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I was going to say that’s super high. I haven’t used Stack Overflow in years. The only time I come across it is when using JavaScript or some niche sql querie

I was going to say that’s super high. I haven’t used Stack Overflow in years. The only time I come across it is when using JavaScript or some niche sql queries.

fdgsdfogijq 5y ago
Yeah oddly enough I don't use it anymore, I just find myself reading the source code to understand the problem.
comp_throw7 5y ago
Whether or not you use SO is almost immaterial; the real red flag is the fact that an organization wouldn't _let_ you use it.
pcthrowaway 5y ago
What tech stack do you work with where you don't need to Google how to do things at least occasionally? This seems unfathomable to me, but I'm open to reinforcing my imposter syndrome.
- gdulli 5y ago
  The one you don't throw away after two years because the industry has convinced you that something new is better. But there's a distinction between losing access to SO, which shouldn't be a hardship, and losing access to online material in general. The latter would be unreasonable.
  - pcthrowaway 5y ago
    > The one you don't throw away after two years because the industry has convinced you that something new is better. I know you're not the person I asked, but if you also find that you don't need to google things regularly while working I'd love to know the actual tech stack. I've been using HTML, CSS, and Javascript for more than 5 years for example, and I still google things at minimum once a day, and SO usually has a prominent answer.
    - nawgz 5y ago
      For example, as a TypeScript / React guy who likes MobX, I have used most of the API surface of those libraries at least once, so combined with type hints both inline & thru option-click in my editor I virtually never search on those layers. More when I'm trying to use some new backend library.
  - heavyset_go 5y ago
    There are platforms with staying power that are just really big and hard for a single person to keep everything about them in their head.
    - davidw 5y ago
      Or there's some esoteric corner of it that you're unsure of.
- yodsanklai 5y ago
  Some big companies use a lot of internal tools for which Google/SO won't help. Also, for some niche languages or recent libraries, it can be hard to find answers for very specific issues.
  - pcthrowaway 5y ago
    If you're talking from experience, would you mind sharing a bit more about the stack you used (or still use) where you didn't regularly Google/SO? Even when using libraries I've written I frequently still find myself in situation where: A) I have questions about the programming languages or frameworks I'm using. In my case Javascript, Typescript, Svelte, React, HTML, CSS, Express, Tailwind, Bash. Even having used Javascript, HTML, and CSS for 8+ years, the core language specs and capabilities keep changing as well as the execution environments (the browser or Node) B) I run into limitations with the libraries I've written that require improvements, and google (A) as well as miscellaneous patterns while seeking to address those limitations in clean, maintainable, and intuitive ways.
    - Jensson 5y ago
      > Even having used Javascript, HTML, and CSS for 8+ years, the core language specs and capabilities keep changing as well as the execution environments (the browser or Node) But you can read the language spec/notes when they release a new version, you don't go to SO for that you just read the version update when it comes and learn the new things. And if you miss something you can read the language manual/spec later, it is usually more accurate and complete than SO. > B) I run into limitations with the libraries I've written that require improvements, and google (A) as well as miscellaneous patterns while seeking to address those limitations in clean, maintainable, and intuitive ways. This shouldn't happen that much after 5 years, at least not improvements that you can find at SO. SO is good to find "hello world" examples for frameworks and function api's, but it isn't much help once you know how to set things up.
    - driscoll42 5y ago
      My former employer blocked GitHub, though not Google or SO, however I barely used SO (did use Google though). It was an Oracle shop, and really there's not much Oracle documentation on SO. Some SQL stuff from time to time, but really less than you'd think. If SO had been blocked it'd have been a bit irritating, but not awful for getting work done. Still, blocking GH and using Oracle did make me want to change to a different company.
ominous_prime 5y ago
I also rarely find anything useful on StackOverflow, but that's not never. I bet the real reason for the response level here is the difference between "Do you require StackOverflow to do your job?" and "Are you OK with your internet access being censored?". I would guess that most are replying to the latter interpretation, even though StackOverflow was probably attempting to gauge their own importance.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
halfmatthalfcat 5y ago
JS catching strays smh

