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Programmers are most likely to work from home

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Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#71

Post by blktiger »

hamandcheese wrote: post #20
humbleMouse wrote: post #15

There is a dirty secret that nobody talks about and the real reason that companies want programmers in the office. Companies want their top performers in the office so they can serve as trainers/mentors/teachers to the new college kids and the incompetent older people they hire. I think this is the real reason companies crack down on working from home. It's infuriating as a top performer - I just want to get my assig…

I work at a 100% remote company and I have no trouble getting the mentorship I desire/need from more experienced folks. Maybe the key is 100% remote though. I hear remote sucks if it's not ingrained in a companies communication patterns.

My previous job wasn't really setup to do remote work but we had a second team working almost 12 hours opposite (Romania vs Kansas). The "offshore" team was paying a heavy tax because everyone was working at the office, so we had a ton of hallway conversations that never got documented anywhere they could access it. Even though everyone knew this, because we were co-located it was extremely difficult to overcome because it's just so easy to not document things. When your entire team is 100% remote, you are forced to document things a lot more since there aren't hallway conversations unless you specifically video chat with a single individual.

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#72

Post by qandb »

John23832 wrote: post #28
humbleMouse wrote: post #15

There is a dirty secret that nobody talks about and the real reason that companies want programmers in the office. Companies want their top performers in the office so they can serve as trainers/mentors/teachers to the new college kids and the incompetent older people they hire. I think this is the real reason companies crack down on working from home. It's infuriating as a top performer - I just want to get my assig…

I get what you're saying, it sucks training the new guy. It is however, the sign of a good/great programmer/performer to be able to train other people. Also, frankly, it just has to be done. Companies don't want to lock their knowledge into a few good people. You take on the challenge of efficiently "getting your assigned work done". I'd challenge you to take on the task of teaching others with the same mentality you…

> Companies don't want to lock their knowledge into a few good people.

It is not their knowledge. It is these "few good people"'s knowledge.

> I'd challenge you to take on the task of teaching others ...

Never, ever. Only idiots agree to train their own competition.

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#73

Post by BatFastard »

HenryBemis wrote: post #13
johan_larson wrote: post #8

I've been working from home now for a year and a half, and I love it. It's really quiet, and no one interrupts me. The best possible arrangement would be a private office at work, but working at home is miles better than an open-plan office.

I find that when I'm coding, if I get stuck I take a break and go to my baby daughter and start talking to her about the problem (she's 4 months old so her skills are not that great). 3/4 times while talking to her I find workarounds. Her smile is the extra bonus!

Indeed it is the process of describing the problem verbally that helps me think about it in different ways. I would guess my mind takes shortcuts when thinking about it. However when I have to engage the speaking part of my brain, I can't take the shortcuts.

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#74

Post by eddieh »

reverend_gonzo wrote: post #46
eddieh wrote: post #12

I like working from my office. I don't understand people that like working from home. Possible confounding variable: I live exactly two blocks from my office and don't have to commute. Perhaps, in actuality, people don't like to commute?

I too prefer working from the office, for the most part. My commute is easy. My setup at work is far better than at home. However, if I could not be in the office, that means I could find a mountain cabin in the winter, and go ski after work, or a beach cabin in the summer, or just go travel the world, while still working during the day. These are the kinds of benefits that are extremely desirable.

I think I could get behind a nice remote mountain cabin for working. Or a sail boat.

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#75

Post by pjc50 »

School-Cotton wrote: post #17
humbleMouse wrote: post #15

There is a dirty secret that nobody talks about and the real reason that companies want programmers in the office. Companies want their top performers in the office so they can serve as trainers/mentors/teachers to the new college kids and the incompetent older people they hire. I think this is the real reason companies crack down on working from home. It's infuriating as a top performer - I just want to get my assig…

If you really are a top performer, a big part of the justification for your high pay is because you multiply your impact by mentoring more junior employees.

