Comments on: 5 Excuses Bad Programmers Make http://wakeless.net/archive/2009/10/5-excuses-bad-programmers-make Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:04:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: jneira http://wakeless.net/archive/2009/10/5-excuses-bad-programmers-make/comment-page-1#comment-1117 jneira Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:56:10 +0000 http://wakeless.net/?p=340#comment-1117 I think in others 5 five excuses from faith driven developers o bad programmers (in the sense of programmers with a long a mediocrity career): 1.- Only trustworthy people can access this server 2.- Never more than two or three users will use the app 3.- Our business requirements changes occasionally 4.- Yes it's old..i dont know wtf how works but it does! 5.- ugly? i didnt write it, someone copy it from somewhere in internet sometime ago I think in others 5 five excuses from faith driven developers o bad programmers
(in the sense of programmers with a long a mediocrity career):
1.- Only trustworthy people can access this server
2.- Never more than two or three users will use the app
3.- Our business requirements changes occasionally
4.- Yes it’s old..i dont know wtf how works but it does!
5.- ugly? i didnt write it, someone copy it from somewhere in internet sometime ago

]]> By: Jach http://wakeless.net/archive/2009/10/5-excuses-bad-programmers-make/comment-page-1#comment-1115 Jach Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:03:26 +0000 http://wakeless.net/?p=340#comment-1115 I'm not even sure if "inexperienced" is the right word. "Job inexperienced" seems better, because you can get programmers who know their stuff but haven't had a long-term job developing software. "Fresh from academia without a big job experience " seems even more correct. In general, great code is produced when academic practices and business-world tried-and-true methods come together in harmony. Academia isn't useless, but an important lesson the senior programmer should drive in is this: you're not working on a piece of code due in a week that, depending on if you finish it or not, will only result in some points lost in a class. You're working on a piece of code due in a week that, if you don't finish it, will cause you being fired and the company to suffer financially. (Okay maybe not always so harsh but nevertheless.) I think it's best to say those excuses are valid when you have all the time in the world to work on the software with no real pressure, but that's not this case. After the product is shipped, then you can start working on optimization and making it pretty. The only problem with this is highlighted by schnalle's comment, when your system really is just a giant hack and there can be no refactoring to fix it, only rewriting completely (which of course there's never time for in a quick-paced business). I’m not even sure if “inexperienced” is the right word. “Job inexperienced” seems better, because you can get programmers who know their stuff but haven’t had a long-term job developing software. “Fresh from academia without a big job experience ” seems even more correct.

In general, great code is produced when academic practices and business-world tried-and-true methods come together in harmony. Academia isn’t useless, but an important lesson the senior programmer should drive in is this: you’re not working on a piece of code due in a week that, depending on if you finish it or not, will only result in some points lost in a class. You’re working on a piece of code due in a week that, if you don’t finish it, will cause you being fired and the company to suffer financially. (Okay maybe not always so harsh but nevertheless.) I think it’s best to say those excuses are valid when you have all the time in the world to work on the software with no real pressure, but that’s not this case. After the product is shipped, then you can start working on optimization and making it pretty.

The only problem with this is highlighted by schnalle’s comment, when your system really is just a giant hack and there can be no refactoring to fix it, only rewriting completely (which of course there’s never time for in a quick-paced business).

]]> By: Adam Neal http://wakeless.net/archive/2009/10/5-excuses-bad-programmers-make/comment-page-1#comment-1114 Adam Neal Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:50:50 +0000 http://wakeless.net/?p=340#comment-1114 Nice list :)... also check out this list too: http://www.i5bala.com/2006/07/10-common-words-uttered-by-programmers.html#planetearth Nice list :) … also check out this list too:

http://www.i5bala.com/2006/07/10-common-words-uttered-by-programmers.html#planetearth

]]> By: schnalle http://wakeless.net/archive/2009/10/5-excuses-bad-programmers-make/comment-page-1#comment-1113 schnalle Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:46:04 +0000 http://wakeless.net/?p=340#comment-1113 i'll just say that my boss in company i'm currently working for has the same opinion as you (even though he doesn't admit it directly to not let people think he'd be: "great idea, but we just don't have the time to do that it at the moment, we'll do it later when we got time". of course, there is never enough time). this leads to his flagship product being ... * embarassing if the customer saw the code. if i was working for one of our customers and looked at the code i'd strongly advise my boss to not hire this company again. * code nobody wants to work with. my company has severe problems attracting (competent) coders that stay longer than 6 months. * buggy and insecure. we never changed our winning code. just added new functionality. removing uglyness, bringing it up to date, future proofing it, securing it? that'd probably introduce bugs, costs time and thus money, right? heavens, everytime i look at the code, my eyes start to bleed. see, my boss is proud of his baby, and he knows every wrinkle of it. and it works simply works! yes, there may be sql injection problems. cross site scripting. no error reporting. it's may be slow in certain circumstances. but we can deliver a project in mere days! really, superb advise. but you forget that maybe, sometimes the new, inexperienced programmers really know something useful the old ones don't. like OOP, VCS, bugtracking, refactoring, TDD, MVC, ... i’ll just say that my boss in company i’m currently working for has the same opinion as you (even though he doesn’t admit it directly to not let people think he’d be: “great idea, but we just don’t have the time to do that it at the moment, we’ll do it later when we got time”. of course, there is never enough time).

this leads to his flagship product being …

* embarassing if the customer saw the code. if i was working for one of our customers and looked at the code i’d strongly advise my boss to not hire this company again.

* code nobody wants to work with. my company has severe problems attracting (competent) coders that stay longer than 6 months.

* buggy and insecure. we never changed our winning code. just added new functionality. removing uglyness, bringing it up to date, future proofing it, securing it? that’d probably introduce bugs, costs time and thus money, right? heavens, everytime i look at the code, my eyes start to bleed.

see, my boss is proud of his baby, and he knows every wrinkle of it. and it works simply works! yes, there may be sql injection problems. cross site scripting. no error reporting. it’s may be slow in certain circumstances. but we can deliver a project in mere days!

really, superb advise. but you forget that maybe, sometimes the new, inexperienced programmers really know something useful the old ones don’t.

like OOP, VCS, bugtracking, refactoring, TDD, MVC, …

]]> By: Rem http://wakeless.net/archive/2009/10/5-excuses-bad-programmers-make/comment-page-1#comment-1112 Rem Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:32:53 +0000 http://wakeless.net/?p=340#comment-1112 I think it is the responsibility of the senior programmer to share their beliefs with the new member of the team in the most helpful way. Giving way and understanding each other's wishes might stomp on each other's egos, but it will allow better collaboration in the long run. Be sure to compliment and respect the inexperienced programmer's ideas before offering a better, maybe related alternative to his plan. Every programmer, old and new, needs to feel that he can contribute his own part for the team! :) I think it is the responsibility of the senior programmer to share their beliefs with the new member of the team in the most helpful way. Giving way and understanding each other’s wishes might stomp on each other’s egos, but it will allow better collaboration in the long run. Be sure to compliment and respect the inexperienced programmer’s ideas before offering a better, maybe related alternative to his plan. Every programmer, old and new, needs to feel that he can contribute his own part for the team! :)

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