61–70 of 80 posts
Slightly off topic. In big non IT corps I have worked with people whose title was developer but they couldn't do a thing on their own. I am not talking newcomer here, but people mid career. They basically mastered, I am helpless look and would rotate whom they ask for help. My turn would come every third week. Great people but just not interested in programming.
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.
[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…
I had this problem as well. The same trivial shell scripting problems came up over and over. My solution was to write a static analysis tool (ShellCheck) that would recognize them automatically and with enough confidence would even auto-answer. It's gotten way more use than I ever expected. Haven't made much progress on the plaintext question problem though. Some day!
Earlier quoted context omitted.
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.
If the edit was because of downvotes, no downvotes here, but all I'm saying is I think software has nothing to do with programmers being assholes. If you can be a mean person because of a tool you use, no matter how badly or sadistically the tool is designed, there's a very different problem. People also just objectively aren't vengeful when making design decisions for software - that's just not how people work. Bad…
I'd say that the assholery on the design side comes more from ego and lack of consideration than intentional sadism.
[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…
I've had the same experience. There's a bright line separating people who want to learn from those who want to offload the hard work of learning onto someone else. 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 o…
Practical programming involves dealing often with problems that are messy, obscure, and vague. They don't teach you that in CS101. Some beginners detest that class of problems because purism is trendy, but they still have the patience to work through them, and because those moments are what teaches you programming, they make progress despite their own objections.
Some people simply don't have the patience. They put up a lot of resistance to spending time on any problem that's not immediately recognizable to them. As a result, they never advance in the discipline.
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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.
It is easy to stay calm if you do not care.
I know php is the butt of many jokes about bad language design and bad architecture, but I wasn’t helped by the glut of terrible, outdated advice about php programming that just wouldn’t go away. I could have benefited from a forceful, constructive voice that not only helped me solve my problem, but taught me to seek a higher sophistication for the code I was writing.
And that’s where I think advanced developers turn into humiliating jerks. I would wager that most of them aren’t deliberately trying to excoriate junior devs, they just are frustrated that developers are repeating the same inefficient path to good practice that they may have trod. Instead of being short-fused and curt, they should take time to inventory the positive things that helped them, and pass those tidbits of effective advice along.
It’s very hard to pause and take note of resources or insights that made you much better as a developer. However, those who can are able to give junior devs a shortcut to excellence that is a net benefit to everyone around them, instead of just getting frustrated that the junior devs aren’t achieving enlightenment as fast as they themselves would have liked to.
[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…
My solution to this problem is (1) avoid instant messaging at all costs, and (2) delay responding to any mail that is either (a) a contextless plea for handholding ("I have a problem, do you have some time?"), or (b) best solved by the asker taking some time to educate themselves. It's a win-win, because either the asker learns they can solve their problems more quickly by Googling it themselves, or I can limit my re…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
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.
It is easy to stay calm if you do not care.
Some people find it easy to stay calm and patient, some much harder. And some are able to recognize that "I am pissed now, better not respond immediately". Yet others are able to be polite and nice even while pissed - e.g. have above average good emotional control.
[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…
I actually like teaching coding 101. Not everyone has to, but I do. And I find people generally appreciate someone going back to the basics and explaining the tactics and theory behind a problem, rather than just giving the answer or the steps to find it.
I just think coding is neat, and I love talking about even the most basic ideas. I always find new little improvements on my understanding of fundamentals.
I have had the “even the most experienced programmers spend most of their time having no idea what’s going on. The job isn’t to always know what to do, it’s to always find a way to keep moving even though nothing makes sense” conversation dozens of times. Maybe I’m weird.