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I've received a few nasty comments in response to blog posts, both here and on reddit. When it happens I update the post to link to the nasty comment, without j

by philbo 2y ago

I've received a few nasty comments in response to blog posts, both here and on reddit. When it happens I update the post to link to the nasty comment, without judgement, just to shine a light on it. Usually nothing happens but sometimes it steers the discussion to a healthier place.

rulalala 2y ago
This is great. I wish all humans could think that way.
ChrisMarshallNY 2y ago
I've received quite a few. Some, probably deserved; most, likely not. In a few cases, it was -sort of- deserved, but not helpful, or directly harmful to the community. Saying the right thing, in the wrong way, is still saying the wrong thing. > When it happens I update the post to link to the nasty comment, without judgement, just to shine a light on it. Not a bad idea. Not always possible, if the comment gets dead'nd. In any case, I do not respond in kind. I'm quite capable of it (recovering troll), but I won't go there. It's not being a "snob." It's just that I've learned that gasoline is an ineffective fire suppressant. If I'm wrong, I've learned to promptly admit it; in the same venue as the mistake (a pet peeve is private apologies for public attacks). There is a line though. I feel that I do really good work. I've been doing this for a long time (like, 40 years), and have learned quite a bit, in that time. I've also worked some pretty tough rooms, and for folks that wouldn't accept crap, so I have learned to habitually do decent work. My general policy is to avoid casting judgment onto others in public. It doesn't help; even if I'm right (not always the case). But if we're working together, or I am using your stuff, then it might be a different story. I have had people savagely attack me, because I won’t accept garbage. Guilty as charged, but I don’t go Torvalds on them. I just tell them that their work is not acceptable to me, in a respectful manner, if possible. Nevertheless, I have found that I can always improve, and learn new stuff; sometimes, from the most unexpected places, and being open to these lessons is basic good policy. I become right, by being wrong, and learning otherwise. "Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment."
- kortilla 2y ago
  Saying that you won’t accept “garbage” is a pretty toxic way of phrasing things. If you say that around the people you work with (especially junior people), they have a habit of interpreting any negative feedback on code as you calling it garbage. Then they start avoiding feedback from you when possible and then everyone suffers. I’ve seen this pattern play out over and over. It makes what could be a great lead senior engineer just a lone wolf only a few people want to work with. > feel that I do really good work. I've been doing this for a long time (like, 40 years), Never substitute tenure for competence, particularly when you are convincing yourself that you do good work. One of the biggest red flags in hiring is when people defer to tenure as a reason for anything technical. It is very easy to do things wrong or poorly for a long time without even knowing it. So falling into the trap of “I’ve been doing this 40 years and people have paid me for it, so it must be good” is a death sentence.
  - xandrius 2y ago
    Got the same vibes when reading their comment, basically self identifying as "the one" without admitting it. The funny thing is that if someone has been doing IT for 40 years, I'd expect them to be generally aware that they might be good at big picture stuff but less so on minute things, as technology, philosophies and approaches change every few years but the general concepts stay the same.
    - ChrisMarshallNY 2y ago
      Cool. I didn’t mean it that way, but if you wish to perceive it as such, it’s a free country.
      - xandrius 2y ago
        We were just saying how it came across, not about our own wish to perceive it as anything. You can take it as feedback or not, as you said, it's a free country.
  - ChrisMarshallNY 2y ago
Doxin 2y ago
One of my favorite podcasts (well there's your problem) on youtube will invariably pin a comment complaining about the podcast. Generally it's the sort of complaint that amounts to "I don't like this podcast so it should be a different podcast" but in every case they pin a comment it's just about the dumbest take you can possibly have on the episode. I dunno if it does much to discourage such comments, but there's something to be said for a metaphorical dunce cap for people who engage in that sort of discourse.

by philbo 2y ago

rulalala 2y ago

This is great. I wish all humans could think that way.

ChrisMarshallNY 2y ago

I've received quite a few. Some, probably deserved; most, likely not. In a few cases, it was -sort of- deserved, but not helpful, or directly harmful to the community. Saying the right thing, in the wrong way, is still saying the wrong thing. > When it happens I update the post to link to the nasty comment, without judgement, just to shine a light on it. Not a bad idea. Not always possible, if the comment gets dead'nd. In any case, I do not respond in kind. I'm quite capable of it (recovering troll), but I won't go there. It's not being a "snob." It's just that I've learned that gasoline is an ineffective fire suppressant. If I'm wrong, I've learned to promptly admit it; in the same venue as the mistake (a pet peeve is private apologies for public attacks). There is a line though. I feel that I do really good work. I've been doing this for a long time (like, 40 years), and have learned quite a bit, in that time. I've also worked some pretty tough rooms, and for folks that wouldn't accept crap, so I have learned to habitually do decent work. My general policy is to avoid casting judgment onto others in public. It doesn't help; even if I'm right (not always the case). But if we're working together, or I am using your stuff, then it might be a different story. I have had people savagely attack me, because I won’t accept garbage. Guilty as charged, but I don’t go Torvalds on them. I just tell them that their work is not acceptable to me, in a respectful manner, if possible. Nevertheless, I have found that I can always improve, and learn new stuff; sometimes, from the most unexpected places, and being open to these lessons is basic good policy. I become right, by being wrong, and learning otherwise. "Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment."

kortilla 2y ago
Saying that you won’t accept “garbage” is a pretty toxic way of phrasing things. If you say that around the people you work with (especially junior people), they have a habit of interpreting any negative feedback on code as you calling it garbage. Then they start avoiding feedback from you when possible and then everyone suffers. I’ve seen this pattern play out over and over. It makes what could be a great lead senior engineer just a lone wolf only a few people want to work with. > feel that I do really good work. I've been doing this for a long time (like, 40 years), Never substitute tenure for competence, particularly when you are convincing yourself that you do good work. One of the biggest red flags in hiring is when people defer to tenure as a reason for anything technical. It is very easy to do things wrong or poorly for a long time without even knowing it. So falling into the trap of “I’ve been doing this 40 years and people have paid me for it, so it must be good” is a death sentence.
- xandrius 2y ago
  Got the same vibes when reading their comment, basically self identifying as "the one" without admitting it. The funny thing is that if someone has been doing IT for 40 years, I'd expect them to be generally aware that they might be good at big picture stuff but less so on minute things, as technology, philosophies and approaches change every few years but the general concepts stay the same.
  - ChrisMarshallNY 2y ago
    Cool. I didn’t mean it that way, but if you wish to perceive it as such, it’s a free country.
    - xandrius 2y ago
      We were just saying how it came across, not about our own wish to perceive it as anything. You can take it as feedback or not, as you said, it's a free country.
- ChrisMarshallNY 2y ago

Doxin 2y ago

One of my favorite podcasts (well there's your problem) on youtube will invariably pin a comment complaining about the podcast. Generally it's the sort of complaint that amounts to "I don't like this podcast so it should be a different podcast" but in every case they pin a comment it's just about the dumbest take you can possibly have on the episode. I dunno if it does much to discourage such comments, but there's something to be said for a metaphorical dunce cap for people who engage in that sort of discourse.