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It should be remembered that feeling empathy is not the same as being controlled by empathy. Just because I feel empathy for a newbie's struggles does not mean

by Kalium 12y ago

It should be remembered that feeling empathy is not the same as being controlled by empathy. Just because I feel empathy for a newbie's struggles does not mean I am going to push sub-standard code live so they can get that feeling of success. As the article notes, a ruthlessly critical attitude towards your own work is very important. I'd argue that it's one of the most important traits that helps an engineer develop. If we don't teach that, we will collectively become a community of warm, emotionally supportive, technically worthless people.

JustSomeNobody 12y ago
Exactly true. One should not be controlled by empathy. Being empathetic allows one to choose one's words wisely. The goal is not to allow sub-standard code to pass. The goal is to correct and educate, but do it in a positive way. Empathy allows one to put oneself in another's shoes and ask, "How would I want my mentor to correct me?" Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating the "even losers get a trophy" mentality. But I've been in code reviews that have turned into blood baths. That's just not appropriate at all. Ever.
- Kalium 12y ago
  I've never been able to find a way to be warm/positive/supportive/encouraging/empathic while also impressing on someone that their screwup might have cost the company six+ figures. Or worse - in some contexts, consequences can be kinetic. Blood baths are not acceptable, but positivity is not always capable of effectively communicating consequences. Positivity works best when very little explaining of mistakes is required. Sometimes an empathetic explanation that something should be better will suffice. Sometimes you encounter "It works, it's fine", and something more than empathy is required.
  - JustSomeNobody 12y ago
    If code has gotten out into the wild and has cost a company six+ figures, that developer is _not_ the company's biggest problem and it's not all his/her fault.
    - Kalium 12y ago
      You'd be surprised. Some companies give individual devs a lot of autonomy. My point is that positivity and empathy works best when people already know they've screwed up. Otherwise, you have to explain how they erred, what the consequences were/are, and how to fix it. The first two are more difficult to do in a positive way.

by Kalium 12y ago

JustSomeNobody 12y ago

Exactly true. One should not be controlled by empathy. Being empathetic allows one to choose one's words wisely. The goal is not to allow sub-standard code to pass. The goal is to correct and educate, but do it in a positive way. Empathy allows one to put oneself in another's shoes and ask, "How would I want my mentor to correct me?" Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating the "even losers get a trophy" mentality. But I've been in code reviews that have turned into blood baths. That's just not appropriate at all. Ever.

Kalium 12y ago
I've never been able to find a way to be warm/positive/supportive/encouraging/empathic while also impressing on someone that their screwup might have cost the company six+ figures. Or worse - in some contexts, consequences can be kinetic. Blood baths are not acceptable, but positivity is not always capable of effectively communicating consequences. Positivity works best when very little explaining of mistakes is required. Sometimes an empathetic explanation that something should be better will suffice. Sometimes you encounter "It works, it's fine", and something more than empathy is required.
- JustSomeNobody 12y ago
  If code has gotten out into the wild and has cost a company six+ figures, that developer is _not_ the company's biggest problem and it's not all his/her fault.
  - Kalium 12y ago
    You'd be surprised. Some companies give individual devs a lot of autonomy. My point is that positivity and empathy works best when people already know they've screwed up. Otherwise, you have to explain how they erred, what the consequences were/are, and how to fix it. The first two are more difficult to do in a positive way.