Programmers fear incompetence because they see it everywhere, even where it is not. They just don't recognize the value of thinking that isn't exactly like their own, or skills they don't have. So, this one applies to many, but to programmers more than anyone.

Programmers fear screwing up because they are in the business of automation. They can screw up many things all at once. Complete failure over a trivial error, because computers don't have common sense to ask, "are you sure you meant to do that?", or, "what does this mean?". This one also applies to anyone building something that can injure people, but not to most other people. Most people can only screw up one thing at a time, or have people receiving the product of their work, who can sanity check it.

You didn't mention engineering software licenses. Those can be ridiculously expensive.

But if you are spending the bulk of 8% of your *engineering* budget on computing hardware, then yes, you probably are spending too much.

Agreed. Detroit area and it rarely happens. I think the problem is over-blown by people who so can't stand to be inconvenienced by the presence of other people that they lose perspective.

He doesn't have to, because that's not the only reason a rational adult wouldn't hire an internet warrior. He might choose not to hire you because you've made it clear that the majority of the people in your own culture are beneath contempt in your mind. That may not be a desirable quality in an employee, even if the potential employer doesn't disagree with your anti-religious views.

...and contact us at our secret phone number, we *really* want you.

And you should be more concerned that once your "friend" has identified you to his life logging software, it will be able to automatically tag you in every video or photo.

And it's highly unlikely anything will come of it. To cameras on the street you are uninteresting.

You should be concerned about some weirdo using you in an image meme, or of a "friend" incidentally capturing you everywhere you go, and another "friend" tagging you in the videos or photos, making your private business searchable.

The thing about geeks is their "look what I made" braggadocio is even bigger than their idealism, so *somebody* knows who created bitcoin. And the namedropping "I know who created bitcoin" also trumps idealism. So if somebody with resources wants to find out who created bitcoin, they will succeed.

Perhaps what was meant was don't incite panic making a false claim, as in don't yell "Fire!"

If you're going to fight for privacy and rights and puppies and things, then do things toward that goal. Securing your own phone doesn't do that. It just makes work for you. Unless you really do have something of interest to them. Which you probably don't.

Use your efforts to write letters, keep informed so you can vote intelligently, educate people, publish something, or whatever. Securing your own phone is just "I got mine." Worse, it's probably wasted effort.

I don't own the code I create for my employer. I am not free to post it on the internet, publish it, give it away or sell it.

No, I believe he meant it as written. It appears that progressivism is about how one wants to be seen by other "progressive" people. The "progressive" people I know (they all think they're smarter than non-progressive people) do all the meaningless "progressive" things that look good to other "progressives", like changing their facebook profile pictures to equal signs when asked to do so, and posting progressive rants on the internet, but they all seem to have ordered their lives around never encountering the people they champion, they spend their money on toys and entertainment, and they spend their time being entertained. And posting progressive rants on the internet.

...and please provide one clean towel in the bathroom. Thanks.

If you're going to host an event in your home, could you please clear off enough space on one of the covered surfaces for the snacks people are bringing, wash the dishes and empty the trash, remove the clothing from the living room so people have a place to sit, vacuum the food debris off the floor, and open a window? Yeah, it's none of my business, and I have the option of never accepting your invite again, but these are life skills you should have learned in your twenties, the latest, and if you're going to blame your life circumstances on "the man", at least try to take care of this one thing you do have control over.

No, you didn't. Here's why I don't believe you: