Comments on: Why most programmers are lousy http://www.iovene.com/56 The thoughts of a computer programmer, open source supporter and free-thinker. Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:52:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Salvatore Iovene http://www.iovene.com/56#comment-104041 Salvatore Iovene Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:49:39 +0000 http://www.iovene.com/why-most-programmers-are-lousy/#comment-104041 This post is 3 years old. StackOverflow wasn't even there yet, and Twitter was in it's infancy. This post is 3 years old. StackOverflow wasn’t even there yet, and Twitter was in it’s infancy.

]]> By: dotKuro http://www.iovene.com/56#comment-103860 dotKuro Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:25:40 +0000 http://www.iovene.com/why-most-programmers-are-lousy/#comment-103860 I agree entirely with this. There's far too much emphasis on user-friendliness. Anyone can just fire off a site with Tumblr, a webapp with Wix, a program with Clickteam, a game with Flixel. I know that this is simply what happened in reality hundreds of years ago and that I'll soon be classified a Luddite, but I can't help being annoyed by the degradation of programmers, and I haven't even been around that long - I'm only just 13. I agree entirely with this. There’s far too much emphasis on user-friendliness. Anyone can just fire off a site with Tumblr, a webapp with Wix, a program with Clickteam, a game with Flixel. I know that this is simply what happened in reality hundreds of years ago and that I’ll soon be classified a Luddite, but I can’t help being annoyed by the degradation of programmers, and I haven’t even been around that long — I’m only just 13.

]]> By: dotKuro http://www.iovene.com/56#comment-103859 dotKuro Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:22:01 +0000 http://www.iovene.com/why-most-programmers-are-lousy/#comment-103859 Not that unrealistic. I ran a site at 4 and completed my first program at 9. Not that unrealistic. I ran a site at 4 and completed my first program at 9.

]]> By: Soulhuntre http://www.iovene.com/56#comment-103857 Soulhuntre Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:43:28 +0000 http://www.iovene.com/why-most-programmers-are-lousy/#comment-103857 I was with you, till the end. I have been programmign a LONG time professionally (25 years) and for fun before that - so I get where you are comign from... but you date yourself with the references to usenet and Slashdot. It has been a LONG time since Slashdot was even remotely relevant to the "technical community" and even longer for Usenet. Stackoverflow.com? Sure. Twitter? Definitely... things change. When we measure someone on their skill it makes sense... when we decide they aren't real programmers because they don't virtually hang out the places we think are cool? Thats just bias. Ken I was with you, till the end.

I have been programmign a LONG time professionally (25 years) and for fun before that — so I get where you are comign from… but you date yourself with the references to usenet and Slashdot.

It has been a LONG time since Slashdot was even remotely relevant to the “technical community” and even longer for Usenet. Stackoverflow.com? Sure. Twitter? Definitely… things change.

When we measure someone on their skill it makes sense… when we decide they aren’t real programmers because they don’t virtually hang out the places we think are cool? Thats just bias.

Ken

]]> By: Steve http://www.iovene.com/56#comment-103852 Steve Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:53:06 +0000 http://www.iovene.com/why-most-programmers-are-lousy/#comment-103852 I had a Video Genie, the poor man's TRS-80. If you weren't really into it the frustration of programming in those days would have weede you out. There's just so much pre-built stuff around now that a mediocre programmer can get a long way before they come unstuck, and if you're not a good programmer yourself you're too far into the project before you discover the difference between the mediocre and the great. I had a Video Genie, the poor man’s TRS-80. If you weren’t really into it the frustration of programming in those days would have weede you out.

There’s just so much pre-built stuff around now that a mediocre programmer can get a long way before they come unstuck, and if you’re not a good programmer yourself you’re too far into the project before you discover the difference between the mediocre and the great.

