Comments on: Properties of a good programmer http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/ 'cause this is what I do Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:03:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: irfan ali http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/comment-page-1/#comment-53182 irfan ali Sun, 03 Jul 2011 09:48:31 +0000 http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/#comment-53182 i much liked your article and i have a question for you sir" please send me about what is struct in c++ language? i much liked your article and i have a question for you sir” please send me about what is struct in c++ language?

]]> By: Bee http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/comment-page-1/#comment-296 Bee Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:43:30 +0000 http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/#comment-296 Hmm, you are making it difficult to contact you. I am urgently looking for Java programmers, but don't want to log on or get LinkedIn. If you are free to work, let me know. Hmm, you are making it difficult to contact you. I am urgently looking for Java programmers, but don’t want to log on or get LinkedIn. If you are free to work, let me know.

]]> By: Clark http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/comment-page-1/#comment-112 Clark Mon, 14 Jan 2008 07:23:47 +0000 http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/#comment-112 Actually this article and your comments come as a relief to me. I just had a really bad interview where my experience (including team lead of a successful application), passion, and more were thrown to the side and all the questions and so forth seemed to be targeting my schooling and stuff (which is currently without a degree). It was a terrible interview for what seemed like a good job and I've had been less confident since. I just wish everyone valued programmers like this since I definitley fit in this category (passionate and always trying something new). I'm also going to school but that has been second to my programming jobs. Actually this article and your comments come as a relief to me. I just had a really bad interview where my experience (including team lead of a successful application), passion, and more were thrown to the side and all the questions and so forth seemed to be targeting my schooling and stuff (which is currently without a degree). It was a terrible interview for what seemed like a good job and I’ve had been less confident since.

I just wish everyone valued programmers like this since I definitley fit in this category (passionate and always trying something new). I’m also going to school but that has been second to my programming jobs.

]]> By: Nicolas http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/comment-page-1/#comment-94 Nicolas Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:15:52 +0000 http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/#comment-94 You're completely right, Benjamin, didn't think of that scenario. A sad truth though. You’re completely right, Benjamin, didn’t think of that scenario. A sad truth though.

]]> By: Benjamin Otte http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/comment-page-1/#comment-93 Benjamin Otte Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:03:50 +0000 http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/#comment-93 > Maybe the best way to know whether someone applying for > a position in the IT department at your company is to ‘throw > him in front of the wolves’ > That suggestion has one big problem. It assumes you have the right people already. If you're just starting a company (the example from Paul Graham) you don't have any people they'll work with yet. And if your programmers are all mediocre, they'll not want to work with people that are better than them, so they'll not recommend hiring the really good ones. > Maybe the best way to know whether someone applying for
> a position in the IT department at your company is to ‘throw
> him in front of the wolves’
>
That suggestion has one big problem. It assumes you have the right people already. If you’re just starting a company (the example from Paul Graham) you don’t have any people they’ll work with yet. And if your programmers are all mediocre, they’ll not want to work with people that are better than them, so they’ll not recommend hiring the really good ones.

]]> By: Nicolas http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/comment-page-1/#comment-89 Nicolas Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:13:41 +0000 http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/#comment-89 That's how our social systems work, I guess? Whether you or I like it or not, in some circumstances you do need this piece of paper (=> diploma), I won't be able to change this, neither will you. That’s how our social systems work, I guess? Whether you or I like it or not, in some circumstances you do need this piece of paper (=> diploma), I won’t be able to change this, neither will you.

]]> By: Jan http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/comment-page-1/#comment-88 Jan Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:04:40 +0000 http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/#comment-88 Boy do I sympathize with that "(no degree yet, maybe I won’t ever get one)". I'll go even further to say that the difference between a good student and a bad student is the difference between a sheep and a persistent sheep. Both are still part of the herd, you see. Look, I'm not implying good programmers don't have degrees. I'm just saying the only reason someone goes to university in the first place is due to hereditary prejudices. The biggest fear of a human being is becoming a misfit. I just happen to think it's a risky prejudice, because someone good at something gets compared with someone who's not on the same grounds, for the most part. Or at least a significant one. Boy do I sympathize with that “(no degree yet, maybe I won’t ever get one)”.
I’ll go even further to say that the difference between a good student and a bad student is the difference between a sheep and a persistent sheep. Both are still part of the herd, you see.
Look, I’m not implying good programmers don’t have degrees. I’m just saying the only reason someone goes to university in the first place is due to hereditary prejudices. The biggest fear of a human being is becoming a misfit. I just happen to think it’s a risky prejudice, because someone good at something gets compared with someone who’s not on the same grounds, for the most part. Or at least a significant one.

]]> By: Nicolas http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/comment-page-1/#comment-87 Nicolas Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:39:30 +0000 http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/#comment-87 Philip: you're right, although maybe you're missing one point too: not everyone wants to stay in the programming business until he retires. I don't. At the stage you want to stop doing programming jobs, and get into new things (both related and unrelated to IT), the absence of a degree can have a major impact on hiring success. Philip: you’re right, although maybe you’re missing one point too: not everyone wants to stay in the programming business until he retires. I don’t. At the stage you want to stop doing programming jobs, and get into new things (both related and unrelated to IT), the absence of a degree can have a major impact on hiring success.

]]> By: Philip Paeps http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/comment-page-1/#comment-86 Philip Paeps Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:30:44 +0000 http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/#comment-86 Regarding the degree bit: I have no degree and I've been working as a full-time developer for various companies for seven years now. Only once has someone asked me why no degree was mentioned on my CV and what degrees I had. I asked the man if he wanted a programmer with the embedded and kernel experience he was looking for, or one with a certain kind of degree. Needless to say, I got the project. I've been on the project for the last fourteen months and not once have I (or anyone else, I think) felt that a degree is really missing from my personal baggage. While I have nothing but admiration for people who manage to suffer through X years of university, I would always give the benefit of the doubt to applicants without a degree. Not just because I 'sympathize' with them, but because it shows willingness to leave the trodden path. A feature I find admirable in a programmer but which the author of the cited article neglects to mention explicitly. Regarding the degree bit: I have no degree and I’ve been working as a full-time developer for various companies for seven years now. Only once has someone asked me why no degree was mentioned on my CV and what degrees I had. I asked the man if he wanted a programmer with the embedded and kernel experience he was looking for, or one with a certain kind of degree. Needless to say, I got the project. I’ve been on the project for the last fourteen months and not once have I (or anyone else, I think) felt that a degree is really missing from my personal baggage.

While I have nothing but admiration for people who manage to suffer through X years of university, I would always give the benefit of the doubt to applicants without a degree. Not just because I ‘sympathize’ with them, but because it shows willingness to leave the trodden path. A feature I find admirable in a programmer but which the author of the cited article neglects to mention explicitly.

]]> By: Nicolas http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/comment-page-1/#comment-85 Nicolas Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:21:23 +0000 http://eikke.com/properties-of-a-good-programmer/#comment-85 Sadly enough it looks like inter-sections.net is down... You can check the <a href="http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:-PJEtsLZfV8J:www.inter-sections.net/2007/11/13/how-to-recognise-a-good-programmer/+inter-sections+programmer" rel="nofollow">Google Cache version</a> though. Sadly enough it looks like inter-sections.net is down… You can check the Google Cache version though.

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