I was going to say that’s super high. I haven’t used Stack Overflow in years. The only time I come across it is when using JavaScript or some niche sql queries.

fdgsdfogijq 5y ago

Yeah oddly enough I don't use it anymore, I just find myself reading the source code to understand the problem.

comp_throw7 5y ago

Whether or not you use SO is almost immaterial; the real red flag is the fact that an organization wouldn't _let_ you use it.

pcthrowaway 5y ago

What tech stack do you work with where you don't need to Google how to do things at least occasionally? This seems unfathomable to me, but I'm open to reinforcing my imposter syndrome.

gdulli 5y ago
The one you don't throw away after two years because the industry has convinced you that something new is better. But there's a distinction between losing access to SO, which shouldn't be a hardship, and losing access to online material in general. The latter would be unreasonable.
- pcthrowaway 5y ago
  > The one you don't throw away after two years because the industry has convinced you that something new is better. I know you're not the person I asked, but if you also find that you don't need to google things regularly while working I'd love to know the actual tech stack. I've been using HTML, CSS, and Javascript for more than 5 years for example, and I still google things at minimum once a day, and SO usually has a prominent answer.
  - nawgz 5y ago
    For example, as a TypeScript / React guy who likes MobX, I have used most of the API surface of those libraries at least once, so combined with type hints both inline & thru option-click in my editor I virtually never search on those layers. More when I'm trying to use some new backend library.
- heavyset_go 5y ago
  There are platforms with staying power that are just really big and hard for a single person to keep everything about them in their head.
  - davidw 5y ago
    Or there's some esoteric corner of it that you're unsure of.
yodsanklai 5y ago
Some big companies use a lot of internal tools for which Google/SO won't help. Also, for some niche languages or recent libraries, it can be hard to find answers for very specific issues.
- pcthrowaway 5y ago
  If you're talking from experience, would you mind sharing a bit more about the stack you used (or still use) where you didn't regularly Google/SO? Even when using libraries I've written I frequently still find myself in situation where: A) I have questions about the programming languages or frameworks I'm using. In my case Javascript, Typescript, Svelte, React, HTML, CSS, Express, Tailwind, Bash. Even having used Javascript, HTML, and CSS for 8+ years, the core language specs and capabilities keep changing as well as the execution environments (the browser or Node) B) I run into limitations with the libraries I've written that require improvements, and google (A) as well as miscellaneous patterns while seeking to address those limitations in clean, maintainable, and intuitive ways.
  - Jensson 5y ago
    > Even having used Javascript, HTML, and CSS for 8+ years, the core language specs and capabilities keep changing as well as the execution environments (the browser or Node) But you can read the language spec/notes when they release a new version, you don't go to SO for that you just read the version update when it comes and learn the new things. And if you miss something you can read the language manual/spec later, it is usually more accurate and complete than SO. > B) I run into limitations with the libraries I've written that require improvements, and google (A) as well as miscellaneous patterns while seeking to address those limitations in clean, maintainable, and intuitive ways. This shouldn't happen that much after 5 years, at least not improvements that you can find at SO. SO is good to find "hello world" examples for frameworks and function api's, but it isn't much help once you know how to set things up.
  - driscoll42 5y ago
    My former employer blocked GitHub, though not Google or SO, however I barely used SO (did use Google though). It was an Oracle shop, and really there's not much Oracle documentation on SO. Some SQL stuff from time to time, but really less than you'd think. If SO had been blocked it'd have been a bit irritating, but not awful for getting work done. Still, blocking GH and using Oracle did make me want to change to a different company.

ominous_prime 5y ago

I also rarely find anything useful on StackOverflow, but that's not never. I bet the real reason for the response level here is the difference between "Do you require StackOverflow to do your job?" and "Are you OK with your internet access being censored?". I would guess that most are replying to the latter interpretation, even though StackOverflow was probably attempting to gauge their own importance.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

halfmatthalfcat 5y ago

JS catching strays smh