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If you're really dyslexic why choose software development as a job. I mean seriously it's just reading and writing all day - every bracket has to be matched up

by yarper 12y ago

If you're really dyslexic why choose software development as a job. I mean seriously it's just reading and writing all day - every bracket has to be matched up and every line (usually) has to have a ;. > I believe that in some ways dyslexia makes me a better programmer. I'm sure everyone on your team says the same thing when you spell all your shit wrong and can't do 90% of the refactoring shit legacy code that they do. ugh, hn, get a grip seriously. Programming can be hard, that's the deal. It's not an every-one is the same we can all bring our special snowflake to the party deal

Swifty 12y ago
im a dyslexic, and i started at uni doing a programming degree, I then switched off it (not due to my dyslexia, but lousing a passion for it once I was no longer doing it for run.) I had no problem programming with dyslexia, as I found after repeating world long enough i learnt them (and being form the UK, a lot of programming terms are spellet incorrectly anyway.) When it came to documentation it just took me a bit longer to insure that it was readable by everyone else on the team. But that's something that is done for any job i do. I'm sure they everyone on a team you work for loves the fact you a condescending and see that someone with a disability is lower then you, and is not capable of doing the job as good as you. I have seen plenty of code, and comments that was done by people who don't have dyslexic that is a mess. Bad coding is not just the domain of people who are unable to spell.
- showsover 12y ago
  I don't think accusing the GP is going to help. Working with cryptic words day in day out is not something especially suited for someone who has trouble with reading / writing. > I have seen plenty of code, and comments that was done by people who don't have dyslexic that is a mess. Bad coding is not just the domain of people who are unable to spell. I suspect it's more the other way around. That code from dyslexic programmers tends to have more mistakes than code from non-dyslexic programmers.
  - bethly 12y ago
    I actually found programming easy. I started taking CS classes because they were a simple way to boost my GPA. When all words are cryptic, programming can be extremely well-suited. Coding mistakes come from a lack of attention and tooling, not from innate skill. Being willing to take the time to proofread, use a spellchecker and write unit tests is important for anyone, regardless of learning disabilities.
UnoriginalGuy 12y ago
> If you're really dyslexic why choose software development as a job. People do things they enjoy. Very few people pick their jobs based purely on what they're innately best at. > I'm sure everyone on your team says the same thing when you spell all your shit wrong and can't do 90% of the refactoring shit legacy code that they do. That's a very strange point. Neither the IDE or compiler will let you produced "wrong" code and push it into the codebase. Also refactoring has nothing at all to do with writing individual lines of code (i.e. it is "big picture stuff") and is very much a learnt skill (see the literature on effective refactoring). There's no rational reason why someone with dyslexia couldn't be just as effective at refactoring a codebase than someone without. > ugh, hn, get a grip seriously. Programming can be hard, that's the deal. It's not an every-one is the same we can all bring our special snowflake to the party deal I'm surprised and disappointed that this kind of low effort trolling is on Hacker News now. I've come to expect this from Reddit and Slashdot, but the tone here has always been better.
thybag 12y ago
I'm not the OP, but as someone whos both a programmer & dyslexic - I do it because i enjoy it & and IMHO am pretty decent at it. Sure I naturally make a few more typos in my code comments & docs than most people, but a minute of extra proof reading (+ F6 in sublime) fixes that so why should anyone care? > I'm sure everyone on your team says the same thing when you spell all your shit wrong and can't do 90% of the refactoring shit legacy code that they do. I wasn't aware dyslexics magically got to avoid ever having to debug weird issues in legacy code bases? Hell, i may as well not come in some days if thats the case. > ugh, hn, get a grip seriously. Programming can be hard, that's the deal. It's not an every-one is the same we can all bring our special snowflake to the party deal Sure, programming can be hard, and true, it isn't for everyone. But what has my (or anyone elses) being dyslexic got to do with whether they are the best person for the job?

by yarper 12y ago

Swifty 12y ago

im a dyslexic, and i started at uni doing a programming degree, I then switched off it (not due to my dyslexia, but lousing a passion for it once I was no longer doing it for run.) I had no problem programming with dyslexia, as I found after repeating world long enough i learnt them (and being form the UK, a lot of programming terms are spellet incorrectly anyway.) When it came to documentation it just took me a bit longer to insure that it was readable by everyone else on the team. But that's something that is done for any job i do. I'm sure they everyone on a team you work for loves the fact you a condescending and see that someone with a disability is lower then you, and is not capable of doing the job as good as you. I have seen plenty of code, and comments that was done by people who don't have dyslexic that is a mess. Bad coding is not just the domain of people who are unable to spell.

showsover 12y ago
I don't think accusing the GP is going to help. Working with cryptic words day in day out is not something especially suited for someone who has trouble with reading / writing. > I have seen plenty of code, and comments that was done by people who don't have dyslexic that is a mess. Bad coding is not just the domain of people who are unable to spell. I suspect it's more the other way around. That code from dyslexic programmers tends to have more mistakes than code from non-dyslexic programmers.
- bethly 12y ago
  I actually found programming easy. I started taking CS classes because they were a simple way to boost my GPA. When all words are cryptic, programming can be extremely well-suited. Coding mistakes come from a lack of attention and tooling, not from innate skill. Being willing to take the time to proofread, use a spellchecker and write unit tests is important for anyone, regardless of learning disabilities.

UnoriginalGuy 12y ago

> If you're really dyslexic why choose software development as a job. People do things they enjoy. Very few people pick their jobs based purely on what they're innately best at. > I'm sure everyone on your team says the same thing when you spell all your shit wrong and can't do 90% of the refactoring shit legacy code that they do. That's a very strange point. Neither the IDE or compiler will let you produced "wrong" code and push it into the codebase. Also refactoring has nothing at all to do with writing individual lines of code (i.e. it is "big picture stuff") and is very much a learnt skill (see the literature on effective refactoring). There's no rational reason why someone with dyslexia couldn't be just as effective at refactoring a codebase than someone without. > ugh, hn, get a grip seriously. Programming can be hard, that's the deal. It's not an every-one is the same we can all bring our special snowflake to the party deal I'm surprised and disappointed that this kind of low effort trolling is on Hacker News now. I've come to expect this from Reddit and Slashdot, but the tone here has always been better.

thybag 12y ago

I'm not the OP, but as someone whos both a programmer & dyslexic - I do it because i enjoy it & and IMHO am pretty decent at it. Sure I naturally make a few more typos in my code comments & docs than most people, but a minute of extra proof reading (+ F6 in sublime) fixes that so why should anyone care? > I'm sure everyone on your team says the same thing when you spell all your shit wrong and can't do 90% of the refactoring shit legacy code that they do. I wasn't aware dyslexics magically got to avoid ever having to debug weird issues in legacy code bases? Hell, i may as well not come in some days if thats the case. > ugh, hn, get a grip seriously. Programming can be hard, that's the deal. It's not an every-one is the same we can all bring our special snowflake to the party deal Sure, programming can be hard, and true, it isn't for everyone. But what has my (or anyone elses) being dyslexic got to do with whether they are the best person for the job?