rrich

"Where I work?" So what's the lesson, are you trying to project one? Don't end up homeless in CA when your internship goes south, because of?

I must say I have found this rather entertaining.

It can be an equalizer, no doubt about that. Probably the biggest reason I hope it works its way into our culture the way credit and bank card transactions have. That and privacy, which these exchanges have none of.

I opted out long ago with my hosts file.

Now there is a language I haven't heard about in a very long time. I actually briefly worked for a company that developed a whole system with TAS, that they then sold to optometrists.

Motorola basically did the same thing in a Northern Illinois community. I think the massive site stayed open a little more than a year. It still today remains a huge empty space sitting in the prairie some fifteen year on.

Astonishing. Did you realize what your responsibilities would be when you were hired? Could only imagine having to do a full blown tech interview to find out the position was mundane and could be scripted.

Horrific! Is this just an exaggeration? Is this a real reflection of the environment the Bay Area offers to families in such a prospering economy?

I wonder if there is a use for an SaaS that spits out the license plate number for Uber drivers. Uh Oh, I think this time I may have stated something that deserves being banned. Evil is as evil does.

Unfortunately, the nature of the technical interview allows for easy disqualification of an individual. Miss a semi colon, something we all have done, you're disqualified. Coupled with the preconceived notions of the interviewer, even the most skilled individual can be disqualified with ease. Doesn't bode well in a industry that seems rampant with issues regarding age and gender .

// Duff's Buzz

#include<stdio.h>

int main(){

    register count = 0x64;
    register a = 0x0;

    {
    register n = (count + 0x9) / 0xa;
    switch (a=count % 0xa) {
    case 0: do {    printf("%d\n", n*0xa+a);
    case 9:     printf("%d\n", n*0xa+a-0x1);
    case 8:     printf("%d\n", n*0xa+a-0x2);
    case 7:     printf("%d\n", n*0xa+a-0x3);
    case 6:     printf("%d\n", n*0xa+a-0x4);
    case 5:     printf("%d\n", n*0xa+a-0x5);
    case 4:     printf("%d\n", n*0xa+a-0x6);
    case 3:     printf("%d\n", n*0xa+a-0x7);
    case 2:     printf("%d\n", n*0xa+a-0x8);
    case 1:     printf("%d\n", n*0xa+a-0x9);
                } while (--n > 0x0);
    }
    }
    return 0;
}

Wow! Definitely time to get out of there.

For me, this is probably the most worrisome evidence of the current state of the government. I know FDR said there is nothing to fear but fear itself, but I fear nothing more than the wizard of oz, and I fear the wizard and NSA are one and the same. Back to programming this stuff scares the crap out of me.

Yes. Put them in front of a group of young college students that have had time to hone their critical thinking skills, instead of government media shills, and you will get a very different perspective.

I'm not saying HAML isn't of value. Please don't misunderstand me, I like HAML. I use it for my template engine with Sinatra. But in the grand scheme of things if using HAML to increase productivity by saving keystrokes is what the company thinks is its competitive advantage, which is what they told me, then how do they deal with someone spending time just researching (i.e. stackoverflow, google) and thinking a problem and solution through thoroughly? The two seem at odds to me.

I agree with you, but several people I have encountered don't feel this way. For instance I had someone try to explain how using HAML made their developers more valuable because of all the keystrokes they were saving. When you're counting keystrokes as a developer productivity metric I can only wonder how toxic the work environment becomes when you need to stop to look at documentation yet alone use Google or SO.

When I first started doing Android development in late 2009 the API documentation quickly brought back memories of MSDN in the late 90's.

Exactly. A lot of work is proprietary and confidential. Should you have a side project to show, sure, if you can do that without getting fired, or worse sued. As a salaried employee, In the past, I have signed employment contracts that basically state they own anything I write. I sure I'm not alone.

I would hate to find myself in a situation like that, but bad code isn't the only thing to look out for. I would dread finding out 80% of their code came from open source and that they made it a point to not contribute the changes back to the community. This would really rile my feathers. Particularly if they asked applicants about their open source contributions.

I thought I read somewhere that Bjarne himself thought he wasn't above a 7 on a one to ten scale. So, you know the recruiter will expect you to say at least a 9 and HR will expect nothing less than a 10.

Funny thing about that are the people selling the shovels. I had no idea BFL was selling firmware upgrades to increase hash rates on existing ASIC miners. Simply brilliant.

This is awesome news. It's great to now have so many countries doing space exploration. Can't wait to see what they find.

It is. His contributions have been immeasurable. He is a classic representation of how one's presentation doesn't equate to one's contribution. Something we all battle with at one time or another in the software industry. As rough around the edges as he can be his underlying message should be undoubtedly considered.

I don't know that there is much I can do to help you, but sometimes it helps to just know you're not alone. You are not alone. You are not the opposite of everyone here.

It sucks, it sucks big time, I know, I'm in the exact same boat. My business has sustained my family for the past fifteen years and over the past year I have lost clients that have been with me from the beginning due to industry consolidation and pricing pressures. If you hold tough this will pass and you will be stronger than ever. You have that spirit and drive within you. You wouldn't have begun the journey if you didn't.

Please know that this is part of the journey and has no reflection on how you are as a father or husband. Regroup, get back to the basics and try again when the time is right. There are amazing people here that are willing to help others, and among those amazing people is you. You shared your story. Many people, including myself, can't bring ourselves to do that, but the willingness to share your story allows us all to know we are not alone on this journey.

I think it brings up the issue of considering at what time is it better to compete against them rather than join them.

Totally understand the work life balance issue, particularly coupled with basically what's being pointed out as a sub par salary. But I really don't understand how that skill set is a premium. If you are a web developer I would expect all those skills to be part of your repertoire. I've seen worse, desired skill sets encompassing the impossible. The 20 years experience programming Java want ads, circa 2000.

Awful. Makes me think twice about doing company sponsored hackathon contests. Particularly contests that require a fee to enter.

Very true and a good rule to follow. I've yet to see a rock star environment at a place searching for the elusive unicorn, and ping-pong tables, arcade machines and fridges stocked with craft beer do not count. It takes much more to make an environment that is conducive to the artistry required to program for hours each day.

I often refer to the terse arcane requirements as being a sign of a company that expects its developers to create great software with their hands tied behind their backs. It's a common to see in most job descriptions and qualifications. Aptitude and the ability to use every tool to solve problems is trumped by having experience with the last five frameworks of the week, information regurgitation and amazing project osmosis skills, or the fine tuned skill to just fake it.

I see your point, but I sure wouldn't want someone to expect me to not make decisions that best meet the needs of my business, and that would include discontinuing or changing my products or services. However, I can see how when you are a company the size of Google that there should be some kind of responsibility to those that utilize your services, particularly since there is an exchange happening that benefits both parties.