3 ms·

Why is it absurd for a 25 year old to write system-critical code? That's not even that young for the field. I'd been coding for 12 years at that age!

mjburgess 2y ago
It's not the quality of code in question, but of judgement.
yummybear 2y ago
Do you think you, or anyone, have the capacity to understand changes you are making to a system developed over decades, that manages trillions and affects real lives, with only a few days worth of experience with the system?
- gre 2y ago
  You don't think they grabbed one or two of the existing coders that know the system? (I have no idea)
  - Gud 2y ago
    No, I don't think so. I think it's the dumbest, high confidence kids(with big egos) in the room who agree to do shit like this.
  - crooked-v 2y ago
    The article explicitly mentions how the system's normal maintainers are in a panic because this kid 'Fred' they have no info about (not even a last name) has unlimited access to change things.
  - Mustachio 2y ago
    PR submitted, comments by concerned coders with years experience in the system overruled and force merged with message "wcgw".
- nikisweeting 2y ago
  I never made that claim, I only say the raw age is irrelevant and distracts from the real headline. Experience with those specific systems is a separate category. e.g. a 25 year old with 8 years of finance systems programming might be more qualified than a 50 year old with 3 years in that domain, it all depends on their background. The more important headline is that it's an illegal coup.
  - M95D 2y ago
    > a 25 year old with 8 years of finance systems programming Show me one.
    - nikisweeting 2y ago
      Hang out in some quant shops you'll see a bunch.
patchymcnoodles 2y ago
So was I, now I'm over 40 and boy oh boy can I tell you how I would definitely not trust myself at that age going into such critical systems.
sundaeofshock 2y ago
I don’t care that the kid is writing code. I do care that the kid is an active participant in a coup against the US government.
- JumpCrisscross 2y ago
  > I don’t care that the kid is writing code I really do care that the kid is writing code because Bessent told senior Republicans in a closed-door meeting Musk et al only have read access and that through another person (Krause). If this kid is writing code, he's doing so without legal authority. This isn't a coup, it's espionage.
  - nico 2y ago
    > This isn't a coup, it's espionage That's just play on words at this time Clearly the federal government has been compromised by private citizens with unclear, or secret, affiliations to the president and his associates Congress and the courts seem unable to repel the attack so far
nico 2y ago
You are rationally correct. However, most people react very quickly, and it is very effective to say "teenager" or "25 year old" to mean "ridiculously inexperienced" for what is happening right now Yes, some teenagers and 25 year olds are capable, and probably do in fact, write system-critical code But having people who previously had nothing to do with the government, take over a federal system, with seemingly no experience managing those types of systems before, is very alarming

mjburgess 2y ago

It's not the quality of code in question, but of judgement.

yummybear 2y ago

Do you think you, or anyone, have the capacity to understand changes you are making to a system developed over decades, that manages trillions and affects real lives, with only a few days worth of experience with the system?

gre 2y ago
You don't think they grabbed one or two of the existing coders that know the system? (I have no idea)
- Gud 2y ago
  No, I don't think so. I think it's the dumbest, high confidence kids(with big egos) in the room who agree to do shit like this.
- crooked-v 2y ago
  The article explicitly mentions how the system's normal maintainers are in a panic because this kid 'Fred' they have no info about (not even a last name) has unlimited access to change things.
- Mustachio 2y ago
  PR submitted, comments by concerned coders with years experience in the system overruled and force merged with message "wcgw".
nikisweeting 2y ago
I never made that claim, I only say the raw age is irrelevant and distracts from the real headline. Experience with those specific systems is a separate category. e.g. a 25 year old with 8 years of finance systems programming might be more qualified than a 50 year old with 3 years in that domain, it all depends on their background. The more important headline is that it's an illegal coup.
- M95D 2y ago
  > a 25 year old with 8 years of finance systems programming Show me one.
  - nikisweeting 2y ago
    Hang out in some quant shops you'll see a bunch.

patchymcnoodles 2y ago

So was I, now I'm over 40 and boy oh boy can I tell you how I would definitely not trust myself at that age going into such critical systems.

sundaeofshock 2y ago

I don’t care that the kid is writing code. I do care that the kid is an active participant in a coup against the US government.

JumpCrisscross 2y ago
> I don’t care that the kid is writing code I really do care that the kid is writing code because Bessent told senior Republicans in a closed-door meeting Musk et al only have read access and that through another person (Krause). If this kid is writing code, he's doing so without legal authority. This isn't a coup, it's espionage.
- nico 2y ago
  > This isn't a coup, it's espionage That's just play on words at this time Clearly the federal government has been compromised by private citizens with unclear, or secret, affiliations to the president and his associates Congress and the courts seem unable to repel the attack so far

nico 2y ago

You are rationally correct. However, most people react very quickly, and it is very effective to say "teenager" or "25 year old" to mean "ridiculously inexperienced" for what is happening right now Yes, some teenagers and 25 year olds are capable, and probably do in fact, write system-critical code But having people who previously had nothing to do with the government, take over a federal system, with seemingly no experience managing those types of systems before, is very alarming