Comments on: New Poll: What’s The Worst Part About Software Development As A Career? http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/ Trying to walk that thin line between intelligence and ignorance Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:01:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Thomas http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/comment-page-1/#comment-42665 Thomas Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:50:28 +0000 http://davybrion.com/blog/?p=1252#comment-42665 I agree with this one: "customers who don’t want to pay for quality work". Too many companies are delivering sub-standard work at low prices which leads to unrealistic price expectations among clients - and the resulting price squeeze means that a proportionally larger part of the budget is spent on pitching and selling the project - with preciously little left for the actual development - and so it's corner cutting time yet again - and forget about testing! Still - overall I still think it's a great job - beats picking up phones and sending emails all day. I agree with this one: “customers who don’t want to pay for quality work”.
Too many companies are delivering sub-standard work at low prices which leads to unrealistic price expectations among clients – and the resulting price squeeze means that a proportionally larger part of the budget is spent on pitching and selling the project – with preciously little left for the actual development – and so it’s corner cutting time yet again – and forget about testing!

Still – overall I still think it’s a great job – beats picking up phones and sending emails all day.

]]> By: David Pickett http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/comment-page-1/#comment-13932 David Pickett Fri, 01 May 2009 07:02:44 +0000 http://davybrion.com/blog/?p=1252#comment-13932 "Can you imagine two mechanics arguing over which 3/8 wrench will get the job done better." If you frequent forums where people who use (physical) tools hang out, you'll see this ALL the time. DeWalt vs. Porter-Cable vs. Grizzly vs. .... I think the real differentiator is the fact that software tools are easy to change back and forth between -- anyone can click a link to just about any language distribution in existence and try it out and/or attempt to wedge it into the production cycle. Your average cabinet maker is probably not vehement enough about his choices to try and sneak a Euro-style sliding tablesaw into the shop to "prove" how much better it works (not to mention the physical feasibility, even if desire and funds were available). “Can you imagine two mechanics arguing over which 3/8 wrench will get the job done better.”

If you frequent forums where people who use (physical) tools hang out, you’ll see this ALL the time. DeWalt vs. Porter-Cable vs. Grizzly vs. ….

I think the real differentiator is the fact that software tools are easy to change back and forth between — anyone can click a link to just about any language distribution in existence and try it out and/or attempt to wedge it into the production cycle. Your average cabinet maker is probably not vehement enough about his choices to try and sneak a Euro-style sliding tablesaw into the shop to “prove” how much better it works (not to mention the physical feasibility, even if desire and funds were available).

]]> By: Davy Brion http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/comment-page-1/#comment-11838 Davy Brion Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:20:58 +0000 http://davybrion.com/blog/?p=1252#comment-11838 that reminds me... i forgot to include 'dealing with frustrated, bitter people' that reminds me… i forgot to include ‘dealing with frustrated, bitter people’

]]> By: Bunter http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/comment-page-1/#comment-11821 Bunter Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:44:57 +0000 http://davybrion.com/blog/?p=1252#comment-11821 Lot of the same field professionals who always blame technology, managers, incompetent devs, tools and buzzwords to hide their own incompetence, narrow-mindness, zero knowledge of things outside one's professional field and complete and utter lazyness :) Lot of the same field professionals who always blame technology, managers, incompetent devs, tools and buzzwords to hide their own incompetence, narrow-mindness, zero knowledge of things outside one’s professional field and complete and utter lazyness :)

]]> By: Grant Trimble http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/comment-page-1/#comment-11033 Grant Trimble Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:14:06 +0000 http://davybrion.com/blog/?p=1252#comment-11033 Developers that have almost religious affiliation to some or other language, tool etc. Can you imagine two mechanics arguing over which 3/8 wrench will get the job done better. It just seems, in general, developers are gullable and narrow minded. Developers that have almost religious affiliation to some or other language, tool etc.
Can you imagine two mechanics arguing over which 3/8 wrench will get the job done better.
It just seems, in general, developers are gullable and narrow minded.

