3 ms·

Apparently one of the comments that the author took umbrage to: "Socially mainstream means leaving work at 5pm and going to the pub, that’s what 'normal' people

by mcantor 17y ago

Apparently one of the comments that the author took umbrage to: "Socially mainstream means leaving work at 5pm and going to the pub, that’s what 'normal' people do." When do "real" developers drink their beer?!

notauser 17y ago
When I worked in software Engineering (big E, giant processes) the developers left at 4:30pm every day except Fridays, when they left at 12:30. (Thanks to flex-time and a 7:30 start.) That environment was remarkably un-geeky. A median engineer was about 45, university qualified, with a house, husband or wife and kids. They had very little interest in programming but a quiet pride in Engineering. If you want to write software in that kind of environment you don't even need to mix with the comp sci geeks at university - you can get a masters in maths, physics or any engineering field instead.
- joe_the_user 17y ago
  Oddly enough or not, It seems that this environment has had a mix of women whereas the "three-guys-and-a-dog-startup" generally hasn't. Make of it what you will.
  - notauser 17y ago
    But this isn't limited to software start ups, and I have a pretty big sample set to look at. The angel firm I'm advising is involved in or funding about 20 ventures, of which only two are software related. Only one of those has a woman involved in any capacity. Overall there are an insignificant number of people of either sex who are willing to take on the very real risk of bankruptcy however - to me the male/female split seems much less remarkable than the 99.9%-0.1% split with the general population.
weaksauce 17y ago
While coding apparently: http://www.xkcd.org/323/ http://www.xkcd.org/323/
djcapelis 17y ago
Before, during and after work. Sometimes especially during.
- unalone 17y ago
  Perhaps this is just me being youthful and naive, but I'm astonished here at how many people drink and get stoned before every class. I don't think I'd have ever fully believed that idea, of people just vastly abusing substances and still getting their work done, had I not met people who took shots and smoked a blunt in between every class.

by mcantor 17y ago

notauser 17y ago

When I worked in software Engineering (big E, giant processes) the developers left at 4:30pm every day except Fridays, when they left at 12:30. (Thanks to flex-time and a 7:30 start.) That environment was remarkably un-geeky. A median engineer was about 45, university qualified, with a house, husband or wife and kids. They had very little interest in programming but a quiet pride in Engineering. If you want to write software in that kind of environment you don't even need to mix with the comp sci geeks at university - you can get a masters in maths, physics or any engineering field instead.

joe_the_user 17y ago
Oddly enough or not, It seems that this environment has had a mix of women whereas the "three-guys-and-a-dog-startup" generally hasn't. Make of it what you will.
- notauser 17y ago
  But this isn't limited to software start ups, and I have a pretty big sample set to look at. The angel firm I'm advising is involved in or funding about 20 ventures, of which only two are software related. Only one of those has a woman involved in any capacity. Overall there are an insignificant number of people of either sex who are willing to take on the very real risk of bankruptcy however - to me the male/female split seems much less remarkable than the 99.9%-0.1% split with the general population.

weaksauce 17y ago

While coding apparently: http://www.xkcd.org/323/ http://www.xkcd.org/323/

djcapelis 17y ago

Before, during and after work. Sometimes especially during.

unalone 17y ago
Perhaps this is just me being youthful and naive, but I'm astonished here at how many people drink and get stoned before every class. I don't think I'd have ever fully believed that idea, of people just vastly abusing substances and still getting their work done, had I not met people who took shots and smoked a blunt in between every class.