]]> By: Thanh Tung http://www.iovene.com/56#comment-103845 Thanh Tung Sun, 28 Feb 2010 10:08:56 +0000 http://www.iovene.com/why-most-programmers-are-lousy/#comment-103845 Yes, when i read your entry, i think yes. Because if IT is hot job so everybody follow. Now i studying in Aptech, i like have a computer when is a child, but when i 18 years old, lucky, i has it. I like programming, i like create something big like game, OS, but sometime i boring because to Programming very difficult, sometime i don't know what i need, Code, code again, code much but bug, error. Yes, when i read your entry, i think yes. Because if IT is hot job so everybody follow. Now i studying in Aptech, i like have a computer when is a child, but when i 18 years old, lucky, i has it. I like programming, i like create something big like game, OS, but sometime i boring because to Programming very difficult, sometime i don’t know what i need, Code, code again, code much but bug, error.

]]> By: Nathan Kelley http://www.iovene.com/56#comment-103841 Nathan Kelley Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:26:24 +0000 http://www.iovene.com/why-most-programmers-are-lousy/#comment-103841 My grandfather bought a Tandy TRS-80 Model III in 1983 and introduced me to 10-20-30 BASIC Programming when I was 6 yrs old. I've never done anything since except make myself a better programmer. If bryan was introduced to IT at 7 then I was introduced to IT at 6. Were you using debug to type in com utilities from pc computing magazines over 20 years ago? If not, get off your wall and realize that you may not know as much as you think you do. My grandfather bought a Tandy TRS-80 Model III in 1983 and introduced me to 10–20-30 BASIC Programming when I was 6 yrs old. I’ve never done anything since except make myself a better programmer. If bryan was introduced to IT at 7 then I was introduced to IT at 6. Were you using debug to type in com utilities from pc computing magazines over 20 years ago? If not, get off your wall and realize that you may not know as much as you think you do.

]]> By: WallMountedHDD http://www.iovene.com/56#comment-103837 WallMountedHDD Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:48:58 +0000 http://www.iovene.com/why-most-programmers-are-lousy/#comment-103837 Working in IT since you were seven? No offense, but that's hard to believe. Working in IT since you were seven? No offense, but that’s hard to believe.

]]> By: WallMountedHDD http://www.iovene.com/56#comment-103836 WallMountedHDD Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:48:14 +0000 http://www.iovene.com/why-most-programmers-are-lousy/#comment-103836 Also, I have to disagree with your statement that a good programmer essentially has to be a child prodigy. 10-years-old? Feasible, but expecting that from every CS major is not reasonable. Also, I have to disagree with your statement that a good programmer essentially has to be a child prodigy. 10-years-old? Feasible, but expecting that from every CS major is not reasonable.

]]> By: WallMountedHDD http://www.iovene.com/56#comment-103835 WallMountedHDD Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:36:08 +0000 http://www.iovene.com/why-most-programmers-are-lousy/#comment-103835 There is one catch: actual CS as a degree is NOT easy to get if you get a real BS of computer science at a decent or good university. So you can't say lousy people with CS degrees are dumb or mentally lacking in any way. Anyone who can get a CS degree with good grades is a smart cookie, and could be a good programmer if they just cared about it (meaning they have to have a natural interest as well as the IQ). Also, you say "programmers." A lot of programmers out there, both great and lousy ones, have degrees in everything under the sun except CS. I know a lot of programmers with Information Systems degrees, which don't teach squat for math or neck-deep science, and I even know plenty who don't even have computer degrees. There is one catch: actual CS as a degree is NOT easy to get if you get a real BS of computer science at a decent or good university. So you can’t say lousy people with CS degrees are dumb or mentally lacking in any way. Anyone who can get a CS degree with good grades is a smart cookie, and could be a good programmer if they just cared about it (meaning they have to have a natural interest as well as the IQ). Also, you say “programmers.” A lot of programmers out there, both great and lousy ones, have degrees in everything under the sun except CS. I know a lot of programmers with Information Systems degrees, which don’t teach squat for math or neck-deep science, and I even know plenty who don’t even have computer degrees.

]]>