5 ms·

Reminds me of this oldie but goodie: Good umpire: "I call 'em as I see 'em." Better umpire: "I call 'em as they are." Best umpire: "They aren't anything unti

by edw519 15y ago

Reminds me of this oldie but goodie: Good umpire: "I call 'em as I see 'em." Better umpire: "I call 'em as they are." Best umpire: "They aren't anything until I call 'em." Same thing: Good programmer: "I am a <501 or xxx> developer." Better programmer: "Watch what I do. That's how you do <xxx>." Best programmer: "Whatever this project needs me to be, that's what I am."

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
- ajdecon 15y ago
  If you do programming because it pays better then, you are going to be just another guy who never amounts to anything in this world. I know a few of these people. You're right, they've never amounted to anything... except - Good and loving parents - Competitive sportsmen - Inspiring teachers (in the best sense, outside of schools) - Good and helpful friends - World-renowned experts in obscure fields - Effective local politicians Just to name a few people I know personally. And while they might never be known as awesome programmers, they do pretty well and their colleagues still look to them for leadership, because they know their domain expertise well. It's about priorities, you know?
  - cooperadymas 15y ago
    Add in the guy who said: "Programming for fun" was always a foreign concept to me...I was not a great programmer. I pity the fools who are maintaining my old code right now. A little known fellow named Ken Jennings who happened to win a few million on Jeopardy.
adestefan 15y ago
"Whatever this project needs me to be" I'll never put in 80 hours in a week for you. I'm sorry, but there are more important things in life than programming. Maybe I'll never be the best programmer, but I think I'll be a better person.
- blindhippo 15y ago
  Put in 80 hours a week on someone elses project - sure, totally get this attitude. But if you aren't willing to put extra hours into your own project (or others who you believe in) - then you will never be great. I work 40 hours a week at a day job with a local startup. I'm not a founder, nor employee one - I do have some decent stock but really I just work for the salary. My passion comes in the extra projects I take on for myself. I do it because it honestly interests me and isn't work - it's a hobby as well. This whole "never work over 40 hours" is very humorous to me. Work what you feel like - no one else gives a damn what you do.
  - adestefan 15y ago
    The problem is that people do give a damn. People automatically assume that because I don't want to work over 40 hours means that I'm just in it for the money/job/whatever. They automatically assume that because I don't have 20 projects on github, I'm not active on twitter, nor do I have a blog that's updated twice a day that I'm not passionate about my profession. They automatically assume that because I don't go to 4 meetups a week nor contribute to their favorite open source software every other day, that I don't don't care about the community. Just because I don't do these things, it does not mean I'm not a passionate programmer. People are also confusing the difference between work and pleasure. Just because I'll only put in 40 hours of work in a week, does not mean that I'll not program on the nights/weekends.
    - angersock 15y ago
      Well, let's be honest then. If you don't contribute to the projects, if you don't spread your knowledge, if you don't give away your source... ...what good are you? What have you done? How are you anything other than a consumer of other people's work and knowledge?
      - peacemaker 15y ago
        "what good are you?" That's just an awful way to judge someone. Just because he chooses not to give away his work, or do any side projects at all does not mean he is "no good". There is more to life than writing open source code you know!
Udo 15y ago
I don't get it. How are those "better" and "best" people you describe not self-important jerks? There are already too many stupidly arrogant people in most companies; they are immune to criticism and extremely difficult to work with. Shouldn't facts matter more than ego? "I call 'em as I see 'em." is an attitude I can work with, because it lends itself to meaningful discussion and, maybe, some kind of understanding. "They aren't anything until I call 'em." on the other hand is useless wankery in my opinion. On the other hand, I agree with you that "I am a <501 or xxx> developer." is a somewhat weak statement, but for other reasons than you. I think 501 and others are overly broad labels and philosophies. Most people who are capable of having their own opinions would probably agree or disagree on some of the 501 points, but not subscribe to all of them as a package.

by edw519 15y ago

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

ajdecon 15y ago
If you do programming because it pays better then, you are going to be just another guy who never amounts to anything in this world. I know a few of these people. You're right, they've never amounted to anything... except - Good and loving parents - Competitive sportsmen - Inspiring teachers (in the best sense, outside of schools) - Good and helpful friends - World-renowned experts in obscure fields - Effective local politicians Just to name a few people I know personally. And while they might never be known as awesome programmers, they do pretty well and their colleagues still look to them for leadership, because they know their domain expertise well. It's about priorities, you know?
- cooperadymas 15y ago
  Add in the guy who said: "Programming for fun" was always a foreign concept to me...I was not a great programmer. I pity the fools who are maintaining my old code right now. A little known fellow named Ken Jennings who happened to win a few million on Jeopardy.

adestefan 15y ago

"Whatever this project needs me to be" I'll never put in 80 hours in a week for you. I'm sorry, but there are more important things in life than programming. Maybe I'll never be the best programmer, but I think I'll be a better person.

blindhippo 15y ago
Put in 80 hours a week on someone elses project - sure, totally get this attitude. But if you aren't willing to put extra hours into your own project (or others who you believe in) - then you will never be great. I work 40 hours a week at a day job with a local startup. I'm not a founder, nor employee one - I do have some decent stock but really I just work for the salary. My passion comes in the extra projects I take on for myself. I do it because it honestly interests me and isn't work - it's a hobby as well. This whole "never work over 40 hours" is very humorous to me. Work what you feel like - no one else gives a damn what you do.
- adestefan 15y ago
  The problem is that people do give a damn. People automatically assume that because I don't want to work over 40 hours means that I'm just in it for the money/job/whatever. They automatically assume that because I don't have 20 projects on github, I'm not active on twitter, nor do I have a blog that's updated twice a day that I'm not passionate about my profession. They automatically assume that because I don't go to 4 meetups a week nor contribute to their favorite open source software every other day, that I don't don't care about the community. Just because I don't do these things, it does not mean I'm not a passionate programmer. People are also confusing the difference between work and pleasure. Just because I'll only put in 40 hours of work in a week, does not mean that I'll not program on the nights/weekends.
  - angersock 15y ago
    Well, let's be honest then. If you don't contribute to the projects, if you don't spread your knowledge, if you don't give away your source... ...what good are you? What have you done? How are you anything other than a consumer of other people's work and knowledge?
    - peacemaker 15y ago
      "what good are you?" That's just an awful way to judge someone. Just because he chooses not to give away his work, or do any side projects at all does not mean he is "no good". There is more to life than writing open source code you know!

Udo 15y ago

I don't get it. How are those "better" and "best" people you describe not self-important jerks? There are already too many stupidly arrogant people in most companies; they are immune to criticism and extremely difficult to work with. Shouldn't facts matter more than ego? "I call 'em as I see 'em." is an attitude I can work with, because it lends itself to meaningful discussion and, maybe, some kind of understanding. "They aren't anything until I call 'em." on the other hand is useless wankery in my opinion. On the other hand, I agree with you that "I am a <501 or xxx> developer." is a somewhat weak statement, but for other reasons than you. I think 501 and others are overly broad labels and philosophies. Most people who are capable of having their own opinions would probably agree or disagree on some of the 501 points, but not subscribe to all of them as a package.