4 ms·

I kind of envy people who need to clean up after others. At least you're puzzling. My current job is genuinely just boring. It's tasks that are so simple, a ju

I kind of envy people who need to clean up after others. At least you're puzzling. My current job is genuinely just boring. It's tasks that are so simple, a junior could do it. But no, instead they needed a medior. I'm not saying I'm better than this, nor that no medior will pick it up. I just cannot push myself to care about the code this company makes. It's old, dusty and it serves no one of importance. These customers use it because they once bought the tool and do not care enough to switch, because the tool in question is not interesting. I was promised work soon that aligned more with my experience, but I do not foresee these customers to come to a stale company like this. It's not surprising that this company is losing customers, employees, etc. But I have a mortgage to pay. Today I had the conversation about how they might not extend my contract, basically threatening me to take more ownership, do more work, for the same pay. Sadly I have to make it last until I find a new position that is actually interesting. I don't even need a lot of money, I could give a rat's ass about "growing". I just need enough to survive. This might be a very unrelated comment, in which I apologize. I just do not have another vent to post this to.

newswasboring 4mo ago
For a boring codebase how is your company not trying to throw tokens at it? Not saying its the right choice but definitely the trend I am seeing.
- LtWorf 4mo ago
  Perhaps they don't like slot machines
calflegal 4mo ago
I love this kind of comment. It's so human. Good luck, friend.
dkdbejwi383 4mo ago
At first I thought "medior" was a strange typo for "senior", but on seeing it twice I had to check - apparently it's used in some parts of Europe to mean "mid-level"
- disgruntledphd2 4mo ago
  It's a Spanish/Portuguese thing, so south America also. I kind like it even though I was originally nonplussed by the term.
  - lordgrenville 4mo ago
    I've never heard it before, but immediately understood it and found it a useful term for something I didn't have a single word for.
- mmcnl 4mo ago
  Very normal in The Netherlands, was kinda surprised to learn it's not a thing in English speaking countries?
throwmeaways 4mo ago
> I just cannot push myself to care about the code this company makes. I can very much relate. Garbage products, by garbage companies, feeding on the laziness and tastelessness of most, as it's being capitalized by marketers. And now, to make the matter worse - it's all being 100x by the LLMinazation of the entire field. Making code unmaintainable. And worse, making us all dumber. I really wish we never have stumbled upon it.
AbbeFaria 4mo ago
You are not alone. I was in this exact same position at MSFT and I put in my resignation. I am an L63 but the work I was doing, was something an L60-L61 could do and I frequently felt I was in one of those Bullshit jobs (courtesy of David Graeber). I was paid handsomely but once the sign on stock ran out, I saw that I was staying in the job just for security. I felt like one of those Hooli engineers who were sunbathing at the Hooli office terrace waiting for their stocks to vest. I am only 9 years into my career and I didn’t see that as the optimal thing for my career rn. I didn’t have any major financial obligations like you though, so it was a much simpler decision for me. Hang in there buddy and also thanks for the deeply human comment.
- vitally3643 4mo ago
  > I am an L63 but the work I was doing, was something an L60-L61 could do Maybe the problem is imagining that you need sixty three levels of granularity to describe experience or to establish superiority over sixty two categories of "lesser" engineers?
  - MobiusHorizons 4mo ago
    It’s not like the op invented Microsoft’s leveling system. It looks like junior engineer is 59 and 63 is something like senior engineer. I know at google there is a very meaningful difference in the work and responsibilities expected between our equivalent of 63 (L5) and 61(L4).
    - patates 4mo ago
      Believing in that system so much to say something like that might be worse. Noting against the OP, that kind of Stockholm Syndrome can be found in my past as well.
      - SpicyLemonZest 4mo ago
        Not sure I understand. Is your contention that the distinction between senior and non-senior engineers is fake and everyone's doing basically the same thing? Or are you just objecting to the (arbitrary) names Microsoft uses for them?
deleted 4mo ago
[deleted]
Yokohiii 4mo ago
> basically threatening me to take more ownership, do more work, for the same pay I am a bit curious here. Does that simply mean to should to extra hours and do bullshit duties or is there actually more coding work opportunities? Or do they expect that you should prove more valuable out of nowhere? I don't want to downplay your experience. In the latter cases, I wonder if you can actually do something.
antfarm 4mo ago
Take a good look at the codebase you're working on. My guess is there's plenty opportunities to clean up after others, or even yourself.
Peacefulz 4mo ago
I'm not the best friend. I often don't do my part to hold up my end of social contracts. That said, I'm a fairly decent low-commitment penpal. The internet is the place where I vent as well, and it often feels like a void. It doesn't scratch that therapuetic itch and therapy proper doesn't appeal to me. What I'm getting at is if you'd like to find a stable place to vent about some shit without worrying about some assholes scraping it, I'd gladly share an email and a PGP key with you. If there's one thing I'm quite good at, it is minding my own business. That extends to the handling of other's business. Have a good one.

