This touches on a problem I see with some new programmers. They focus too much on learning and programming for attention from other programmers and not enough o

This touches on a problem I see with some new programmers. They focus too much on learning and programming for attention from other programmers and not enough on in-depth mastery for its own sake and building things that help people. If you want some recognition after you finish something, then show it to someone who cares about you (family/friends). That said, the current senior programming culture has forced this situation upon us by overvaluing the importance of blogs and toy projects. The critical question posed in the interview seemed fine. That's the last place I'd expect to hear positive feedback: the goal is to find out quickly how qualified a person is and that means asking hard questions. There are lots of intermingled problems in education, hiring, and culture that are irking the author but I don't think anyone's been able to concisely explain the problem and solution yet. Edit to add: we really need a Joel Spolsky 2.0 to enlighten us.