Friday, May 31, 2013

Quote of the Day: Programmer edition

Not about programming, but about programmers:
Reading through the comments demonstrates something about the personality of computer programmer types. They believe they are smarter and better than everyone else, and therefore on account of libertarian economic theory in which smart people create value and value creators are always rewarded, they have nothing to worry about. For some reason, nearly all computer programmer types buy into libertarianism and they all think they are like Howard Roark.
I have known a lot of programmers (I'm related to one).  This is 100% true.  It also explains why so many programmers like to shoot guns.

This is a pretty interesting post, if you're in Tech.

8 comments:

  1. It doesn't look like you linked the article, but if anyone else wants to read the whole thing like I did, I believe this is it:
    http://lionoftheblogosphere.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/follow-up-on-old-engineers/

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  2. That mentality has been around for a LONG time, well before programmers... Just sayin...

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  3. Old Windways, thanks. Fixed now.

    That's what I get for queuing this post late last night.

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. An MBA/HR type, an engineer, and an IT are carpooling to a conference, when the brakes fail at the top of the hill.

    At the bottom of the hill, everyone is OK.

    The MBA type immediately exclaims, "We need a Plan of Action, appoint a Tiger Team, and Conceptualize a Response!"

    The engineer says, "I got my Leatherman, some spare wire, and there's some brake fluid in the trunk. Give me 20 minutes, and we're golden."

    The IT guy says, "We should push it up the hill three times and see if we can replicate the fault."

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  6. Geodkyt: The IT guy in my office would say, "Well, let me know if it happens again." The programmers (myself included) would be the ones to try to replicate it.

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  7. Well, if we're telling old engineer jokes....

    The crusty, old, senior engineer is working at his desk when the panic-stricken staff runs into his office with the news that scientists have just discovered a giant asteroid will strike the earth tomorrow, destroying all life on the planet and knocking earth out of its orbit and into the sun.

    Without looking up the old engineer says "top shelf, blue binder, section four."

    This joke should not be interpreted to mean that engineers, especially old ones, are generally anal and OCD about planning.....

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  8. I thought the IT guy said, "turn the car off and back on and see if it works".

    I learned my lesson about making fun of that almost 20 years ago. I made fun of someone for suggesting it and when they turned the thing (a printer, in this case) off and back on, it worked fine.

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