zephiros - Slashdot User

Ask Slashdot: How Can You Apply For A Job When Your Code Samples Suck? 408

Posted by EditorDavid on Saturday October 14, 2017 @11:39PM from the dysfunctional-programming dept.

An anonymous Slashdot reader ran into a problem when looking for a new employer: Most ask for links to "recent work" but the reason I'm leaving my current job is because this company doesn't produce good code. After years of trying to force them to change, they have refused to change any of their poor practices, because the CTO is a narcissist and doesn't recognize that so much is wrong. I have written good code for this company. The problem is it is mostly back-end code where I was afforded some freedom, but the front-end is still a complete mess that doesn't reflect any coherent coding practice whatsoever...

I am giving up on fixing this company but finding it hard to exemplify my work when it is hidden behind some of the worst front-end code I have ever seen. Most job applications ask for links to live code, not for code samples (which I would more easily be able to supply). Some of the websites look okay on the surface, but are one right click -> inspect element away from giving away the mess; most of the projects require a username and password to login as well but account registration is not open. So how do I reference my recent work when all of my recent work is embarrassing on the front-end?
The original submission's title asked what to use for work samples "when the CTO has butchered all my work." Any suggestions? Leave your best thoughts in the comments. How can you apply for a job when your code samples suck?

Comment Natural Selection 2 (Score 1) 176

by zephiros on Tuesday July 21, 2009 @09:32AM (#28768943) Attached to: Valve's Newell On Community-Funded Games

I'm surprised the article doesn't mention the Unknown Worlds team, who are using this model to produce Natural Selection 2.

I suppose it's less revolutionary for them, as they have a history of community-funded development. In the original Natural Selection, players could pay a modest fee to enroll in the "Constellation Program." Members received a variety of perks, including early access to beta releases and an in-game/forum icon.

Of course, the NS2 developers have a history of transparency and delivering on releases, and have ready access to a supportive community. So the model works for them. I doubt a new studio would get similar traction. I suspect it will be even harder once a few community-funded games fail, leaving behind a bunch of pre-rendered screens and angry gamers.

Comment Re:No way to verify (Score 2, Informative) 302

by zephiros on Friday August 08, 2008 @03:02PM (#24529987) Attached to: Net Shoppers Bullied Into "Verified By Visa" Program

IME, the implementation is a train wreck. I have a Visa card through Bank of America, and the first time I ran into the "Verified" prompt, I was positive it was a scam:

The form is in an iframe, so it's not even immediately obvious whether it's encrypted
The iframe contents (for BoA) are hosted at bankofamerica.vbv.cyota.com, not, you know bankofamerica.com or visa.com
The first time it popped up, it prompted me for the last four digits of my social security number, to "activate my account"

Airport Profilers Learn to Read Facial Expressions 676

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday January 03, 2008 @08:50AM from the you-look-guilty dept.

nldavepc writes "There has been a rather scary development in airport security. Airport profilers are watching people's facial expressions for clues of terrorist intent. According to the article,"Travelers at Sea-Tac and dozens of other major airports across America are being scrutinized by teams of TSA behavior-detection officers specially trained to discern the subtlest suspicious behaviors.""

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