]]> By: RCE http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/comment-page-1/#comment-10937 RCE Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:34:44 +0000 http://davybrion.com/blog/?p=1252#comment-10937 Interacting with business people who skip the technical lead of a project and start shouting about things that should, according to them, take two minutes to fix but in reality takes over two days. Eventually I can convince them that it might take longer than expected, but they still try, hence irritating me and wasting my time. Business requirements that get changed behind one's back (they expect you to check their "bible" thing the whole damn time). I mean, if you insist on using word, put change tracking on plskthx. And emails don't cost you anything. Business people who think it's a-ok to play around with the stored procedures on the database. Interacting with business people who skip the technical lead of a project and start shouting about things that should, according to them, take two minutes to fix but in reality takes over two days. Eventually I can convince them that it might take longer than expected, but they still try, hence irritating me and wasting my time.

Business requirements that get changed behind one’s back (they expect you to check their “bible” thing the whole damn time). I mean, if you insist on using word, put change tracking on plskthx. And emails don’t cost you anything.

Business people who think it’s a-ok to play around with the stored procedures on the database.

]]> By: Kristof Rennen http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/comment-page-1/#comment-10935 Kristof Rennen Wed, 01 Apr 2009 07:51:37 +0000 http://davybrion.com/blog/?p=1252#comment-10935 I also dislike bad database access and bad written queries. Fixing timeouts, deadlocks, database tuning, slow queries ... is really a terrible thing. You really need very good sql knowledge to get everything right in big systems, and most developers don't know sql very well, ending up in badly written and badly performing queries. I also dislike bad database access and bad written queries.
Fixing timeouts, deadlocks, database tuning, slow queries … is really a terrible thing.

You really need very good sql knowledge to get everything right in big systems, and most developers don’t know sql very well, ending up in badly written and badly performing queries.

]]> By: chrissie1 http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/comment-page-1/#comment-10933 chrissie1 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 07:32:02 +0000 http://davybrion.com/blog/?p=1252#comment-10933 Windows? Just kidding. But I'll second IE6. Windows?

Just kidding. But I’ll second IE6.

]]> By: Davy Brion http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/comment-page-1/#comment-10928 Davy Brion Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:16:59 +0000 http://davybrion.com/blog/?p=1252#comment-10928 lol @ IE6 :p @Michel i agree it's (usually) a great job, but we all run into these downsides every once in a while, and some us need to deal with them on a daily basis @David i agree... the 'worst' part about that somewhat falls into the 'Buzzwords' option. But yeah, continuously learning new things (if you pick the right ones to invest your time in) is one of the better parts of the job @Justin that applies to more than just web developers ;) lol @ IE6 :p

@Michel

i agree it’s (usually) a great job, but we all run into these downsides every once in a while, and some us need to deal with them on a daily basis

@David

i agree… the ‘worst’ part about that somewhat falls into the ‘Buzzwords’ option. But yeah, continuously learning new things (if you pick the right ones to invest your time in) is one of the better parts of the job

@Justin

that applies to more than just web developers ;)

]]> By: Justin Yost http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/comment-page-1/#comment-10918 Justin Yost Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:35:07 +0000 http://davybrion.com/blog/?p=1252#comment-10918 As a Web Developer, customers who don't want to pay for quality work and who have no taste and insight on bad/cruddy designs. As a Web Developer, customers who don’t want to pay for quality work and who have no taste and insight on bad/cruddy designs.

]]> By: David http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/comment-page-1/#comment-10914 David Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:10:09 +0000 http://davybrion.com/blog/?p=1252#comment-10914 Best *and* worst part about software development: There is always so much to learn. This leads to an exhausting effort to continually learn and improve, and also means that no matter how good you are you will tend to look back at what you did 12+ months ago and it will look like rubbish. Or maybe that's just me :\ :) Best *and* worst part about software development:

There is always so much to learn. This leads to an exhausting effort to continually learn and improve, and also means that no matter how good you are you will tend to look back at what you did 12+ months ago and it will look like rubbish.

Or maybe that’s just me :\ :)

]]> By: Michel Grootjans http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/comment-page-1/#comment-10912 Michel Grootjans Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:56:10 +0000 http://davybrion.com/blog/?p=1252#comment-10912 It's not that bad. It's actually a great job with minor issues. It’s not that bad. It’s actually a great job with minor issues.

]]> By: Jim Frantzen http://davybrion.com/blog/2009/03/new-poll-whats-the-worst-part-about-software-development-as-a-career/comment-page-1/#comment-10909 Jim Frantzen Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:40:21 +0000 http://davybrion.com/blog/?p=1252#comment-10909 IE6. IE6.

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