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"Proving" you're smart is a terrible idea, if you're smart it'll come across pretty quick and if it's not obvious to other people the attempt seems pretentious.

"Proving" you're smart is a terrible idea, if you're smart it'll come across pretty quick and if it's not obvious to other people the attempt seems pretentious. I don't think you should guard smartness by pretending its the same thing as practicalness. I know a lot of people that spent time on brilliant work that had no point. They were smart as hell just impractical If I'm hiring a coder and I get one that writes the boringist work, or a brilliant person that writes their code as a quine, I respect quine guy but I want boring guy.

zelphirkalt 6y ago
Yes, you raise an interesting point and I am not voting for going out of your way or intentionally trying to "prove" anything. No need for that. Just do good work and try to apply your smartness to find good solutions, keeping the ones coming after you in mind, who will have to deal with the stuff you write today. That might be yourself tomorrow anyway. Practicalness should include smartness, go hand-in-hand with it, and acting in a practical way should include not tripping yourself up in the future with things you do now. A quine might not be the best way to solve a problem without creating a new one. But perhaps it is in some situation. Always depends. I want to raise another point though, which is allowing developers to enjoy their profession as well. Imagine going to a master carpenter and telling them "I just need you to connect 3 plywood boards together." and then the next day you go into their shop and dictate them: "No, no, do not put that much effort into connecting them! It doesn't need to look pretty. Just use some glue, that will make them stick together! No need to be clean about it. Just leave redundant glue on it. It's going to be under the table anyway and no one will see it." That is how many developers are treated and I don't think it is a good thing. Developers need to be given some leeway, some room, to get creative and deliver great solutions. Of course it should be within certain limitations with clear goals set and all that. Just don't suffocate creativity, taking out all joy of the profession and let them be actual developers sometimes. Software development is a truly creative activity. Lets not forget that.
- overgard 6y ago
  I mean that's true I don't want people to avoid love of the craft and art of it, I just think people need to evaluate is what I'm doing useful or a fun puzzle

zelphirkalt 6y ago

Yes, you raise an interesting point and I am not voting for going out of your way or intentionally trying to "prove" anything. No need for that. Just do good work and try to apply your smartness to find good solutions, keeping the ones coming after you in mind, who will have to deal with the stuff you write today. That might be yourself tomorrow anyway. Practicalness should include smartness, go hand-in-hand with it, and acting in a practical way should include not tripping yourself up in the future with things you do now. A quine might not be the best way to solve a problem without creating a new one. But perhaps it is in some situation. Always depends. I want to raise another point though, which is allowing developers to enjoy their profession as well. Imagine going to a master carpenter and telling them "I just need you to connect 3 plywood boards together." and then the next day you go into their shop and dictate them: "No, no, do not put that much effort into connecting them! It doesn't need to look pretty. Just use some glue, that will make them stick together! No need to be clean about it. Just leave redundant glue on it. It's going to be under the table anyway and no one will see it." That is how many developers are treated and I don't think it is a good thing. Developers need to be given some leeway, some room, to get creative and deliver great solutions. Of course it should be within certain limitations with clear goals set and all that. Just don't suffocate creativity, taking out all joy of the profession and let them be actual developers sometimes. Software development is a truly creative activity. Lets not forget that.

overgard 6y ago
I mean that's true I don't want people to avoid love of the craft and art of it, I just think people need to evaluate is what I'm doing useful or a fun puzzle