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Obligatory old man rant/question... why does software development need to be delightful? I just need it to work and not get in my way. I have other things I can

by throwaway2016a 10y ago

Obligatory old man rant/question... why does software development need to be delightful? I just need it to work and not get in my way. I have other things I can do in my life that are delightful, like reading a good book or watching my kid's first steps. Edit: I'm sorry, that came off with a lot extra snark and not nearly as much joking as I was intending. I'm happy that people find working with cookies delightful.

6DM 10y ago
It could be argued that if it "just works" and is not in your way that it feels delightful to program with :)
- franciscop 10y ago
  That was totally my original meaning; sensible defaults, easy options and just a simple function to work with makes me want to keep using a library all day. So I try to follow that when writing a new library when I'm not comfortable with the status quo.
todd3834 10y ago
That is great that you have a work life balance you are comfortable with but why not enjoy working? Given the choice of getting paid to do something delightful vs doing something that just works but not super enjoyable, I pick delightful. I don't know that anyone ever said it needed to be delightful but there are enough people who would prefer it that way.
- throwaway2016a 10y ago
  It was intended more as a playful[1] comment on the overuse of the word "delightful", "beautiful", etc. Hence the sarcastic lead in with the ellipses on the end. I'm happy that some people can get that from coding. [1] well that was the intention, obviously it didn't come off that way.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
throwaway2016a 10y ago
Put an edit at the end of my post. My sense of humor hasn't woken up yet this morning and my tone of voice didn't come across in my post.
dahart 10y ago
Maybe you just defined delightfulness? Things that just work and not get in my way are few enough and far enough between that when it happens, I'm always delighted! ;)

6DM 10y ago

It could be argued that if it "just works" and is not in your way that it feels delightful to program with :)

franciscop 10y ago
That was totally my original meaning; sensible defaults, easy options and just a simple function to work with makes me want to keep using a library all day. So I try to follow that when writing a new library when I'm not comfortable with the status quo.

todd3834 10y ago

That is great that you have a work life balance you are comfortable with but why not enjoy working? Given the choice of getting paid to do something delightful vs doing something that just works but not super enjoyable, I pick delightful. I don't know that anyone ever said it needed to be delightful but there are enough people who would prefer it that way.

throwaway2016a 10y ago
It was intended more as a playful[1] comment on the overuse of the word "delightful", "beautiful", etc. Hence the sarcastic lead in with the ellipses on the end. I'm happy that some people can get that from coding. [1] well that was the intention, obviously it didn't come off that way.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

throwaway2016a 10y ago

Put an edit at the end of my post. My sense of humor hasn't woken up yet this morning and my tone of voice didn't come across in my post.

dahart 10y ago

Maybe you just defined delightfulness? Things that just work and not get in my way are few enough and far enough between that when it happens, I'm always delighted! ;)