5 ms·

> Previously privileged developers will suddenly find their network disrupted. Good god.... I love GitHub and what it allows for but let's not paint this as th

> Previously privileged developers will suddenly find their network disrupted. Good god.... I love GitHub and what it allows for but let's not paint this as the "commoners" knocking down the walls that protect the "elites" in their ivory castles. Commiting to GitHub does not, on it's own, make you a better developer or a better person. In the same way that not committing to GitHub does not, on it's own, make you worse developer or a worse person. I've met people who don't have single commit to a public GitHub repo that are FAR better developers (and people in some cases) than ones I've know that are deeply ingrained in a public project. In some, not all, cases there are different skillsets required for OS work vs working at a "closed source" company. And while we are on that subject I'm quite sick of some of the attitudes I see on HN sometimes around "closed source" like it's some evil thing. It's not, people have to eat, have to pay rent, have to support their families and anyone that thinks you can do easily that while working for a for-profit company are living in a dream world. How many times have we seen posts here about how little money is actually given to OS? Sure I'd love to be able to only work on OS or work for a company that is open but there are very few success stories in that area. The cognitive dissidence the HN crowd expels when they fawn over the SasS companies or various other SV unicorns (all closed source) here and then derides closed source is astounding. All of this to say the message of "Your GitHub profile will mean everything for your career" is simply bullshit. CAN it give you a leg up? Of course, but experience working for a company and in that kind of setting is much more valuable to the vast majority of companies. Take a look at Linus Torvalds, undoubtedly a genius and a person who has done immense good for the OS community, however his temper/attitude are legendary with HN periodically posting links to his smack downs on mailing lists or the like. That said do you think many companies are looking for that kind of an employee? I think not (No disrespect meant to him at all, it works for him and I doubt he is looking for a job at those kind of places anyways). Most of the companies I've worked for or interviewed with have either not cared at all about my GitHub profile or even if they say they do care they don't give it more than a passing glance at best. Focus on being good at what you do and if that happens in public on GitHub/GitLab/etc then all the better but don't bend over backwards to make your profile look good at the expense of actually knowing your shit.

uiri 10y ago
I'm quite sick of some of the attitudes I see on HN sometimes around "closed source" like it's some evil thing. Proprietary software generally leaves society worse off than if that same software were free and open source. In that sense, it is some evil thing. It's not, people have to eat, have to pay rent, have to support their families There are plenty of people who think of stripping, porn and prostitution as some evil thing. The argument that strippers, porn actors/actresses and prostitutes need to eat, pay rent, etc. does not detract from that. However, I do not think that there should be laws against porn nor against proprietary software. I do agree with you that it is much easier to find a job doing proprietary software development. I would be a hypocrite if I suggested that people should not take those jobs. Companies will fund open source if and only if it furthers their business objectives. You are correct in saying that open source projects are, in general, woefully underfunded and the open source company success stories are few and far between. I would like to think that the "closed source software is evil" crowd is mutually exclusive to the "fawning over SV unicorn" crowd. Focus on being good at what you do and if that happens in public on GitHub/GitLab/etc then all the better but don't bend over backwards to make your profile look good at the expense of actually knowing your shit. I agree. If you happen to do good work on GitHub, it can give you a leg up. Any effort poured into making one's profile "look good" is probably better spent actually doing good work or, failing that, studying for those silly data structures & algorithms whiteboard questions.
- joshstrange 10y ago
  > I'm quite sick of some of the attitudes I see on HN sometimes around "closed source" like it's some evil thing. >> Proprietary software generally leaves society worse off than if that same software were free and open source. In that sense, it is some evil thing. I can agree with that but it also must follow that the choice is "closed" or "open" when often the choice is "closed" or not at all. It reminds me of the piracy arguments that equate 1 downloaded movie to 1 lost movie sale when in fact if the pirate was unable to download it for free they would not have paid for it at all and just gone without >> I would like to think that the "closed source software is evil" crowd is mutually exclusive to the "fawning over SV unicorn" crowd. You are probably largely right here. I wouldn't go as far as to say "mutually exclusive" as it's easy for people to get caught up in the hype of the moment and chide someone for not OS'ing something or complaining that more stuff should be OS minutes after they commented about how great Uber/Lyft are (or similar). I know that I have, at times, felt the "righteous anger" against something being closed source or been ready to jump on the commenting bandwagon before stopping to think about it.

uiri 10y ago

I'm quite sick of some of the attitudes I see on HN sometimes around "closed source" like it's some evil thing. Proprietary software generally leaves society worse off than if that same software were free and open source. In that sense, it is some evil thing. It's not, people have to eat, have to pay rent, have to support their families There are plenty of people who think of stripping, porn and prostitution as some evil thing. The argument that strippers, porn actors/actresses and prostitutes need to eat, pay rent, etc. does not detract from that. However, I do not think that there should be laws against porn nor against proprietary software. I do agree with you that it is much easier to find a job doing proprietary software development. I would be a hypocrite if I suggested that people should not take those jobs. Companies will fund open source if and only if it furthers their business objectives. You are correct in saying that open source projects are, in general, woefully underfunded and the open source company success stories are few and far between. I would like to think that the "closed source software is evil" crowd is mutually exclusive to the "fawning over SV unicorn" crowd. Focus on being good at what you do and if that happens in public on GitHub/GitLab/etc then all the better but don't bend over backwards to make your profile look good at the expense of actually knowing your shit. I agree. If you happen to do good work on GitHub, it can give you a leg up. Any effort poured into making one's profile "look good" is probably better spent actually doing good work or, failing that, studying for those silly data structures & algorithms whiteboard questions.

joshstrange 10y ago
> I'm quite sick of some of the attitudes I see on HN sometimes around "closed source" like it's some evil thing. >> Proprietary software generally leaves society worse off than if that same software were free and open source. In that sense, it is some evil thing. I can agree with that but it also must follow that the choice is "closed" or "open" when often the choice is "closed" or not at all. It reminds me of the piracy arguments that equate 1 downloaded movie to 1 lost movie sale when in fact if the pirate was unable to download it for free they would not have paid for it at all and just gone without >> I would like to think that the "closed source software is evil" crowd is mutually exclusive to the "fawning over SV unicorn" crowd. You are probably largely right here. I wouldn't go as far as to say "mutually exclusive" as it's easy for people to get caught up in the hype of the moment and chide someone for not OS'ing something or complaining that more stuff should be OS minutes after they commented about how great Uber/Lyft are (or similar). I know that I have, at times, felt the "righteous anger" against something being closed source or been ready to jump on the commenting bandwagon before stopping to think about it.