was_hellbanned

Men grow frustrated and get tired of wasting their time, so they stop sending in-depth messages. Women are then even less likely to respond, which ultimately sends men into a downward spiral of desperation.

Comment · 12 years ago

I think programming is great, it's people that are terrible.

People write horrible APIs and document them poorly (ugh, Microsoft's SetupAPI put me into burnout mode last year).

People make demands of the programmer but kick and scream about clearly documenting those demands (specifications).

People don't appreciate and thank the programmer for his hard work. Managers and owners are suspicious and resent the programmer for not being grateful simply to receive a paycheck.

Other programmers think the programmer is an idiot for asking a question, thinking that every other programmer must know everything I know.

Yeah, it's been my experience that people make programming awful. If you can surround yourself with good people and the products of good people, you'll probably be a lot happier. I can't advise on how to find that nirvana, unfortunately.

Comment · 12 years ago

It's my recollection that it was very well designed in almost every way aside from appearance. As in, the creature comforts were good, considerations for rear loading, ease of access, reasonable performance, etc. Unfortunately, when it comes down to it, people really make their vehicle buying decision based upon appearance. They may use a few requirements to pare down the field (e.g. AWD, four doors), but after that it's mostly looks.

Comment · 12 years ago

Couldn't one just as simply say "Programmers are toxic to business. They're classically myopic optimizing for 'fun' technical stacks without understanding the business they're working in." That's obviously untrue as well.

Is that untrue? I'd say it's true, and it's exactly why you need a skilled manager to keep an eye on the big picture. Programmers are professional rabbit-hole chasers, and it's extremely easy to lose sight of the business goals.

The difference is that the programmer, if properly wrangled, creates real value. The MBA, in my opinion, primarily creates the impression of value.

Comment · 12 years ago

If I remember correctly, legislation was passed in 2007 requiring trains everywhere in the US to blast their horn four times (length unspecified) before every crossing. The only exceptions are quad-gated crossing (I believe that means a gate covering each lane of traffic on both sides) or in specified "quiet zones".

In my area, the trains only get active at around 11:30pm, an continue their racket through the entire night. I'm regularly awakened by needlessly long honking around 4am. It's awful.

Comment · 12 years ago

It's disturbing to see so many people insist that the NFL doesn't "deserve" to be a non-profit, because they don't give enough to charity.

The NFL shouldn't qualify as a non-profit because they promote only NFL football, not football in general. It's qualified as a trade association, but it shouldn't be, as it's clearly a for-profit corporation managing a brand.

Comment · 12 years ago

Yeah, the weird thing is how large and critical these VBA applications are that he works on. Lots of local banks and small businesses have, essentially, their entire business wrapped up in an old VBA CRUD app. Not that there's anything wrong with continuing to use the old technology, but all we hear about is the latest and coolest.

Comment · 12 years ago

I have an older relative who is still cashing in nicely on his VBA skills. There was a "demand vs pay" graph for tech skills going around awhile. VBA is low demand, but among the highest paid of the technologies.

Comment · 12 years ago

I always find stories like this troubling because 1) how much of it was actually driven by the parents? 2) what's going to happen when it's no longer a quirky action by a cute little girl?

Planet Money's podcast 567 covered an assertive, outgoing little girl who was making good money by buying lollipops at retail and going around selling them to adults at a markup. She acknowledges that it only works because she's adorable, and that her sales have dropped as she's gotten older.

Maybe this kid is really driven and will go on to great things, or maybe she'll end up burnt out and miserable because her primary value turns out to be her youth and novelty.

Comment · 12 years ago

I took a trip to ground zero for today's computer revolution, Stanford University, and randomly asked over a dozen students if they knew who were the first computer programmers. Almost none knew.

I'm simultaneously horrified and amused at myself because, as I was reading along with the article, I thought to myself, "Linda Lovelace!"

Comment · 12 years ago

you're saying that CCleaner is a bad idea simply because they cannot possibly understand the registry well enough to make the changes that they're making.

It sounds more like, "the software vendor is doing incorrect or incomplete things with the registry and CCleaner cannot possibly know that."

As a long-time Windows software developer, I've been stunned at how sloppy desktop programs and installers are, even today. People ignore Microsoft guidelines, somehow get the software to the "works for me" stage, and deploy it.