Is programming a young person's game? - Uncle Bob

[@davidmartensson273]

On my last work, we had an average experience in company of more than 6 or 7 years, with the core 3 people having been there over 10 years. We always tried to hire right from school but then did not expect them to really pull their weight until after 3-6 months of on site experience and the main mantra was "ask questions" and "question our code". If I cannot explain and defend my code to a junior right out of school, I either need a very good excuse, like it being heavily performance optimized and there fore not "good readable code" because performance was more important, or I need to rethink that code or my explanations. Maybe there is a new feature in the language or framework I just had not picked up on that they learned in school, or some new algorithm or similar. But the main goal of it is to teach them both our platform and to teach them to always ask questions, never assume you have the best idea or know the best answer, always assume that someone else have a better one and only settle for out own if it convinces the other. (Sure for small common things this is overkill, but for bigger features or more complex things I still hold this as a good way). And do not exclude the new ones from the hard discussions, they might not be able to provide to much, but they will learn and by inviting them and asking them questions on opinion you help them overcome the "imposter syndrom" and grow. The end result was a very high paced development over 17 years.

[@matt.loupe.]

I straight up don’t want to deal with it anymore. We’re just querying a database and putting data on a screen. You don’t need 1 million JavaScript frameworks and ai code assistants for this, plus Kanban and asana and 20 meetings per week.

[@Waldemar_la_Tendresse]

Pair programming comes to mind. Experieced programmers should have to look over code of younger people, simply because way too much software sucks in terms of quality.

[@sushiConPorotos]

I’ve been working as a programmer for 24+ years. Most devs work for just 3 or 4 years and they jump to management. It’s a disaster. Usually my bosses are 10 or 15 years younger than me, and they have no clue what they’re doing.

[@strantheman]

To be fair there are also a fair number of programmers with 30 years experience who are terrible.

[@saschadibbern339]

So imagine how much experience has AI and AI tools as a programmer

[@adamrushford]

I taught it C++20, you're all good.

[@gamereactz]

If only, my first year I have had to learn everything myself. I thought they would have a ramp up or plan to get me up to speed... Nope just send me tickets that are low and hope for the best. No explanation on how things or why they work. I'm expected to ask everything even the things I don't know that I don't know yet.

[@nestharus]

Because more experience is more expensive and most companies do not want to pay for that.

[@sushiConPorotos]

And then they end up implementing a thing that does not work properly. Most projects end in a disaster. And THAT is much more expensive, because they have to fix it and (usually do it twice).

[@brownhorsesoftware3605]

No. Just train people. Give proper training and people will learn. I went through a three month training program at my employer in 1977 and emerged as an assembler programmer proficient to start productive work. Invest in training.

[@spleenware]

The last time an employer paid for my training was in late 80's. Closest I've had since was to be paid to go to a 2 day conference, just to swap biz cards and see what promises of 'cool new thing' might be.

[@adamrushford]

Are all 100 of us here then? I have that game engine you all wanted

[@Waldemar_la_Tendresse]

There were no game engines on the Atari 2600! 😅

[@adamrushford]

@@Waldemar_la_Tendresse no but there is an Atari 2600 in my game engine. 😎

[@Waldemar_la_Tendresse]

@@adamrushford Good work, I guess. Now start to emulate the PS5 please. 🤣

[@spleenware]

Would have been great to have had a mentor or two, and now to actually be ALLOWED time to mentor the young-un's would be nice. But, not gonna happen. IT culture is completely wrecked IMO.

[@midguetsito1]

The jedi order likes this

[@andyevans2000]

Old programmers don't like mentoring people, they went into it in the first place because they don't like talking to people.😊

[@Waldemar_la_Tendresse]

That's not true. You shouldn't project your own behavior onto a group of people. It's not true for me and it's not true for the GOOD and experienced programmers I know.

[@charleswoodruff9013]

The OP doesn't understand that "most programmers" doesn't equal half the programmers. CLICKBAIT.

[@vitalyl1327]

Half + 1 will be "most programmers" though.

[@Ролтун]

They dont like old people

[@illegalsmirf]

Why yes, yes it is.