bane
Δ 19 Snow, 4711 公元 Thu 17:17:22 UTC
New mini-rant on "code" as a verb. OTOH I'm OK with it as efficient communications. OTOH it can be a cartoonish oversimplification of systems development, a gross degradation of the art and science of computer programming that ignores the culture built up over the last 3 generations, a kind of barbarism if you will.
This one was stimulated by a report that Obama had said "I don't code" in answering questions about the failed rollout f the ACA web services. At this point it looks like this is the conservative press putting words in his mouth that he never said, at least I couldn't find a source to put here.
Δ 21 Frost, 4707 公元 Sat 16:57:37 AST
Adding link to new Quadriga page.
Δ 20 Fruits, 4707 公元 Thu 03:17:53 EDT
Software_engineering has some refreshing material on cooperative-gaming referred to in the Lede which I added and which can be taken as a chaser/antidote/whatever for the below.
Δ September 10, 2008 XE
When you say you want a <productX> Expert/Guru/Professional ...
You may in fact want a professional with depth of knowledge, experience, and general skills which they can apply to <productX>.
"We program machines, not languages." - Martin Cracauer, et. al.
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Original Kvetch
Random Link
An Evolutionary Tree of Computer Languages (beginning with Our Year Zero).
The purpose of this page is to try to explain to you, in case you might be sufficiently open-minded, an issue which is the bane of my existence and which will explain to some extent the character of the resume materials. If you are pretty sure the aforementioned characterisation doesn't apply to you, you're wasting your time here.
The issue is the everlasting and unceasing identification of one as a software engineer with specific program products. To be fair this self-defeating pattern is not without some surcease lately and one does see solicitations for workers with general skills.
The analogy I have made, and I think it a cogent one is if you were to seek out surgeons based on the brand of surgical instruments they used instead of their skill in surgery. There are no major program products which are 1) without equivalent competitors or 2) not based on general public knowledge (computer science).
This is particularly galling for me, since with a relatively high IQ (fuzzy 4 σ) and a lifetime of experience I have many experiences of coming into workplaces and rapidly familiarizing myself with complex software environments and outperforming individuals that have been involved with same for some time. At one point in my career it was sort of what I did.
For this reason I generally do not emphasize familiarity with specific program products.
I am not saying for some packages there is not a learning period, it is simply quite fast in my case because I have seen just about two or three at least of everything, and have my chops so to speak in doing so.
I should say that I am particularly eager to prove this on SAP, which I have had only tangential experience with but which I know to have perhaps the most complex relational scheme of any commerical software. For this reason I will work on a SAP project for nothing for a limited time (for the first taker only).
An only indirectly related issue is the matter of "job stability". This actually in the American workplace is hardly a virtue though I can point to 6-7 years work with the IBM corporation, and other stretches of such 'stablity'. In fact it is more likely an indictment of mediocrity.
It is no sign of good health to be well adjusted to a sick society.
J. Krishamurti
Δ November 4, 2006 XE
Like the 'tests' and 'mensa' links the above doesn't fully represent my current state of enlightenment. Nonetheless it does reflect some enduring realities, so it's retained for the purposes of fullest disclosure. A particular correction is called for with respect to the matter of job stablity; an overview of my career as of Spring 2005 roughly breaks down as follows:
- Pre-professional (trade school, operator jobs, college) 1975-1980.
- 5 direct, non contract, W2 employers typically lasting 2 years¹
- IBM contracting thru a number of 3rd parties 7-8 years.
- Non-IBM contracting thru 3rd parties, roughly 5 years.
- Direct independent contracting 8-10 years over most of the last dozen.
¹ Litton (80-1), Daytona Beach CC (83-5), Economics and Engineering Research (85-7), Givaudan-Roure (92-4/5), Telperion Solutions (2005-6)
And while I certainly still agree with the Krishnamurti quote below, after some point one is expected to have made appropriate accomodations. Although hardly an easy or simple matter and one fraught with moral hazard, it's an essential aspect of the game of life.
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