4 ms·

'Principal' engineer here, looking to perfect being the idiot! Knowing how to do things, and being known for it, has been an endless source of heartburn. All to

'Principal' engineer here, looking to perfect being the idiot! Knowing how to do things, and being known for it, has been an endless source of heartburn. All to say, I think there's wisdom at play. Even there. Having 'innovated and taken risk', juice is rarely worth the squeeze. Watercooler is too crowded and layoffs too arbitrary. A middling job rewards exactly as well. Reliably.

ChrisMarshallNY 10mo ago
I don’t know how to do almost every project I take on[0]. I’m finding LLMs to be a godsend. Helps me to learn stuff, without the sneering. [0] https://littlegreenviper.com/miscellany/thats-not-what-ships-are-built-for/ https://littlegreenviper.com/miscellany/thats-not-what-ships...
- bravetraveler 10mo ago
  That's great (unironically) for you and the shareholders. I've lost the joy of learning things, honestly. After two decades of skill-building and 98% of it being utterly useless, I have a certain complex. Said another way: the job needs 2+2, rewards poorly, and I'm too tired for Calculus.
  - ChrisMarshallNY 10mo ago
    I think we have to enjoy what we learn. I have no motivation at all, to learn stuff I don't like doing. In my case, I really enjoy coding, and making stuff that people use. Part of the impediments that I have encountered, is other people's attitudes. As long as co-workers and technical peers thought of me as "competition," they would deliberately make it difficult for me to access the stuff I needed to learn. LLMs have absolutely no fear of me, and gladly give me exactly what I need (sometimes, too much).
    - bravetraveler 10mo ago
      I'm glad to hear LLMs help you out. They don't, here. Learning isn't the issue: I already have a wealth of information I can't put to use, or perhaps more accurately: won't be sufficiently rewarded for. Perhaps I could use them for the parts I don't enjoy. Or I could... not. It's all a wash, I guess is my point. While we're out here working, leagues are idling. I aspire to be more like them.
  - sumanthvepa 10mo ago
    Learn for yourself then. I run my own company and learning new stuff so I can use it in my business is one of the few joys of being the owner. No permission required to try the new hotness (And if you screw up -- you have only yourself to blame.)
    - bravetraveler 10mo ago
      Ah, well, I need a business for this advice to meaningfully change anything :) Sounds like a lot of work. I have been learning for myself, that's a category of useless. Would've been better spent knitting; therapy for applying the useful 2%.
  - ChrisMarshallNY 10mo ago
    No shareholders. I'm retired, after a long career, doing stuff I found meaningful, but never really earned me huge piles of money. Being retired has been wonderful. I get to learn whatever the heck I want. I still make stuff that is meaningful, but I don't make money at it (which isn't actually a bad thing). I guess finding a meaningful life has always been more important to me, than being rewarded in money. I know that makes me a mutant, around these parts, but that's how I roll.
    - bravetraveler 10mo ago
      Ah, so you're part of why I'm working so hard! That's great for you. Sarcastic this time. I truly meant well, now I don't care. To be clear: 'shareholders' was a quip at the industry, not you. Well, you see, life has demanded I trade a certain meaning for value creation. Hence my attitude. There's that complex I told you about. Ghoulishly wanting reciprocation, or day I say, a payoff. I'd trade half my salary/effort to live in my home town and closer to meaning... yet, I don't. Not an option. Can't avoid RTO forever or pay bills with back-pats. Nice implication on my life meaning, bro. Sorry, sir. I lower the rim and you dunk. Well played.
      - ChrisMarshallNY 10mo ago
        Have a great day! Happy (Western) Christmas Eve!
        bravetraveler 10mo ago
        I'll do you one better! Same for your following year(s).

ChrisMarshallNY 10mo ago

I don’t know how to do almost every project I take on[0]. I’m finding LLMs to be a godsend. Helps me to learn stuff, without the sneering. [0] https://littlegreenviper.com/miscellany/thats-not-what-ships-are-built-for/ https://littlegreenviper.com/miscellany/thats-not-what-ships...

bravetraveler 10mo ago
That's great (unironically) for you and the shareholders. I've lost the joy of learning things, honestly. After two decades of skill-building and 98% of it being utterly useless, I have a certain complex. Said another way: the job needs 2+2, rewards poorly, and I'm too tired for Calculus.
- ChrisMarshallNY 10mo ago
  I think we have to enjoy what we learn. I have no motivation at all, to learn stuff I don't like doing. In my case, I really enjoy coding, and making stuff that people use. Part of the impediments that I have encountered, is other people's attitudes. As long as co-workers and technical peers thought of me as "competition," they would deliberately make it difficult for me to access the stuff I needed to learn. LLMs have absolutely no fear of me, and gladly give me exactly what I need (sometimes, too much).
  - bravetraveler 10mo ago
    I'm glad to hear LLMs help you out. They don't, here. Learning isn't the issue: I already have a wealth of information I can't put to use, or perhaps more accurately: won't be sufficiently rewarded for. Perhaps I could use them for the parts I don't enjoy. Or I could... not. It's all a wash, I guess is my point. While we're out here working, leagues are idling. I aspire to be more like them.
- sumanthvepa 10mo ago
  Learn for yourself then. I run my own company and learning new stuff so I can use it in my business is one of the few joys of being the owner. No permission required to try the new hotness (And if you screw up -- you have only yourself to blame.)
  - bravetraveler 10mo ago
    Ah, well, I need a business for this advice to meaningfully change anything :) Sounds like a lot of work. I have been learning for myself, that's a category of useless. Would've been better spent knitting; therapy for applying the useful 2%.
- ChrisMarshallNY 10mo ago
  No shareholders. I'm retired, after a long career, doing stuff I found meaningful, but never really earned me huge piles of money. Being retired has been wonderful. I get to learn whatever the heck I want. I still make stuff that is meaningful, but I don't make money at it (which isn't actually a bad thing). I guess finding a meaningful life has always been more important to me, than being rewarded in money. I know that makes me a mutant, around these parts, but that's how I roll.
  - bravetraveler 10mo ago
    Ah, so you're part of why I'm working so hard! That's great for you. Sarcastic this time. I truly meant well, now I don't care. To be clear: 'shareholders' was a quip at the industry, not you. Well, you see, life has demanded I trade a certain meaning for value creation. Hence my attitude. There's that complex I told you about. Ghoulishly wanting reciprocation, or day I say, a payoff. I'd trade half my salary/effort to live in my home town and closer to meaning... yet, I don't. Not an option. Can't avoid RTO forever or pay bills with back-pats. Nice implication on my life meaning, bro. Sorry, sir. I lower the rim and you dunk. Well played.
    - ChrisMarshallNY 10mo ago
      Have a great day! Happy (Western) Christmas Eve!
      - bravetraveler 10mo ago
        I'll do you one better! Same for your following year(s).