throwawayfoc

Yikes. I worked on a team whose de facto tech lead (it wasn’t explicit because we were “flat”) had no idea what SQL parameter binding was (I had to explain why interpolating strings in SQL queries is dangerous). And we apparently went to the same university and got the same degree, and he had at least ten years of “industry experience”.

I’ve also had to explain why logging is a good idea and how to use SSH. What frustrates me isn’t that people don’t know these basics (nobody is born an expert), but that people get hired to do a job for which they lack core competencies. If your job is to fix engines and you don’t know what a spark plug does, you probably shouldn’t be fixing engines. This was at least an issue for me. I know people at Quicken proper who have told me even more ridiculous stories.

It’s a shame. Detroit’s got a lot going for it, but I think most of the tech companies there have some connection to Gilbert and Quicken, and no amount of coneys will get that taste out of my mouth.

This is endemic to the FoC. When your entire team is recent boot camp grads, this is the end result. The engineering culture is a joke. (Source: former employee.)

I used to work at a Dan Gilbert Quicken Family of Companies company, and I am not the least bit surprised by this, especially the abysmal choice to use MD5. Let’s just say, the engineering chops across the family of companies is... mediocre, at best.