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Pixels Don’t Care (2013)

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Re: Pixels Don’t Care (2013)

#61

Post by w0rd-driven »

shubhamjain wrote: post #33

As an amateur programmer and a part-time freelancer, I didn't have a slightest clue about the value of my work. It was only 5-6 years back when I gladly did small gigs on Want-to-Hire forums for tens of dollars. One particular gig was about scrapping data from a car sales website which I completed for $30 (should have cost at least 10x). The client discussed about the possibility of converting the phone numbers, whic…

I think understanding the value you're giving is key but it's somewhat of a black art. Freelance bidding sites that have something like 'build complete Facebook clone for $29.99' are a huge red flag to me. The client obviously has no clue what goes into something like that, even if you paid someone $0.99 an hour it would blow past their 'budget' almost immediately. On the backend when what you delivered was functional if it was Facebook scale with ad networks would likely rake in far far more than their budget. As a developer I can't expect to charge the expected revenue stream but there is an art to finding the happy medium.

I find myself in this even in a salaried position. If I'm constantly solving problems that brings the company I work for millions in revenue, my paltry salary that is lower than market rate starts to seem like a liability. I know there's a risk I'm not taking but in an ideal world I would be adequately compensated for any increase I'm directly involved with. I know we don't live in that ideal world but it would be nice to be somewhere close to it.

Re: Pixels Don’t Care (2013)

#62

Post by jimbokun »

stdbrouw wrote: post #41
ben_w wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. I know that "fudiciary duty" is a thing, but not what it involves. There are laws about accounting standards, but I can't even say what standard accountants need to rech to know those standards. I only found put a year ago that, in the UK, the (director?) of a Limited company can become personally liable for company debts if they trade while insolvent. Import and export laws? Nope. Which parts of an employmen…

But that's not what people mean when they say they could run a Fortune 500 company if given the chance. All of the things you list are things that are easily learned, the bigger question is whether in addition to that knowledge the CEOs of big companies have any particular character traits, unique skills or business insights or not.

Why do you think learning all of those things would be "easy"?

Re: Pixels Don’t Care (2013)

#63

Post by zaphar »

simonhamp wrote: post #46
shubhamjain wrote: post #33

As an amateur programmer and a part-time freelancer, I didn't have a slightest clue about the value of my work. It was only 5-6 years back when I gladly did small gigs on Want-to-Hire forums for tens of dollars. One particular gig was about scrapping data from a car sales website which I completed for $30 (should have cost at least 10x). The client discussed about the possibility of converting the phone numbers, whic…

Whilst I've probably been in a similar situation at some point or another in my past (albeit in the UK), and can very much sympathise with your story, I can't possibly agree with your final premise. Ruthlessness is not what makes for a happy work life. You absolutely should call out the thankless and unappreciative! Perhaps they really are just poorly informed about how long things take or the knowledge that makes it…

Doing things differently has consistently given me more and better opportunities than ruthlessness. In a way it makes me stand out from the crowd. I tend to be asked to lead teams with poor morale or interpersonal tensions. Usually I'm able to negotiate the power to be able to make the changes necessary for that team to perform better and have a better work experience. The company wins because the engineers perform better. The employees win because they have a better work experience.

In the cases where I am unable to negotiate such things I don't stick around. Any company that doesn't see the employee/employer relationship as a two way street is no company I want to work for.

Re: Pixels Don’t Care (2013)

#64

Post by ansgri »

dom0 wrote: post #52
0xcde4c3db wrote: post #4

Previously known as "on the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog" [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Internet%2C_nobody_know...

In the IoT age: On the internet, nobody knows you're a fridge.

Conversely: anybody knows what's in your fridge better than you do.

