The Art of Not Writing Code

http://cjroth.com/2012/06/the-art-of-not-writing-code/

by dorkitude • 14 years ago

5 6 14 years ago

Graphon• 14 years ago

Coders talk too much. They are in love with themselves.

Did you ever hear a cabinetmaker talk about all the considerations that went into the new cabinet he made, how he did the planing just right to hide that knot in the wood, or how he chose just the right species of wood, or how he had to feather the one cut because of a loose blade or the fact that the finish the customer asked for would expand the wood? Did you ever see a carpenter write 5 paragraphs on how much thought and consideration went into how he leveled the kitchen cabinet on such an uneven floor?

No. They know their jobs, they do their jobs, they appreciate and strive for excellence, and they go home at night.

Did you ever hear a doctor wax poetic about how fabulous a job they did excising the tumor from the patient's brain, how they brought in just the right amount of outside expertise, how they deliberated just long enough to be prudent and then took action at just the right time? How they balanced and weighed all the factors, the age of the patient, the seriousness of the tumor, the location, the likely disruption, the family support and post-operative therapy plan.

No. They do their jobs, they work hard, then they go home.

What is it with all these coders who cannot just do their jobs and do them well, and then shut up?

We GET IT. YOU'RE FABULOUS. YOU THINK IMPORTANT THOUGHTS ABOUT SOFTWARE AND INTERFACES AND SO ON.

ajuc• 14 years ago

I think between themselves doctors and carpenters do talk about their jobs?

Besides for many people programming is their hobby. And hobbysts generally talk about their hobbies a lot.

danbee• 14 years ago

Dude, this is HackerNews. I'm sure if you get on CarpenterNews you'll find just what you're looking for.

vijayr• 14 years ago

Yes, programmers talk lots more, compared to doctors, carpenters etc. But, why is it a bad thing?

Programming profession, by nature, is changing much faster than say, carpentry. Every day there are new frameworks, languages and technologies popping up, so there is lots to talk about.

Also, programmers work with computers all day - it is easy to blog/tweet etc, when you are on the computer 10-12 hours a day. On the other hand, carpenters need to switch context, go to a computer, login to their blog etc - so many steps before they start typing their post.

I agree sometimes it is way too much noise, but may be it is not as bad as you make it sound?

Cblinks• 14 years ago

I've taken it upon myself to learn coding and at times, I find myself completely hating it. I too view it as a "means to an end", allowing me to produce MVP without needing to consult with "professional" programmers paying them to create a beta product in which I will and can create. My goal as an entrepreneur is to be a triple threat: Marketing, Bus. Dev. & Product Development. I believe whether your in the tech, bio-medical or renewable energy spaces; you are supposed to be able to create a MVP even if it is crap; especially if you call yourself an entrepreneur.

RutZap• 14 years ago

So true ... Programmers should be lazy and write the minimum amount of code. This goes hand in hand with Larry Wall's virtues of a programmer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Wall#Virtues_of_a_program...

The Art of Not Writing Code

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