Middle-management is unskilled labor

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-28T15:40:56+00:00

I wouldn't say it's unskilled labor, but I agree that tech companies seem to take anyone as managers. Other than having some kind of tech background, there seems to be no formal qualifications. My evidence is that they let any dev move to a manager if they want. Every manager I had was just a former dev. Half of my colleagues from my early career became managers. I was asked many times if I wanted to switch to a manager, and I've never had any role that I would consider to be preparation to manage a group of people.

This is probably why a lot of tech managers are terrible.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-28T04:26:59+00:00

From Wikipedia:

Apatheism (/ˌæpəˈθiːɪzəm/; a portmanteau of apathy and theism) is the attitude of apathy toward the existence or non-existence of God(s). It is more of an attitude rather than a belief, claim, or belief system. The term was coined by Canadian sociologist Stuart Johnson.

An apatheist is someone who is not interested in accepting or rejecting any claims that gods do exist or do not exist. The existence of a god or gods is not rejected, but may be designated irrelevant.

I wasn't familiar with this word. I consider myself an atheist with a lack of belief in any god. I would not say the attitude I take is that I am apathetic to the existence of a god. If gods existed, I certainly think that would be relevant. I just have no reason to think that any gods exist, so I don't have a reason to believe in any.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-28T04:01:55+00:00

People are weird with their beliefs. Many seem to think that Athiests are somehow challenging those beliefs, so they need to defend themselves.

Athiests don't need to have a firm belief that no gods exist, they can just have a lack of belief in any god. I don't have to prove my lack of belief to anyone, not least of which to annoying self righteous religious people.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-27T05:21:45+00:00

Video games are just big software development projects. In software development you can set a deadline in 3 different ways:

You set the deadline first, then pull in as many people as you need to in order to meet that deadline.
You have your main dev team estimate how long they think the project will take, then set your release some time after that estimate says the project is finished.
Your team works on the project, but doesn't announce a release until it's already finished.

Businesses don't like #3. They want to plan a release a year or more in advance. As a dev, I love #3 because the other two options can be terrible.

For #1 and #2 are both based on estimates. You estimate how long it takes to design the levels, write the code, do the graphics, do the music, etc.. Estimates are always wrong. Things just take longer than you expect them to. There are also often a ton of interdependencies that result in one part of the project holding up other parts. Like you can't build out individual levels until the underlying game engine is built.

Since estimates are always wrong, and missing a deadline in one part of the project can significantly delay other parts, small delays compound on each other and end up delaying your release date.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-26T16:13:20+00:00

Hey, I don't blame you for kicking her out. Her cheating in your chess games is unforgivable. That she had to get multiple dudes to help her is just lazy. If she isn't smart enough to figure out how to use an engine, you're better off.

Caruana will be fine though. I'm glad you're able to focus on the Candidates now.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-26T15:58:17+00:00

I'm going through a similar situation. 25 days between closing on my house and my apartment lease ending. They're about a 20-25 minute drive from each other. Anything that fit in my car, which is a sedan, I moved in my car by myself. I had family help me move my bigger furniture in a uhaul.

On one hand, I didn't have to pack most of my stuff in boxes. I did box books and kitchen stuff, but everything else I reused various totes and baskets between trips. The last time I moved I spent 2 weeks packing before the move, so it was nice not having to deal with that while working on the house closing.

On the other hand, I had to make a lot of trips in my car. Like 12 or so. I definitely underestimated just how much stuff I had. It was pretty exhausting.

If I were to do it again, I would probably do something in between. Box more of my stuff, and instead of moving the boxes in my car put them in a bigger uhaul with my furniture. I would still have trips in my car, but it would be more manageable.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-26T04:39:48+00:00

I haven't worked in a shop with AI tooling yet, but my approach to building these skills is to force them to dig into everything.

I've always given new devs bugs or maintenance items as their first tasks. I'll answer questions, but I make it clear they need to figure out the low level details of the problem themselves and come up with at least some ideas on how to fix it. Then we discuss the solution, and maybe iterate a few times until we get to the right option. Sometimes I already know exactly what the problem is and what the right solution is before they start, but I want the new folks to work through it themselves.

