semi-fraternal organization that looks like a union on the outside but inside is a diverse collective of brilliant minds.

It wont be easy, but many smart people (and a very few ridiculously articulate people) have been passively advocating for it in the last ten years or so, and I think that as the post-dotcom generation starts to move into their 30s we'll see a drastic change in the employee relationship within the next five to ten years.

Re: The 501 Developer Manifesto

#6

Post by jcoder »

Contributing to open source projects, attending user groups in my spare time, and mostly reading books about coding and productivity do NOT mean that I allow my employment to penetrate deeply into my personal life. I allow my interests and my passions to penetrate deeply into my personal life. If you don't have the good fortune to be paid for your passions, don't put down those who do as corporate shills.

I also make plenty of time for family and fun. Maybe it's all of those productivity books.

Re: The 501 Developer Manifesto

#7

Post by hartez »

This is excellent, and I'm fully behind it. Some of the best coworkers I've ever had were 5:01'ers - they got things done on time because they had to, and they didn't burn out.

Just don't break the build at 4:59. That's all I ask.

Re: The 501 Developer Manifesto

#9

Post by bmj »

petercooper wrote: post #2

There's a gulf between a stereotypical "day job" developer and someone for whom programming is a core part of their self image, but in real life there's more of a subtle gradient. People who write technical blogs, go to user groups, or endlessly read programming books seem to be in the "not us" group, but I know of day job developers who do (some/all of) those things. Drawing lines in the sand doesn't seem useful whe…

You're right (I'm probably in the gradient somewhere), but I don't think that bit of the manifesto is the crux. There are lots of people in many vocations who contribute to their field without given up massive amounts of their spare time. Some folks choose to give up their time, and, as the manifesto says, more power to them.

The bigger takeaway for me from the manifesto is the first half--that my job is my job. I enjoy my co-workers, but, truthfully, I enjoy my family and friends more. And that should be okay.

Re: The 501 Developer Manifesto

#10

Post by dhimes »

A timely post. I am a paying customer of Yahoo (yeah, I know), and they are badly broken today. It looks like the folks who got laid off are razing the landscape behind them (or pissing on the fireworks, to use the OP's metaphor). I pity their plight, but their actions, if my guess is correct, sure have me fucked at the moment. I can't reach anybody at all.
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