newswasboring 4mo ago

For a boring codebase how is your company not trying to throw tokens at it? Not saying its the right choice but definitely the trend I am seeing.

LtWorf 4mo ago
Perhaps they don't like slot machines

calflegal 4mo ago

I love this kind of comment. It's so human. Good luck, friend.

dkdbejwi383 4mo ago

At first I thought "medior" was a strange typo for "senior", but on seeing it twice I had to check - apparently it's used in some parts of Europe to mean "mid-level"

disgruntledphd2 4mo ago
It's a Spanish/Portuguese thing, so south America also. I kind like it even though I was originally nonplussed by the term.
- lordgrenville 4mo ago
  I've never heard it before, but immediately understood it and found it a useful term for something I didn't have a single word for.
mmcnl 4mo ago
Very normal in The Netherlands, was kinda surprised to learn it's not a thing in English speaking countries?

throwmeaways 4mo ago

> I just cannot push myself to care about the code this company makes. I can very much relate. Garbage products, by garbage companies, feeding on the laziness and tastelessness of most, as it's being capitalized by marketers. And now, to make the matter worse - it's all being 100x by the LLMinazation of the entire field. Making code unmaintainable. And worse, making us all dumber. I really wish we never have stumbled upon it.

AbbeFaria 4mo ago

You are not alone. I was in this exact same position at MSFT and I put in my resignation. I am an L63 but the work I was doing, was something an L60-L61 could do and I frequently felt I was in one of those Bullshit jobs (courtesy of David Graeber). I was paid handsomely but once the sign on stock ran out, I saw that I was staying in the job just for security. I felt like one of those Hooli engineers who were sunbathing at the Hooli office terrace waiting for their stocks to vest. I am only 9 years into my career and I didn’t see that as the optimal thing for my career rn. I didn’t have any major financial obligations like you though, so it was a much simpler decision for me. Hang in there buddy and also thanks for the deeply human comment.

vitally3643 4mo ago
> I am an L63 but the work I was doing, was something an L60-L61 could do Maybe the problem is imagining that you need sixty three levels of granularity to describe experience or to establish superiority over sixty two categories of "lesser" engineers?
- MobiusHorizons 4mo ago
  It’s not like the op invented Microsoft’s leveling system. It looks like junior engineer is 59 and 63 is something like senior engineer. I know at google there is a very meaningful difference in the work and responsibilities expected between our equivalent of 63 (L5) and 61(L4).
  - patates 4mo ago
    Believing in that system so much to say something like that might be worse. Noting against the OP, that kind of Stockholm Syndrome can be found in my past as well.
    - SpicyLemonZest 4mo ago
      Not sure I understand. Is your contention that the distinction between senior and non-senior engineers is fake and everyone's doing basically the same thing? Or are you just objecting to the (arbitrary) names Microsoft uses for them?

deleted 4mo ago

[deleted]

Yokohiii 4mo ago

> basically threatening me to take more ownership, do more work, for the same pay I am a bit curious here. Does that simply mean to should to extra hours and do bullshit duties or is there actually more coding work opportunities? Or do they expect that you should prove more valuable out of nowhere? I don't want to downplay your experience. In the latter cases, I wonder if you can actually do something.

antfarm 4mo ago

Take a good look at the codebase you're working on. My guess is there's plenty opportunities to clean up after others, or even yourself.

Peacefulz 4mo ago

I'm not the best friend. I often don't do my part to hold up my end of social contracts. That said, I'm a fairly decent low-commitment penpal. The internet is the place where I vent as well, and it often feels like a void. It doesn't scratch that therapuetic itch and therapy proper doesn't appeal to me. What I'm getting at is if you'd like to find a stable place to vent about some shit without worrying about some assholes scraping it, I'd gladly share an email and a PGP key with you. If there's one thing I'm quite good at, it is minding my own business. That extends to the handling of other's business. Have a good one.