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Dispelling myths about the autistic programmer

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Re: Dispelling myths about the autistic programmer

#31

Post by jackmott »

bjourne wrote: post #24

With all the discrimination and bullying going around, I think it is good that someone has something nice to say about autistic programmers. Like Ian Murdock who founded Debian and recently committed suicide had Asperger's Syndrome. Despite obvious impressive technical skills, life probably wasn't easy for him. Most companies favor hiring average programmers that fit the mold over "weird people" even if they are amaz…

"Most companies favor hiring average programmers that fit the mold over "weird people" even if they are amazing at their work."

Do they? At my company we half-seriously joke when programmers are too socially well adjusted, that they won't fit in. We prefer a bit of spergy.

I don't have any idea what 'most' companies think, or if large companies even have consistent trends in their own thinking.

Re: Dispelling myths about the autistic programmer

#33

Post by jackmott »

nibs wrote: post #27
mads wrote: post #22

I dont know if autistic people are better programmers, but what I feel that - from 20 years making software - is that people with these personality traits that fit into the spectrum of autism and who happen to end up in the software industry are extremely vulnerable to being exploited by people with certain other personality traits. Put a narcissistic (or whatever you want to call this type of people - maybe sociopat…

We call this dynamic the nerd vs. nerd exploiter dynamic. Jobs and Woz or Allen and Gates are good examples.

Gates was the nerd and the exploiter at the same time.

Re: Dispelling myths about the autistic programmer

#34

Post by jackmott »

T0T0R0 wrote: post #26
EliRivers wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trade-offs. The negatives of autism are pretty clear; what are the advantages?

So, like, the whole article is about the perception of legendary talents as advantages conferred by autism.

and those not being real.

Re: Dispelling myths about the autistic programmer

#35

Post by nibs »

jackmott wrote: post #33
nibs wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We call this dynamic the nerd vs. nerd exploiter dynamic. Jobs and Woz or Allen and Gates are good examples.

Gates was the nerd and the exploiter at the same time.

Yes. It is definetely possible to be both.

Re: Dispelling myths about the autistic programmer

#36

Post by mads »

nibs wrote: post #27
mads wrote: post #22

I dont know if autistic people are better programmers, but what I feel that - from 20 years making software - is that people with these personality traits that fit into the spectrum of autism and who happen to end up in the software industry are extremely vulnerable to being exploited by people with certain other personality traits. Put a narcissistic (or whatever you want to call this type of people - maybe sociopat…

We call this dynamic the nerd vs. nerd exploiter dynamic. Jobs and Woz or Allen and Gates are good examples.

Yes.. Other people might call it some form of synergy and it happens all the time. The problem is that for every Apple and every Microsoft, there are hundreds of "nerd exploiters" ruining nerd lives.

It almost sounds like I am turning this into a "nerd lives matter" campaign or something like that. This is not my intention, but it is a real danger for autistic software developers, which may lead them to engage in some extremely unhealthy behaviour.

Re: Dispelling myths about the autistic programmer

#37

Post by SolaceQuantum »

EliRivers wrote: post #18
lordleft wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a healthy attitude I think. Like anything, autism comes with trade-offs.

Trade-offs. The negatives of autism are pretty clear; what are the advantages?

The ability to see the world in a different way and provide different perspectives.

Re: Dispelling myths about the autistic programmer

#38

Post by p4wnc6 »

jackmott wrote: post #31
bjourne wrote: post #24

With all the discrimination and bullying going around, I think it is good that someone has something nice to say about autistic programmers. Like Ian Murdock who founded Debian and recently committed suicide had Asperger's Syndrome. Despite obvious impressive technical skills, life probably wasn't easy for him. Most companies favor hiring average programmers that fit the mold over "weird people" even if they are amaz…

"Most companies favor hiring average programmers that fit the mold over "weird people" even if they are amazing at their work." Do they? At my company we half-seriously joke when programmers are too socially well adjusted, that they won't fit in. We prefer a bit of spergy. I don't have any idea what 'most' companies think, or if large companies even have consistent trends in their own thinking.

Yes they do. Companies value organizational fealty above all else, and genuinely care little about productivity or talent. Sure, they talk and talk about caring for talent -- lip service necessary for various political pursuits -- but they don't actually value it. Even when an especially productive person is hired, their ability is more often talked about as a credential and used to win arguments from authority between rival political factions than to generate real business value.

Large parts of the research book Moral Mazes talk about this and various pieces of evidence for it.

Re: Dispelling myths about the autistic programmer

#39

Post by jackmott »

EliRivers wrote: post #21
pyrale wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no fallacy, just a high level of bias towards a specific type of workforce. Also St John's attitude is quite telling of his manipulative tendencies. That's not someone I would want to work with.

You're telling me. "Can't make eye contact". What is going on inside this guy's head that his employees being unable to make eye contact is an advantage to him?

He is just a sociopath that fortunately is into making money instead of cutting people up.

Re: Dispelling myths about the autistic programmer

#40

Post by jackmott »

afarrell wrote: post #17

> "The internet has kind of killed my 'autistic pride,' so to speak," says Gillmer. "The constant use of it as an insult makes me want to hide it, so I tend to not bring it up unless it feels like I'm not communicating properly." I cannot for the life of me understand why I see "aspie" or "spergy" used as insults on both reddit and tumblr.

I use spergy as compliment. But only like, internally in my head, or with close spergy friends.
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