Ask HN: Why do software engineers talk a lot more than required?

#1

Post by thtthings » Thu, Sep 05, 2019, 9:56 PM UTC

I am a software engineer myself have seen a recurring pattern. A lot of software engineers talk a lot more than required about a technical subject/work project with technical and non technical people. Also, over complicate things and are not to the point. I also think, this is my personal opinion that the smarter the engineer thinks he is, the more he will talk and will use a lot more words and ideas to explain a simple concept and is not really as bright as he thinks he is

Re: Ask HN: Why do software engineers talk a lot more than required?

#2

Post by mcluck » Thu, Sep 05, 2019, 9:59 PM UTC

The engineers I know and work with tend to keep talking to a minimum. The smartest of them often forget to explain concepts to us mere mortals in their quest for short, simple information transfer.

I guess what I'm saying is that you can't generalize your very limited experience to all software engineers.

Re: Ask HN: Why do software engineers talk a lot more than required?

#3

Post by thtthings » Thu, Sep 05, 2019, 10:02 PM UTC

mcluck wrote: post #2

The engineers I know and work with tend to keep talking to a minimum. The smartest of them often forget to explain concepts to us mere mortals in their quest for short, simple information transfer. I guess what I'm saying is that you can't generalize your very limited experience to all software engineers.

True. I am trying to see if others have seen this behavior too. Could be i am not that smart and have mostly worked with other not so smart people

Re: Ask HN: Why do software engineers talk a lot more than required?

#4

Post by mtmail » Thu, Sep 05, 2019, 10:03 PM UTC

> as bright as he thinks he is

In your workplace are all software engineers men?

Re: Ask HN: Why do software engineers talk a lot more than required?

#5

Post by thtthings » Thu, Sep 05, 2019, 10:07 PM UTC

mtmail wrote: post #4

> as bright as he thinks he is In your workplace are all software engineers men?

well he or she or in-between! But yeah most software engineers at most places are Men.

Re: Ask HN: Why do software engineers talk a lot more than required?

#6

Post by nobodyandproud » Thu, Sep 05, 2019, 10:30 PM UTC

Because for engineering, the eye-glazing details make-or-break things.

To distill the information usefully requires getting into your audience’s frame of mind.

Knowing what they intend to do with that information.

And knowing how much detail can be omitted without conveying misinformation.

I imagine science journalists face the same dilemma.

Re: Ask HN: Why do software engineers talk a lot more than required?

#7

Post by jimmyvalmer » Thu, Sep 05, 2019, 10:36 PM UTC

Verbosity stemming from a natural desire for recognition is a modern social phenomenon not exclusive to programmers. Nothing we read, whether the New Yorker, Stack Overflow, medium.com, or reddit, needs to be as long as it is. I'd say verbosity is as much an existential threat as climate change.