As a person who struggles with panic / anxiety, the thought of just flipping out and going mad is a huge anxious fear of mine. I often think about the great chess players who just go mad later in life, and now this, happening to a fellow programmer. The great thing about the work we do is the constant problem solving, and a lot of times I bring those problems home with me, it's nagging 'why wont it work', and I can't stop until it's fixed. It's that kind of 'always on the brain' activity that makes me nervous :). It's too bad this happened to him, but nervous breakdowns happen and hopefully time away will help.
I Knew a Programmer Who Went Completely Insane
241–250 of 336 posts
Re: I Knew a Programmer Who Went Completely Insane
#242Although this is an extreme example, I sympathize and often have feelings like this. But it's not about the amount of work; it's about the constant internal struggle. Let me explain. I have never had a problem about the volume or difficulty of work in any job I've ever had. In fact, some of my favorite memories of work have been sprints to finish something, whether in software, retail/distribution, or food service. I…
Wow... This situation must be more common than I thought. I've had a few jobs in my lifetime that left me with the feelings you posted here... The beatings will continue until morale improves. These points: - working for unethical people - busting my ass while others sit and watch - watching horrible decisions made by those for their own benefit were ultimately the biggest reasons I've left jobs. In one place I worke…
I don't use or recommend Microsoft tools because of this. They are good, technically speaking, but they will always be scummy.
Otherwise, if I am ever successful, Microsoft will clone my business. I think it has happened to almost all their partners.
Unless they are bought by Microsoft, like the Sysinternals guys. That's the only good exit.
Re: I Knew a Programmer Who Went Completely Insane
#243Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not to derail the thread, but nation-states are about as obsolete as operating systems.
This is so true. The country I live in has about the same number of inhabitants as NYC. Today I read an article in a business magazine local to this country saying something like "we [as a country] need to be able to compete with the world". I mean, if we're supposed to compete with the bio mass of India or China, we're gonna have a bad time...
I live in a country with a similarly small population and much smaller land-area.
Just because nation-states aren't the forefront of the most interesting stuff going on in the world today doesn't mean they don't perform a necessary function. The psychological problem with a functioning, well-done nation-state is that it fades into the background, and people just suddenly act surprised when they wake up one day after voting for neoliberals and find they've lost their rent subsidies, their child allowance, and half the coverage on their health insurance.
Re: I Knew a Programmer Who Went Completely Insane
#244(Generalisation Warning) This is the dark side of the (otherwise desirable) trait of "getting things done" as employee. I you don't actively manage your working hours and hold yourself back , somebody else will suck you out until you have nothing left. At the end, you will be very unsatisfied for some obscure reason: You did everything you was asked for, yet somehow noone appreciates you and you still earn entry-leve…
Most managers already know that you can't work 100%. They expect 20% of your working week to be spent on things which support work but isn't directly the work task itself (meetings, communication, HR, training, etc). And as this is spread out across the week it's not as obvious and visible to the worker that this is the case. One can still work unhealthily hard for those 4 days a week of real effort. I share your opi…
>> http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2013/04/why-do-people-hate-thei...
Good insight from the article: "Note, not everyone hates their jobs. There are some entre-ployees out there that love their jobs."
A new species was discovered: the brainwashed employee who thinks he's an entrepreneur.
Re: I Knew a Programmer Who Went Completely Insane
#245(Generalisation Warning) This is the dark side of the (otherwise desirable) trait of "getting things done" as employee. I you don't actively manage your working hours and hold yourself back , somebody else will suck you out until you have nothing left. At the end, you will be very unsatisfied for some obscure reason: You did everything you was asked for, yet somehow noone appreciates you and you still earn entry-leve…
Absolutely true.
I think it is the 'equivalent value' principle.
Everyone should only work as much as their salary equivalent value, and no more. At least that's what I do.
The rest of the time... ssh to my private server and do stuff for me. I will appreciate it.
Re: I Knew a Programmer Who Went Completely Insane
#246Earlier quoted context omitted.
It does take skill, just not technical. Knowing the right people, flirting with tech reporters, being good at PR etc That is what gets you ahead.
Or how about you do a good job providing something people will pay money for. Unfortunately for tech people, what the market will pay money for isn't always what tech people want to build.
Funnily, I believe you're both right, that there are several paths to success.
One is the "knowing the right people, buddies/PR" route. I've known several sociopaths and unethical people that do well along that route. Many have the "skill" of making you believe they're your best buddy (and then backstab you), or to sell you a bridge (or sell you a shitty job with unpaid extra hours).
The other is to provide something people will pay for, excel, and get known - which also involves some sales and PR, or marketing, but depending on your profession can be going through the speaker circuits at conferences, writing a blog or some other way to convey expertise, or getting writeups for your product somehow, if it's B2C - see Paul Graham on why he hired a PR:
Re: I Knew a Programmer Who Went Completely Insane
#247Earlier quoted context omitted.
You have fought the hydra bravely, and I commend you for that. May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. What do you suppose we do? For the long-term, here's the financial structure for the solution that I see: http://michaelochurch.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/gervais-macle... . Essentially, I think VC-istan and MegaCorps are both dead ends when it comes to genuine technical excellence (whic…
I submit Fargo, ND for your consideration. We have oil money, cheap cost of living, and a decent tech community.
If you're interested in this discussion (autonomy funds) I started it here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5578195
Re: I Knew a Programmer Who Went Completely Insane
#248Earlier quoted context omitted.
I submit Fargo, ND for your consideration. We have oil money, cheap cost of living, and a decent tech community.
Do you think that: (a) Fargo's local government would be supportive of a technology Autonomy Fund, and... (b) it would be possible to get a critical mass of engineers to live there? Also, what's the gender balance? I'm married so I don't care, but I think we'd have the best odds in a town where it's at least 53:47 women.
How about Las Vegas? I've never been there but:
1) Cheap airfare, international destination
2) A Party Town, probably helps the gender balance in one aspect, people would like to visit you.
3) No Income Tax
4) Still close to the SF Bay Area
5) Never cold, barely rains (good or bad depending on your preferences)
6) Really cheap real estate. Buy a townhouse for under $100k!
7) Many tech conventions are hosted there
8) Driving from one corner to another takes only 30 minutes according to google maps.
Re: I Knew a Programmer Who Went Completely Insane
#249Earlier quoted context omitted.
It depends on the type of work you're doing. Most jobs in the US fall under the 'Fair Labor Standards Act' and are classified as 'exempt' or 'non-exempt'. 'Exempt' jobs do not require payment for overtime work. The classification of a job as exempt or non-exempt is not arbitrary but I don't know all the rules governing that. I would wager that the majority of people reading this page who live and work in the US would…
All "Computer Professionals" are exempt, so that would cover many of the people on this site. The other exemptions are rather broad and would probably cover most of the rest.
Not sure if it's Federal or CA law but you have to be making over a certain amount, though, to be exempt. In my last company that way everyone in the engeering dept. making under 70K (so, all of QA and tech support)
Re: I Knew a Programmer Who Went Completely Insane
#250Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm interested to know whether this IQ conflict theory is actually based on something or whether it's coming from your posterior.
Experience and observation. Don't discount them. The first person to say the sky was blue was going out on a limb, too. What if everyone else saw an orange sky?
how many observations of a 43/100000 phenomena would you need to obtain enough cases to falsify such a theory?