GoranM

I didn't question their viability as a business.

> A desire to make a difference in the world

Yea, coat checks and and t-shirts ... I can feel the impact.

Well, I don't know what you really mean by "future proof". JavaScript will probably remain the lowest common denominator, for years to come, so from that perspective, there's no safer bet.

However, for people who want to have an edge, as developers, working in their language of choice is one sure way to get it.

There are many different developments to make that happen, like languages that compile to JavaScript, or binaries that run in the browser via NaCL; I think there's a lot of potential there.

... JavaScript was not a language designed with software engineering in mind; that much should be clear. If you can choose the proper language for the task at hand, instead of simply being forced into JS, you'll be ahead.

I wouldn't invest in JS.

You're not alone in being alone, and there are people worse off, I assure you.

Here's a relatively novel idea (I guess): Outline exactly what you need the developer to do, and have them send in proof that they can actually do it.

Previous projects, personal github experiments ... Most capable programmers will have something interesting to show.

Right?

Let's all cling to the fact that he "comes from money", so that we can cope with our impending feelings of inadequacy.

:)

> The cure for sexism is apparently... more special treatment for women?

Hah!

Companies should also be very clear about what they're actually looking for. If you're looking for "world class" talent, don't complain about a "programmer shortage".

The fact that there were 600 valid applications (the women applying had code examples to show), basically busts the "programmer shortage" myth.

There are a whole lot of people who can program computers, and who could, with some investment, become valuable assets.

Is there really a need for a phone interview?

I mean, you could just look at their github, and the writing on their blog, to determine if there's a baseline of competence.

> It'd be fascinating to know what they're working on now.

They're almost certainly not working with technology that's "ahead by 10 years", as their recruiters like to advertise: Their hardware is basically standard stuff shipped by Sun (... I guess that's Oracle now), running mostly Java.

> money and position will only marginally improve your internal world

Maybe at a certain level, but for most people, money and position would provide both the resources and the freedom to live as they "truly want".