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Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer

neilkakkar.com

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Re: Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer

#231

Post by JustSomeNobody »

Everlag wrote: post #4

The referenced idea of a 'human log' is great[0]. I started doing something similar 4 years ago and it eventually evolved from per-project notes into a full diary. Being able to search for 'August 24 2016' and know exactly what I did that day is quite powerful. I encourage anyone to take 10 minutes(or 30...) at the end of the day to write up what they've done. Just a text file with minimal formatting has scaled to 2.…

I started paper logging when I got my first programming job. At first it was just to write down things I needed to know; IP addresses/host names, bugs I worked on, etc. Eventually, I started logging more information about my thought process for why I designed something a certain way or how I tracked down a bug. These come in handy months later when the bug comes back and I can refer to my notes and talk to the team about it, or when I need to design something similar and need to give an estimate. Are there better places to put this? Sure, I guess, but this is mine[0] and I can write down what I want.

[0] Oh, in case anyone is curious. My logs stay with the company when I leave. I don't take any IP with me.

Re: Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer

#232

Post by sundvor »

richardxia wrote: post #76
PopeDotNinja wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I enjoy seeing a bit like of humor in the code, especially silly-but-clear comments and names less important parts of code. For a one shot task, why name it ScheduledObjectStorageDownloader when you can name it AutoCloudStorageFileYoinker?!

While I'm not 100% against humor in a codebase, ever since my company started hiring more engineers internationally, I've become more tuned in to whether a name that uses slang like "yoinker" will be understood by someone who doesn't know English as a first language.

I've been using English as my first language for nearly 20 years and am unfamiliar with "yoinker".

Just googled it and, ... nah, I wouldn't approve that PR!

(Have never heard it used down here in Australia. We've got plenty of other sayings that are local to us though.)

Re: Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer

#233

Post by bspammer »

Everlag wrote: post #4

The referenced idea of a 'human log' is great[0]. I started doing something similar 4 years ago and it eventually evolved from per-project notes into a full diary. Being able to search for 'August 24 2016' and know exactly what I did that day is quite powerful. I encourage anyone to take 10 minutes(or 30...) at the end of the day to write up what they've done. Just a text file with minimal formatting has scaled to 2.…

I've been doing this for the last few months, along with taking a picture every day and attaching it to the text. I've found it has noticeably improved my short-term memory of events, which has always been a weak point of mine. I imagine it will also be a nice time-capsule to look at in 40 years.

I'd really encourage anyone to give it a try.

Re: Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer

#234

Post by nickpsecurity »

monsieurbanana wrote: post #221
aspaceman wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Helping a junior and maintaining relationships with your fellow seniors is a part of the job too.

But surely there's ways of doing that without making people lose their focus.

Such as assigning times for focused vs collaborative work.

Re: Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer

#235

Post by AstroJetson »

dillonmckay wrote: post #207
zrail wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use Simpson’s bit characters. Never gonna run out of those.

My first job, I named each web server off of a different Simpson’s character, all attached to a big KVM, so I customized each desktop to the character, so I could easily tell what server I was in.

Some people thought it was annoying, but the desktop picture had the character in the upper right corner. Away from the Icons, but you could glance ad see who it was and go right to it.

Also have used Simpson's for test data. There is some built in structures that can be used Abe-> Homer == Marge > Bart, Maggie, Lisa. Lots of people mostly remember them.

Re: Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer

#236

Post by bochoh »

monsieurbanana wrote: post #221
aspaceman wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Helping a junior and maintaining relationships with your fellow seniors is a part of the job too.

But surely there's ways of doing that without making people lose their focus.

Yes, a vibrant meme room in a "management expects you to respond to business issues in this room" channel on

Re: Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer

#237

Post by weaksauce »

greyhair wrote: post #222
ken wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've read that in feng shui what you describe is called the "command position". I'm not able to work with my back to a crowd. That's a recipe for anxiety. I quit a company when they moved my desk so my back was to a hallway, and refused to compromise on this issue in any way.

This is why, when people complain about cubicles, I tell them how much better a cubicle is than open floor plan. I have had private offices, two person offices, cubicles, and once in a bull pen with a glass wall. (we called it 'the fish bowl'). Private office comes in first! Cubicle (as long as the walls are at least five feet) comes in a close second. Open floor plan (or a bull pen) comes in far far far last.

Cubes are almost always back to the people coming so it’s anxiety inducing to me. An office with you facing the door is the only way for peace in my mind.

Re: Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer

#238

Post by ranie93 »

dotancohen wrote: post #186
teddyh wrote: post #21

> Naming your clusters? Naming them after the service that runs on them is great, till the point you start running something else on them too. We ended up naming them with our team name. This is covered by RFC 1178¹, Choosing a Name for Your Computer (from 1990): Don't choose a name after a project unique to that machine. A manufacturing project had named a machine "shop" since it was going to be used to control a nu…

> Nobody expects to learn much about a person by their name. This is wrong. If I tell you that I just hired a mathematician, a farmhand, and a nurse, you could probably guess which person was which when I introduce you to Vladimir, Jebbediah, and Sofia. Names are a reflection of culture, and certain cultures tend towards certain professions. No politically-correct dreams will change that unless we instill a universal…

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

Re: Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer

#239

Post by sharadov »

OJFord wrote: post #81

> in my team culture it’s not frowned upon to “snoop behind” people writing code. Whenever I sensed something interesting going on, I’d roll around and watch what was happening. Agh, I'd hate that. In fact if anything interesting had been going on on my screen it would immediately stop, no way I could work with someone watching. I struggle enough at desks with my back to a door or where people walk by, just can't sto…

Sometimes it's just working collaboratively, creating an atmosphere where you encourage the "junior folks" to ask questions without judgment. Also whenever you stumble on something interesting you share. I miss this aspect of my current job, am 100% remote and miss those discussions.

Re: Things I Learnt from a Senior Software Engineer

#240

Post by jolmg »

stefs wrote: post #30
teddyh wrote: post #21

> Naming your clusters? Naming them after the service that runs on them is great, till the point you start running something else on them too. We ended up naming them with our team name. This is covered by RFC 1178¹, Choosing a Name for Your Computer (from 1990): Don't choose a name after a project unique to that machine. A manufacturing project had named a machine "shop" since it was going to be used to control a nu…

in my home network i name my computers after animals, whereby the power/size of the computer roughly resembles the size of the animal. my beefy desktop may be the whale, the nas is the rhino, the notebooks are roughly dogs, the raspberry pis are small animals like mice, the chromecast is e coli. plus good: i'm never going to run out of animal names.

I'm a bit reluctant to be that guy, but... E. coli is not an animal...

There are some really small animals, though:

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

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

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