What is the biggest problem a programmer has?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4191669

by mcartyem • 14 years ago

3 6 14 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

pinion247• 14 years ago

Not knowing how to code :)

Seriously - in my experience the biggest problem a programmer can have is having a manager that doesn't programming/programmers. The long-term effect of that alone is crippling.

Kelliot• 14 years ago

Its got to be answering to a non-technical manager. I have had particular problems in the past with the 'hands-on, always in the know' types that need to be educated about the full issue before action is taken.

Drags out the most simple tasks.

mcartyem• 14 years ago

Really, is this all you have?

How about not having time to write they programs they want? Or being afraid of using the most powerful language?

yolesaber• 14 years ago

Time arithmetic and off-by-one errors

AznHisoka• 14 years ago

not getting over-burned, getting enough sleep, and finding love.

debacle• 14 years ago

Leaky abstractions - not really the most original answer, but the layers of abstraction away from the machine code allow me to do things in hours that would take months or more.

It's also the source of most of my bugs, most of my slowdown, and it's the reason my C:\Windows folder is 13gb.

What is the biggest problem a programmer has?

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