6 ms·

I can't help feel that this is quite misleading - let's take a bunch of concepts we happen to like about our software team and project them onto a 17th century

I can't help feel that this is quite misleading - let's take a bunch of concepts we happen to like about our software team and project them onto a 17th century craftsperson. I mean, you can construct a picture of such a blacksmith being Mr Super Customer Focused, sure, doesn't really make it true though? Why add in such an extra layer of distraction when you can just, well, describe good software team members?

Manfred 8y ago
Right, I was expecting an account of an actual blacksmith. I'm pretty sure priorities in the 17th century were not the same as they are now and people had a totally different perspective on work.
- TheOtherHobbes 8y ago
  Indeed. I think there's an apt and pithy description for the original article. It's rather sad, because it turns out that real blacksmith stories (if you ignore the mythological ones) are far more interesting and inspiring than this superficial nonsense. http://theconsummatedabbler.com/2016/06/25-of-the-worlds-most-famous-blacksmiths/ http://theconsummatedabbler.com/2016/06/25-of-the-worlds-mos...
- onemoresoop 8y ago
  And strong arms too. A smart black smith with weak arms/shoulders/wrists would under-perform one who didn't. And the tools were a) quite simple, b) they wouldn't change every 3 years and would last a generation. The comparison to the software craftsman is quite silly, I agree
  - brianmcc 8y ago
    Yeah I thought that too - 30 years of fine tuning one's horseshoe shaping skills is admirable, but it's wildly different to the "constantly learning new things" narrative. It's a shame, I did quite enjoy the "our sword guy let us down" cartoon!
    - C1sc0cat 8y ago
      cough don't ask a Blacksmith to shoe a horse.
      - brianmcc 8y ago
        Sounds a sensitive one :-) Technically I meant making them not fitting them, but mea culpa, the whole horseshoe area is not my domain so I'll watch my step!
yetihehe 8y ago
That extra layer is to obfuscate/abstract role of developers/blacksmiths. With a story about blacksmith comes suspension of disbelief[1] so that author's story is more real. Problem comes when anyone (HN readers for example) tries to think about this more thoroughly. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief
- brianmcc 8y ago
  Don't get me wrong, I know a good allegory when I see one. This... isn't. Suspension of disbelief is when you put your doubts on hold to enjoy, say, a good zombie movie. As per your link "a willingness to suspend one's critical faculties and believe something surreal". If you need to employ it for a business metaphor, again, really bad metaphor!
  - yetihehe 8y ago
    Exactly! Article used a story because stories typically evoke some suspense of disbelief. It looks like purposeful use to hide the fact that it's bad metaphor.
thrower123 8y ago
Particularly the bit about "Don’t reinvent the steel hammer” is a little ridiculous in this analogy. A medieval blacksmith had to build almost all of their own tools, that was the reality of the thing, because almost nothing was pre-manufactured. Similarly, if you look into the toolbox of almost any mechanic, or carpenter, or millwright, or any tradesperson, really, you are going to see some modded or homebrew tools, that they have put together specifically for some particular job that they do. Jigs, cut down wrenches for tight places, weird welded up gobs of metal that aren't immediately obvious but are super useful for x, y or z. A good software developer should have a whole arsenal of little shell scripts and tweaks and customizations to their editor or IDE that make their work easier.

Manfred 8y ago

Right, I was expecting an account of an actual blacksmith. I'm pretty sure priorities in the 17th century were not the same as they are now and people had a totally different perspective on work.

TheOtherHobbes 8y ago
Indeed. I think there's an apt and pithy description for the original article. It's rather sad, because it turns out that real blacksmith stories (if you ignore the mythological ones) are far more interesting and inspiring than this superficial nonsense. http://theconsummatedabbler.com/2016/06/25-of-the-worlds-most-famous-blacksmiths/ http://theconsummatedabbler.com/2016/06/25-of-the-worlds-mos...
onemoresoop 8y ago
And strong arms too. A smart black smith with weak arms/shoulders/wrists would under-perform one who didn't. And the tools were a) quite simple, b) they wouldn't change every 3 years and would last a generation. The comparison to the software craftsman is quite silly, I agree
- brianmcc 8y ago
  Yeah I thought that too - 30 years of fine tuning one's horseshoe shaping skills is admirable, but it's wildly different to the "constantly learning new things" narrative. It's a shame, I did quite enjoy the "our sword guy let us down" cartoon!
  - C1sc0cat 8y ago
    cough don't ask a Blacksmith to shoe a horse.
    - brianmcc 8y ago
      Sounds a sensitive one :-) Technically I meant making them not fitting them, but mea culpa, the whole horseshoe area is not my domain so I'll watch my step!

yetihehe 8y ago

That extra layer is to obfuscate/abstract role of developers/blacksmiths. With a story about blacksmith comes suspension of disbelief[1] so that author's story is more real. Problem comes when anyone (HN readers for example) tries to think about this more thoroughly. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief

brianmcc 8y ago
Don't get me wrong, I know a good allegory when I see one. This... isn't. Suspension of disbelief is when you put your doubts on hold to enjoy, say, a good zombie movie. As per your link "a willingness to suspend one's critical faculties and believe something surreal". If you need to employ it for a business metaphor, again, really bad metaphor!
- yetihehe 8y ago
  Exactly! Article used a story because stories typically evoke some suspense of disbelief. It looks like purposeful use to hide the fact that it's bad metaphor.

thrower123 8y ago

Particularly the bit about "Don’t reinvent the steel hammer” is a little ridiculous in this analogy. A medieval blacksmith had to build almost all of their own tools, that was the reality of the thing, because almost nothing was pre-manufactured. Similarly, if you look into the toolbox of almost any mechanic, or carpenter, or millwright, or any tradesperson, really, you are going to see some modded or homebrew tools, that they have put together specifically for some particular job that they do. Jigs, cut down wrenches for tight places, weird welded up gobs of metal that aren't immediately obvious but are super useful for x, y or z. A good software developer should have a whole arsenal of little shell scripts and tweaks and customizations to their editor or IDE that make their work easier.