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As much as I think the other replies to this question hit the nail on the head, I think there’s more to it than just tool obsession. Software developers are in
by bobnamob 5y ago
As much as I think the other replies to this question hit the nail on the head, I think there’s more to it than just tool obsession.
Software developers are in the fairly unique position where most of our tools are software defined. We are experts in the discipline required to improve our own day to day work lives.
How many other professions have this liberty? Woodworking does to an extent, carpenters regularly make their own jigs and clamps but rarely venture into the realm of sharpened tools.
Contrast this with anyone working in the medical or retail(?) industries. People working in these fields are close to powerless to improve the tools they use every day.
Embrace the tool improvement life, there’s still a long way to go before software tooling is “finished”
- eternityforest 5y agoIt's hard to tell what benefit there actually is from this kind of thing. There's definitely great new tools developed all the time, but most of them seem to be planned megaprojects. I've never seen a custom build system or VCS or personal/project specific tooling I'd want to use. Seems like most of it happens just cause devs enjoy it. Making your own clamps seems very much the same. The other reason is there's a real cult of assuming that minimal is always best, and devs resent using any tool that has more features than they absolutely need. They also resent any more opinionated structure than they need, even if it makes things safer and easier, because they seem to really enjoy blank canvas creativity.
- arduinomancer 5y agoYa this is what I was thinking as well, the unique thing is that making the tools and doing the work are the exact same process Plus its just very easy to work on a tool, I don't need to go buy a bunch of materials or anything