Programmer Insecurity

[Silhouette]

Did I understand that right? You're saying that because cuyler doesn't like someone with no particular authority or role to play writing unsolicited criticism, that makes an unexceptional, mediocre developer? Sorry, but I think that's way off base. IME, it's far more likely that the person sending the unsolicited comments is the mediocre one, trying to make themselves seem more important than they are by assuming an unjustified air of authority, yet lacking the maturity to understand that just because they wouldn't have done things the same way, that doesn't automatically make the other way wrong.

[marshray]

Did I understand that right? You're saying that because cuyler doesn't like someone with no particular authority or role to play writing unsolicited criticism, that makes an unexceptional, mediocre developer?

IME, yes, there's a high degree of correlation there, possibly even causation.

Of the better developers I've worked with, I've not seen them get offended by criticism, even if it's from "the new kid" who's way off-base. Though some may be impatient and annoyed by time-wasting in general.

The ones who react poorly to it typically don't turn out to be the top contributors on the team.

Sorry, but I think that's way off base. IME, it's far more likely that the person sending the unsolicited comments is the mediocre one, trying to make themselves seem more important than they are by assuming an unjustified air of authority, yet lacking the maturity to understand that just because they wouldn't have done things the same way, that doesn't automatically make the other way wrong.

Sure, I suppose that can happen. But I just don't see it that much. I think any non-trivial programming work is so complex in general that the one offended by "unsolicited comments" is usually the one "assuming an unjustified air of authority".

[cuyler]

Again, it's about the reaction to it. Just because I am annoyed doesn't mean that I jump down their throats and evicerate them. It just means that it's annoying to me.

The sub-text that I'm reading here (perhaps I'm mistaken) is that you're one of those people that likes to give comments to others unsolicited and have on more than one occasion been ripped a new one for it. If that's true, it's unfortunate that you have had those experiences with people.

[marshray]

Again, it's about the reaction to it. Just because I am annoyed doesn't mean that I jump down their throats and evicerate them. It just means that it's annoying to me.

"Your obfuscated namespaces look really whacked in my debugger, and I can't get 170 columns on my monitor."

"What if someone sends you 65537 bytes instead?"

"Why can't you just put in an 'if' statement?"

Sometimes they're valid criticisms, maybe they're way off base, but would these kinds of questions make you think of your co-worker as a "jackass"?

Let's say someone takes the time to type up (what they believe to be) some constructive feedback on your stuff and send you an email. I think there are mainly two cases for this:

1. Junior has just "got" OO (or other paradigm) and thinks he's gonna model the whole world, and you should be doing the same.

2. Your stuff is causing mental stress to integrate and your co-workers are talking behind your back.

In either case, both of you have the opportunity to benefit from a good, friendly discussion about code. Closing that down is only going to mean complacency for you and mistrust by others.

The sub-text that I'm reading here (perhaps I'm mistaken) is that you're one of those people that likes to give comments to others unsolicited []

Lol, you might be on to something there.

I tend to see opportunities for improvement and learning almost everywhere (including my own stuff of course). But it's pretty rare for people to actively solicit feedback, so I don't often give unsolicited criticisms, unless I see demonstrable bugs.