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A Single Commandment
Egoless programming, my eye.
Why expose my work - which is, as you say, an art - and subject it to review by my peers?
You tell me that these people have no ego, but that they have the right to suggest their own changes to "improve" my code? Where is the egoless-ness in that?
Or perhaps these "peers" have their own agendas, and dislike certain aspects of my work: too many comments, for example. If I conform to my own standards, why then should I change and conform to theirs?
You assume that I have no passion for the work, that I NEED peer reviews to produce superior code. Nonsense! I strive for perfection, which is, as Commandment #1 clearly states, unattainable. Yet I persist.
The only commandment I follow is a simple one: code should make the Poor User's work day a better place. A program should be easy to use, even if it is hard for me to write. It should present the computer to the user as a highly-polished tool, or set of tools.
I have confidence in my abilities, and needless reviews of working code are pointless. I will be the first person to ask for a help when I "hit the wall".
That said, here are my observations to each of the commandments:
1. Understand and accept that you will make mistakes.
Bugs are inevitable, but they will be eliminated through rigorous testing.
2. You are not your code.
Sheer lunacy! My way of thinking is brought to life through my code. So it is with any programmer worth his or her salt.
3. No matter how much "karate" you know, someone else will always know more.
So what? I only care if they can show me a solution to a problem that I cannot find myself.
4. Don't rewrite code without consultation.
Why? Where is the argument, either for or against? I would instead say, "Never revisit old code because you will be sorely tempted to 'fix' it".
5. Treat people who know less than you with respect, deference, and patience.
Why would I seek advice from someone who knows less than I? My feeling superior to a newbie - where is the egoless-ness in that?
6. The only constant in the world is change.
Sophomoric claptrap. I see intrusion into my way of thinking for what it is: pointless peer pressure.
7. The only true authority stems from knowledge, not from position.
Please! This sounds like something out of Dr. Phil's mouth. Why should I care if I have respect or not - where is the egoless-ness in that?
8. Fight for what you believe, but gracefully accept defeat.
There is no right, only different. Your ego vs. mine. Piss off.
9. Don't be "the guy in the room."
I'm proud to be "that guy". How in the world can I be "in the dark", or "out of touch" with the Internet at my fingertips? What do you mean by "out of sight" and "out of control"? Perhaps my non-conformity bothers you: see #8 above.
10. Critique code instead of people?be kind to the coder, not to the code.
The two cannot be separated. Besides, I will not give you the right (or pleasure) of critiquing my code. What anyone has to say is immaterial as long as I adhere to my single commandment.
* * * * * *
To sum up: question authority at every turn. Make your own decisions, and stand up for your beliefs. Do not give in.
Why expose my work - which is, as you say, an art - and subject it to review by my peers?
You tell me that these people have no ego, but that they have the right to suggest their own changes to "improve" my code? Where is the egoless-ness in that?
Or perhaps these "peers" have their own agendas, and dislike certain aspects of my work: too many comments, for example. If I conform to my own standards, why then should I change and conform to theirs?
You assume that I have no passion for the work, that I NEED peer reviews to produce superior code. Nonsense! I strive for perfection, which is, as Commandment #1 clearly states, unattainable. Yet I persist.
The only commandment I follow is a simple one: code should make the Poor User's work day a better place. A program should be easy to use, even if it is hard for me to write. It should present the computer to the user as a highly-polished tool, or set of tools.
I have confidence in my abilities, and needless reviews of working code are pointless. I will be the first person to ask for a help when I "hit the wall".
That said, here are my observations to each of the commandments:
1. Understand and accept that you will make mistakes.
Bugs are inevitable, but they will be eliminated through rigorous testing.
2. You are not your code.
Sheer lunacy! My way of thinking is brought to life through my code. So it is with any programmer worth his or her salt.
3. No matter how much "karate" you know, someone else will always know more.
So what? I only care if they can show me a solution to a problem that I cannot find myself.
4. Don't rewrite code without consultation.
Why? Where is the argument, either for or against? I would instead say, "Never revisit old code because you will be sorely tempted to 'fix' it".
5. Treat people who know less than you with respect, deference, and patience.
Why would I seek advice from someone who knows less than I? My feeling superior to a newbie - where is the egoless-ness in that?
6. The only constant in the world is change.
Sophomoric claptrap. I see intrusion into my way of thinking for what it is: pointless peer pressure.
7. The only true authority stems from knowledge, not from position.
Please! This sounds like something out of Dr. Phil's mouth. Why should I care if I have respect or not - where is the egoless-ness in that?
8. Fight for what you believe, but gracefully accept defeat.
There is no right, only different. Your ego vs. mine. Piss off.
9. Don't be "the guy in the room."
I'm proud to be "that guy". How in the world can I be "in the dark", or "out of touch" with the Internet at my fingertips? What do you mean by "out of sight" and "out of control"? Perhaps my non-conformity bothers you: see #8 above.
10. Critique code instead of people?be kind to the coder, not to the code.
The two cannot be separated. Besides, I will not give you the right (or pleasure) of critiquing my code. What anyone has to say is immaterial as long as I adhere to my single commandment.
* * * * * *
To sum up: question authority at every turn. Make your own decisions, and stand up for your beliefs. Do not give in.
Posted by w.lievers
27th Jun 2005
