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Programmer Competency Matrix

starling-software.com

111–120 of 127 posts

Re: Programmer Competency Matrix

#113

I land solidly in the right-hand column, particularly on the systems programming front: I've made major contributions to the NT kernel. I'm not sure this matrix has all that much significance: Google rejected me after the in-person interview: do they want people who can sort N items in O(1) time, work 30 hours per day, and create new scripting languages over lunch?

Apply again. Google rejects a lot of good programmers on their first application. It's not a perfect process.

Re: Programmer Competency Matrix

#114
post #108

I'm not sure if "has used git" should be log(n)-- I'm only barely a programmer, and I've never used CVS/SVN, but I use git to version control markdown files.

Using Git requires a bit more brainpower than using CVS or SVN. If you know how to use Git, you definitely know how to use SVN.

I've never branched, or performed a merge. I use git as a pure CVS clone.

Re: Programmer Competency Matrix

#115
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have one, I used it, I got significant hate-mail, I decided I didn't need the bile I got, I discontinued it.

Actually, I can't tell you how many times a HN comment like yours has turned me on to an ultra-valuable related discussion that I would never have seen or thought to look for. So don't let negative comments (perceived or actual) speak for us silent appreciaters!

Thank you - much appreciated.

Re: Programmer Competency Matrix

#117
I'm amazed that Oz surface up in this matrix. The number of people actually program in Oz for production purposes must be less than 100. It's a lovely language and I can miss somethings one could do in (Mozart)-Oz that I can't do in Haskell.

Re: Programmer Competency Matrix

#118
post #96

Here's mine: Level 0: Saw the post title and didn't think he needed to look at it because he was so confident in his abilities already. Level 1: Read the post, noticed a lot that he didn't know but didn't intend to do anything about it. Level 2: Read the post and went out and learned everything in it that he didn't know. Level 3: Read the post, figured out which things from it he didn't know but might need to or want…

Nice. Is there a level for "Skimmed the first part of the post and then went back to working on his/her startup" ?

No but there's one about commenting on the post in a way to make oneself seem clever. I have hereby attained it.

Re: Programmer Competency Matrix

#119
post #46

Interesting. One thing that caught my eye was "someone who knows most of the tools from Scott Hanselman's power tools list." I had never heard of Scott Hanselman, nor his power tools list and had to look it up. Frankly, it looks useless to me as a programmer and looks more like a list of desktop gadgets, and watered down versions of tools you get for free with most Linux distributions. He also doesn't mention Linux (…

Knowing most of the power tools mentioned in this book http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596003302.do would do a better job as a discriminating factor, in my opinion.

That's one of my favorite books. I know it isn't, but I've often imagined that the tool on the front is a hole hawg ;)
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