Re: Pixels Don’t Care (2013)

#65

Post by RodericDay »

atemerev wrote: post #56
gnrlist wrote: post #24

Just like in sports, you get paid more for what you have done vs what you could do. Having a few really good pieces of work to show off is no guarantee that you'll consistently pump out good work, or that you haven't left clients high and dry before. Since a third party has no real way of gauging that except by your track record, they're taking more of a chance on someone with less of a track record. More risk means…

> Most of us COULD run a Fortune 500 company as well as the average CEO I appreciate your optimism; at the same time, I think it is somewhat unwarranted. Running a 10-person company is challenging enough to have your shrink on the speed dial. As for Fortune 500 CEOs, those are superhumans on steroids (or cocaine and alcohol), who bend reality by their very presence. You have about the same chance of approaching their…

this kind of absurd lionization of the wealthy is part of the problem.

I've met some extremely wealthy CEOs, and they warp nothing around them. It's an elite career track and old boys club, that's it.

Re: Pixels Don’t Care (2013)

#66

Post by zaphar »

libeclipse wrote: post #45

I've experienced this too, not the discrimination in work, but the realisation that on the internet no one cares about anything but your work. I've been a part of a lot of different communities. Hell, when I was a kid in a MW2 clan on the internet, no one there cared about anything but skill in the game. In programming and hacking communities, no one cared about anything but skill either. It's a brilliant place you k…

The flip side is that as soon as you become more than just pixels on a screen it can change in an instant. Just ask anyone who ever experienced being dox'd. As long as all you are is pixels on a screen it's great. As soon as you become more than pixels on a screen the story can change really fast. It turns out the pixels only influence people opinion of you when there is nothing else to base it on. I'm not so sure that's necessarily something to celebrate.

Re: Pixels Don’t Care (2013)

#67

Post by dzamo_norton »

The author feels that his height counted against him, but did anyone actually say "sorry you're too short?". It would be strange client or employer who insisted on a tall developer while age I can accept is a factor for people out there, rightly or wrongly. I'm suggesting that it could be possible to project an inherent sensitivity about one's height onto a separate experience.

Re: Pixels Don’t Care (2013)

#68

Post by atemerev »

RodericDay wrote: post #65
atemerev wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most of us COULD run a Fortune 500 company as well as the average CEO I appreciate your optimism; at the same time, I think it is somewhat unwarranted. Running a 10-person company is challenging enough to have your shrink on the speed dial. As for Fortune 500 CEOs, those are superhumans on steroids (or cocaine and alcohol), who bend reality by their very presence. You have about the same chance of approaching their…

this kind of absurd lionization of the wealthy is part of the problem. I've met some extremely wealthy CEOs, and they warp nothing around them. It's an elite career track and old boys club, that's it.

I met them as well. What industry are you referring to?

Re: Pixels Don’t Care (2013)

#69

Post by ansgri »

ben_w wrote: post #39
nailer wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I honestly do not think most of us could. I hand out with three groups of people: geeks, hacks and lawyers. All of them often easily think they could easily do any other job. This includes the lawyers and journalists thinking that making software is easy. Based on that, I think we're as deluded as they are.

Agreed. I know that "fudiciary duty" is a thing, but not what it involves. There are laws about accounting standards, but I can't even say what standard accountants need to rech to know those standards. I only found put a year ago that, in the UK, the (director?) of a Limited company can become personally liable for company debts if they trade while insolvent. Import and export laws? Nope. Which parts of an employmen…

All things that you list are very specific domains, you'd have dedicated people responsible for them in even a medium-size corporation. The thing you really need to know, is how to make sure these people do not lie to you and do their work honestly and responsibly. One of the options is having corresponding competence yourself, but that doesn't scale.

Delegation is a black art, that's what I mean, but without really mastering it you cannot manage anything with >10 people, especially in high tech.

Re: Pixels Don’t Care (2013)

#70

Post by ess3 »

dzamo_norton wrote: post #67

The author feels that his height counted against him, but did anyone actually say "sorry you're too short?". It would be strange client or employer who insisted on a tall developer while age I can accept is a factor for people out there, rightly or wrongly. I'm suggesting that it could be possible to project an inherent sensitivity about one's height onto a separate experience.

I got the impression that using height was purely​ a rethorical move from the author referring to that when you're young you're shorter
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