Journal tomhudson's Journal: Don't you just *hate* it when ... 3
Programmers are unlike many types of workers in that the best ones actually prefer to work hard. This doesn't seem to be the case in most types of work. When I worked in fast food, we didn't prefer the busy times. And when I used to mow lawns, I definitely didn't prefer it when the grass was long after a week of rain.
Programmers, though, like it better when they write more code. Or more precisely, when they release more code. Programmers like to make a difference. Good ones, anyway.
But the only realistic thing to do is bite the bullet, even if it means dropping interesting stuff that you *could* show off today for a less interesting (even "pedestrian"), but more robust thing later on. Because we all know how smelly stuff ends up staying in code forever if we let it live for even a bit longer than necessary.
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Are you kidding? It's not random at all - if there's one thing that this industry is predictable about, it's that bosses pull the stuff you're talking about all day. It's probably because they can "use a computer" that they think that coding is no harder than writing an email (though to look at some of their emails, you'd think that they were trying for the "million monkeys stream of consciousness" mashup).
One of the tricks is to ask them to put their suggestions in an email "
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I guess I'm lucky. They don't do that here and any manager who does would be out on their keyster in short order. We have project plans, documented requirements and a change control process as well as using an issue tracking system that is viewable by all and reported on to management. The tools facilitate good development practices and the opportunity for shining or failing in a very visible manner which drives more people to shine.
The horror stories I read about remind me that I am blessed.