Indeed. I've been interviewing candidates for "Senior Developer" and mentoring is in the job spec and list of questions we consider when evaluating candidates.

If someone gets hired with "mentoring" in their job description I don't think it's reasonable for them to expect to do none of it. Now, if their performance metrics don't account for this, that might be unreasonable ..

(C++ in Edinburgh, if you happen to be looking for a job)

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#76

Post by maxxxxx »

humbleMouse wrote: post #15

There is a dirty secret that nobody talks about and the real reason that companies want programmers in the office. Companies want their top performers in the office so they can serve as trainers/mentors/teachers to the new college kids and the incompetent older people they hire. I think this is the real reason companies crack down on working from home. It's infuriating as a top performer - I just want to get my assig…

You are rationalizing this. If they were into mentoring they would push for pair programming or trainee programs. It's a pure control thing.

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#77

Post by qandb »

pc86 wrote: post #58
humbleMouse wrote: post #15

There is a dirty secret that nobody talks about and the real reason that companies want programmers in the office. Companies want their top performers in the office so they can serve as trainers/mentors/teachers to the new college kids and the incompetent older people they hire. I think this is the real reason companies crack down on working from home. It's infuriating as a top performer - I just want to get my assig…

What a horrible attitude. I hope you're just having a bad day and this isn't how you typically act around other because I wouldn't even want to work in the same building as you when as a supposed "top performer" you don't feel the slightest obligation to share your knowledge, your skills, your experience, etc with "shitty college grads." I'm sure you were born knowing how to code so you can't relate, but for everyone…

> you don't feel the slightest obligation ...

No morality whatsoever emanates from a company's bottom line. It can certainly not compete with my own bottom line. How can you expect people to agree to train their own competition? Publishing general open-source code is ok, but telling other people how the code works that you write and maintain for a living ... why would anybody do that?

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#78

Post by urda »

humbleMouse wrote: post #15

There is a dirty secret that nobody talks about and the real reason that companies want programmers in the office. Companies want their top performers in the office so they can serve as trainers/mentors/teachers to the new college kids and the incompetent older people they hire. I think this is the real reason companies crack down on working from home. It's infuriating as a top performer - I just want to get my assig…

You can't consider yourself a "top performer" if you are unable to mentor the more junior folks below you. You should check that chip on your shoulder, because "top performer" programmers do not self apply such a title.

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#79

Post by CydeWeys »

finder83 wrote: post #53
Nursie wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is that a dirty secret? Helping build the team, sharing your knowledge and expertise, it's all part of your work. Odd attitude. If you purely want technical tasks, go freelance. Of course then you need to spend time getting business so...

Maybe still not a secret, but the dirty part in some companies is that if there are layoffs, they'll lay off the people who are paid the highest and keep the people that they trained.

Still though, treating all junior developers as competition and your potential replacements, and thus refusing to help them, is shooting yourself in the foot. On the rare chance that you do get laid off, you can always find a new job, but what's much more likely is that a pattern of good mentorship will help you to advance in your career.

Re: Programmers are most likely to work from home

#80

Post by nickthemagicman »

pc86 wrote: post #60
fsociety wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a junior software developer, it's sad to hear this point of view. Many of us put an extraordinary amount of time towards improving our craft. On the other hand I've worked with many people who have very similar opinions as yours and they suffered from reality distortion. Their code was poorly implemented and poorly tested, despite what they say, and caused many headaches. Are you actually a top performer in the so…

True top performers are constantly trying to expand their skills. The only way you do that is by interacting with other people, even less experienced/talented folks. You don't get new insights by being around the same great people all the time.

Linus Torvalds wrote Linux from his dorm room. John Carmack wrote the Doom engine solo. Einstein worked alone, the inventor of PCR did it alone, Wozniak, Picasso, Hendrix, Mitnick.

Holy crap almost all incredible innovations were invented by solitary passionate people working alone!

Then we have Cascading Style Sheets..that.. was invented by a committee...

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