5 ms·
> They try most fringe/new technology I have actually found the opposite. The best programmers I have known are often the most reluctant to try new technologie
by andyjdavis 10y ago
> They try most fringe/new technology
I have actually found the opposite. The best programmers I have known are often the most reluctant to try new technologies. At least until the technology appears to have reached some sort of critical mass and it has been shown to be virtually guaranteed to increase their already very high levels of productivity. Partly this is just an experience thing. After you see enough shiny new things wrapped up in spin and hype the task of peeling that stuff away to get an honest assessment becomes unappealing.
- pm 10y agoI've seen both, so I'm guessing there are multiple things that make a productive programmer.
- davnn 10y agoI would say "try" fits very good but "use" often comes later.
- cageface 10y agoI'm definitely in this camp. I read enough programming related news that I know what new technologies are emerging and what problems they attempt to solve. But these days I wait until things have gained enough momentum that I think they'll stick around for at least a few years before I'll even consider adopting them for real work. That said it's good to keep learning new things just for the sake of learning so I will still sometimes pick up something new just because it looks different enough from things I'm already familiar with.
- JoshTriplett 10y agoYou should hesitate to introduce fringe technologies into production systems while they remain fringe. But you should absolutely evaluate them, figure out which ones you want to keep an eye on, and learn ideas from them that you could apply elsewhere.
- huherto 10y agoI do tend to try things when they solve a problem that I have. I may be missing on problems that I don't know that I have. On the other hand, I frequently see people using tools to solve problems that they don't really have.
- lfowles 10y agoFrom what I've seen, they are eager to try new technologies but not necessarily new implementations. Just enough to get an idea of where this tool fits in their toolbox should they ever need it.
- newtype 10y agoI am in the same camp. I'd prefer to know an older technology (and it's underpinnings) completely than scratch the surfaces on a bunch of short lived new ones. Most of the new stuff I see is pretty high level. I invest my free time in getting as close to the metal as I can. If there's something new with a feature I like, I'm a lot more likely to try to replicate their feature in something I know than make a switch.
- sklogic 10y agoExactly. I have not seen a new thing in many years. All the so called "new" things are simply rebranded decades old ideas.
- samirm 10y agoIsn't everything?
- ChristianGeek 10y agoEven your statement isn't new! 2200 years ago King Solomon wrote, "There is nothing new under the sun." We just keep finding different ways to rehash the same core concepts.