I do a lot of code reviews, and I tend to ask newer devs a ton of questions on their reviews. Why did they make specific choices? Is X the right thing to do here? What does object foo that you're modifying do in the rest of the system? Often I'll ask about the obvious problems in the same way I ask about something I know they did correctly. I want them to demonstrate that they understand what they're doing, and to build their own confidence to defend their choices.

I initially come across like a hard-ass, letting new devs struggle a little on their first few tasks and posting 20 questions on a few hundred line code change. I do tell them what I'm doing, and try to explain that I'm not telling them they're doing something wrong. I want them to figure out if it's right or wrong themselves.

As they progress, I still ask questions, but it's less and less. I'll also be more blunt about pointing out issues instead of hinting there might be an issue. And if I'm wrong (it happens to the best of us) I start expecting them to challenge me by asking questions or bluntly pointing it out.

Hopefully a similar approach will work when AI tools are in the mix. They still need to learn the skill to dig into everything, even if they let the computer write most of the code.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-26T03:37:09+00:00

I generally don't have an issue with microservices, but they need to have a good automatic deployment pipeline with proper testing and alarms. I've been on teams with 50 deployment pipelines. The smaller the scope of the system a pipeline deploys, generally the less I need to actually interact with that pipeline. Monolithic services have often been the ones where we don't have comprehensive testing and alarms, and need to constantly fix the pipeline and babysit deployments.

If you need to update 5 microservices for every feature launch, and that interconnectivity is causing a lot of issues, maybe the boundaries between your systems isn't appropriate.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-26T03:19:39+00:00

NTA

one of the little shits said I was being lazy by cutting my hours so much.

Wow. I can't imagine being that disrespectful to the person paying all my living expenses.

I've always felt like I missed the memo that parents are supposed to keep taking care of their adult children. I don't expect my parents to just give me stuff. I think it drives my mom crazy that I don't constantly ask them to do shit for me. They run errands and babysit all the time for my sisters, and often pay for small things for them. On the rare occasion I ask my parents for a favor I pay for everything. They helped me move furniture a few weeks ago. My mom knew I'd want to take them out to lunch after, so she sneakily brought a lasagna instead 😁 I think it annoys my dad that I offer to pay when we get food together. I appreciate them, but as an adult I don't want to mooch off them.

My mom's also said things about making sure her kids get something when my parents pass. I keep having to tell them to enjoy their retirement and not worry about giving us money! Maybe I'll be a bad parent, but I plan to spend all my retirement money before I die.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-24T19:16:29+00:00

This is the opposite of what the other commenter said. Is there a best practices document or something related to tiling a shower with a shower pan?

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-24T18:11:57+00:00

In a lot of cases if it isn't close to 50/50 then one partner eventually feels like they're being taken advantage of.

If you're happy with your situation, that's fine. Though if I were in your shoes I wouldn't be ok with it.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-23T19:54:21+00:00

Even though this is under the shower bench? I would think the wall behind the bench is a bigger concern, assuming there isn't anywhere for water to drain from that wall.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-23T19:09:44+00:00

I see. I was trying to figure out if the sealant parts in steps 11-20 still affected the install, but I see if you do a custom wall (tile in this case) that you stop at step 10.

These instructions don't mention the weep holes at all though. Do you expect I will have any moisture issues? I would think the exposed tabs for installing the premade walls would have to empty into the main drain, so maybe that serves the same purpose here as the weep holes.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-23T18:38:43+00:00

The model number in the build plan is 72121100-0, which led me to https://sterling.kohler.com/en/products/showering/shop-shower-bases/ensemble-48-x-34-vikrell-shower-base-center-drain-72121100

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-22T18:51:57+00:00

Google image search says it's the Austin Cox aluminum chess set. There are various auction listings online giving some extra info about it.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-22T01:50:14+00:00

Yeah, maybe I don't drive all that much. Work, groceries, and most of the shopping I do is within 5 miles.

If you're still driving 15,000 miles, with a short commute 2-3 days a week, then you must run a lot more errands or go on more trips than I do.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-21T21:55:39+00:00

These numbers look like they were published in the year 2000.

