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You are misunderstanding my situation. The reason why people aren't interested in clever solutions is because they can't think of any. It may seem cynical but I

You are misunderstanding my situation. The reason why people aren't interested in clever solutions is because they can't think of any. It may seem cynical but I have seen people out here working even longer than me re-creating something, not exploiting even basic tricks or automations. Lately, my co-worker spent 15 minutes indenting JS files without realizing that it would 10s to use a code beautifier.

tcfunk 12y ago
I do this occasionally if I'm updating an old project or something as a means of making sure I walk through the code and understand what it's doing. Might be silly, I guess, but it helps me.
eccp 12y ago
There are two things that pop to mind: You can motivate or coerce your team mates to improve their skills so they all benefit. You can even ask your team leader/boss to be the lead of an initiative at your place to use better tools or technologies so that the productivity will increase. If you get an OK you'll even have an opportunity to spend some paid time doing something which will keep you sharp and improve your daily experience. If you think you can't get the above to work or that you're way beyond the skills of your team, look for another job with better conditions.
bluesnowmonkey 12y ago
I don't know your situation well, but the way you talk sounds like I used to. I spent too much of my career criticizing the people around me. Long story short, you get zero points for making other people look bad. It doesn't benefit your career, it doesn't make you feel good. If there is an opportunity for your co-worker to be more effective, that's a great thing. You get to be the one to show him how. Just don't forget to do so with humility, because maybe there's a very good reason for doing it the way he does now. And if he's not interested in your advice, try not to take it personally. It may be that you really are surrounded by idiots. Your co-workers are stupid, management is incompetent, they'd all be better off if they just listened to you, whatever. In this (unlikely) worst case, negativity still gets you nowhere. Acknowledge to yourself that you aren't satisfied with the situation, start looking for another job, and continue to show up every day doing your best and helping those around you. I've watched others take this approach and they're doing a lot better in their careers than I am, and they seem happier.

tcfunk 12y ago

I do this occasionally if I'm updating an old project or something as a means of making sure I walk through the code and understand what it's doing. Might be silly, I guess, but it helps me.

eccp 12y ago

There are two things that pop to mind: You can motivate or coerce your team mates to improve their skills so they all benefit. You can even ask your team leader/boss to be the lead of an initiative at your place to use better tools or technologies so that the productivity will increase. If you get an OK you'll even have an opportunity to spend some paid time doing something which will keep you sharp and improve your daily experience. If you think you can't get the above to work or that you're way beyond the skills of your team, look for another job with better conditions.

bluesnowmonkey 12y ago

I don't know your situation well, but the way you talk sounds like I used to. I spent too much of my career criticizing the people around me. Long story short, you get zero points for making other people look bad. It doesn't benefit your career, it doesn't make you feel good. If there is an opportunity for your co-worker to be more effective, that's a great thing. You get to be the one to show him how. Just don't forget to do so with humility, because maybe there's a very good reason for doing it the way he does now. And if he's not interested in your advice, try not to take it personally. It may be that you really are surrounded by idiots. Your co-workers are stupid, management is incompetent, they'd all be better off if they just listened to you, whatever. In this (unlikely) worst case, negativity still gets you nowhere. Acknowledge to yourself that you aren't satisfied with the situation, start looking for another job, and continue to show up every day doing your best and helping those around you. I've watched others take this approach and they're doing a lot better in their careers than I am, and they seem happier.