51–60 of 80 posts
I recently had a choice between being an ass or being nice to a guy asking a really basic question about my open source project[1]. At first I was going to tell him to read the docs and that I didnt have time but I decided to help the guy out. He ended up running into an bug that had been open for almost a year but I never got around to fixing because of an existing workaround. Anyway, I was slightly embarrassed and…
[09:00] Hi. [09:16] Hey, what's up. [09:23] I have a problem, do you have some time? [09:24] Sure, what's it about? [09:27] Have you worked with X thing before? I have to do Y thing but don't know how. [09:28] So, I just googled "how to do Y thing in X thing" and got this blog entry explaining in detail, and also this other Stack Overflow answer with a very similar problem. [09:29] Sec, gonna try that. [09:35] I got…
The latter almost always ask simple questions serially - it's obvious they're looking for a sequence of steps to follow instead of sussing out the problem on their own. They want to use your problem solving abilities instead of developing and using their own.
The former usually ask pointed and precise questions - and after they get an answer they usually go away. I say this not to be anti-social (even though I am) but to simply note they go quiet because they're actually working the problem.
Most programmers are assholes because they are unhappy. Most programmers are unhappy because most software is terrible. Most software is terrible because most programmers are assholes.
Most programmers are assholes because they are unhappy. Most programmers are unhappy because most software is terrible. Most software is terrible because most programmers are assholes.
Most software is terrible because the existing corporate power structures, which concentrate the wealth and power necessary to sustain lasting projects, do not have any incentives to make good software. Hackers are assholes because it's our only defense against suits.
1. When a person is asking you for help, try to imagine a situation where you have needed help and asked someone for it. Imagine your responses to them as someone's response to you. Empathy and compassion are really great tools to use when communicating.
2. Do not sign yourself up for something you don't want to do. If you don't have time to help or don't want to, simply say so. There is no reason to make yourself upset, and then lash out at a stranger, if you don't need to.
3. Be a teacher. Teachers don't give the answers, they help give an understanding of how to solve the problem.
4. Don't continue a conversation if you feel you are angry, upset or annoyed. Try to redirect your energy. Talk to a boss, co-worker, or friend about the situation and ask for their advice. Go for a walk. Listen to music. Write out the experience and your feelings to a private journal.
[09:00] Hi. [09:16] Hey, what's up. [09:23] I have a problem, do you have some time? [09:24] Sure, what's it about? [09:27] Have you worked with X thing before? I have to do Y thing but don't know how. [09:28] So, I just googled "how to do Y thing in X thing" and got this blog entry explaining in detail, and also this other Stack Overflow answer with a very similar problem. [09:29] Sec, gonna try that. [09:35] I got…
In a real sense, someone acting like this is insulting. Rather than the homeless guy anecdote in the article, it's like someone asking you for money, not because they're desperate, but because they just think you're a sucker.
For the genuinely well meaning and self motivated learners, I agree we should try hard to be sympathetic and respectful.
I'm willing to admit that maybe I'm not the best at social interaction. I think this article is on point though. I am unable to count the number of times I've gone to some random project community for assistance dealing with whatever problem I was having at the time to be met with someone telling me that what I'm doing is insane and shouldn't be done in the first place. It's taught me that I should just use these out…
But a lot of people don't want to explain themselves or their reasoning, or get defensive when you imply that the time they just sunk into the approach they were taking was wasted.
It's helpful to remember that the people who have been working on a project for years might (but not always!) have a better perspective than someone who picked it up this week. If we're asking you "why", it's because we really are trying to help.
We're especially interested in figuring out how we can avoid leading other people down the path you went down (whether it's better documentation, or something else that would help). Because for every one who comes to us trying to do something insane, there's probably a hundred who are doing insane things and not telling us.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Eventually Mr. Always Helpful And Calm is going to get frustrated, too. It's about instilling the right mindset in newbies and not nurturing dependent work relationships. I like being Mr. Helpful, too, but I also like to see new devs persevere through all the frustration and bust through to the other side. Teach a man to fish, and all that.
This is simply not true. Not everybody looses patience and not everyone finds programming frustration. Not everyone ends up yelling at newcomer. Also, it is possible to communicate reality of programming and "right mindset" without loosing control in the process.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'd argue that most programmers are assholes for reasons far beyond software being terrible, and are unhappy for those other reasons, which is a much bigger conversation. The only reason I bring it up is that developers using software as an excuse to be assholes will only make the problem worse and is a cop-out for dealing with the actual issues.
Just going off the article. If improper capitalization of "Python" makes him have to take a deep breath and count to five, he's probably an asshole, and if that asshole just happens to be " one of the most senior programmers at MongoDB ", then the universe makes sense today. edit: What are the actual issues? I want to know. Change my mind.
People also just objectively aren't vengeful when making design decisions for software - that's just not how people work. Bad software is mostly written out of laziness and lack of knowledge I find.