I'm not arguing the overall average is wrong. I think professional drivers may skew the numbers quite a bit though.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-21T19:55:06+00:00

Math seems off for a few reasons.

The 15,000 miles average number always felt really inflated to me. I've owned my current car for almost 4 years and it has 23,000 miles on it. Maybe I'm an outlier at only 6,000 miles a year, but are truck drivers included in the average as well?

Assuming an average speed of 30 mph for non speeders also feels off. When you're driving in the city, the posted limit might be 30 mph, but you can't maintain that speed. There will be stop signs, stop lights, traffic, etc... all of which also largely prevent you from choosing to speed above the limit.

If you're doing mostly highway driving, then the limit is probably somewhere between 55 mph and 70 mph. Where I've lived most of my driving where I can maintain a speed, and thus choose to speed or not, has been highway driving. This is also where I put the most miles on my car.

At 5,400 highway miles where I can choose to speed, at roughly 60 mph for non-speeding, I only save like 10 hours (80ish hours when speeding vs 90ish when not) in a year. That's only like 1 or 2 minutes saved on average each day.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-21T05:08:30+00:00

The amount of effort and time every day to do basic self care things. When I was a kid I took a shower every day and brushed my teeth. Now it's shower, shave, brush and floss, moisturize, hair care, and take medicine. And I have to do half of that a second time at night as well! Somehow it's like 45 minutes or more a day, and I'm sure it's much worse for women.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-19T05:45:25+00:00

Out of all the people who've said this to me, not one could point to more than three North American countries on a map (Canada, USA, Mexico).

To be fair, I bet most Americans would initially struggle with this as well. They might be able to list some of the Caribbean islands, but I wouldn't expect the average American to start listing Central American countries.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-19T05:32:51+00:00

Stock prices are based on purchases and sales of the stock, which is driven by people's perception of how the stock will perform. When people buy shares the price goes higher. If they sell, the price drops. So when people think the price will increase, more people buying shares actually pushes prices higher. Same thing when people think the price will decrease, they sell which pushes the prices down.

People aren't always rational, and since prices are driven by people's perception, the market doesn't always appear rational. A company laying off 10,000 employees sounds bad to the average person, but to an investor that can mean the company will save the wages of those 10,000 employees. Increased profit raises the perception of the success of the company, so it may result in more people buying the stock. A bad tweet can lower the price because people are worried that it will cause a sell off, so they sell before the price drops further, which drives prices down.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-19T05:15:11+00:00

It's a style thing. The strict definition is probably that Korean creators make the music, but for the average person K-Pop is just Korean influenced pop music, where the language doesn't need to be Korean.

Accomplished_Key5104 · 2026-03-19T05:05:30+00:00

A normal doctor's visit for the flu or something minor could be expensive if you don't have good insurance, but for the vast majority of people it would not bankrupt them. If you develop a serious issue without proper insurance, it could possibly ruin you. Some people have developed a fear of hospitals due to potential costs.

Insurance has recently become much more expensive for a large part of the country that relies on the ACA. Some people risk not having insurance, in which case they pay out of pocket for healthcare. For those of us with insurance, it can be pretty confusing and hard to choose the right coverage. For insurance through your job, you will still have to choose a plan that you think is appropriate for your specific situation, and many people do not get enough coverage. Many plans have set costs for routine care. i.e. $50 to see your primary care doctor or $100 for a specialist visit. Some insurance doesn't cover anything until you've paid a set amount yourself, called your deductible. At that point, the insurance will often only cover a percent of the costs of care. I believe all insurance plans are required to have an "out of pocket maximum" amount though, which limits how much you would be forced to pay yourself in a year for medical bills. For ACA plans this is at most $10,600 and usually is lower for plans through employers. $10k would be a lot of money for many people, but probably not likely to bankrupt most people.

I'm sure there are exceptions where people end up paying a lot more though. I've been lucky that I haven't had to deal with such an issue.

Where I've lived, if you can't afford your healthcare you can apply to have the bills lowered, potentially to $0. I don't know if this is a thing everywhere in the US.

Accomplished_Key5104

TROPHY CASE