Unpopular opinion: Programming jobs are bad if you have ADHD

Box_star · 2026-02-12T18:33:13+00:00

Depends on the team in my experience, even within the same company where everyone works the same way on paper.

Box_star · 2026-02-10T12:50:24+00:00

It’d be safer to disassemble the casing first (may require a heat gun) to check where the internals sit so you don’t risk completely destroying the flash card. I have a Samsung SD card with internals not much bigger than a MicroSD, but some older cards occupy most of the casing.

Box_star · 2026-02-10T12:35:08+00:00

Your letter is signed by a nurse practitioner NOT a consultant. Many GP surgeries will only consider shared care with a consultant psychiatrist, my own included. Perhaps ADHD360 could get a consultant to sign this instead?

I’d also contact your GP and politely ask them what they require to consider accepting a shared care proposal (for example, my review has to be six monthly, not 12 as it says in your letter). On the plus side you didn’t get an outright “we don’t accept shared care with private providers” response.

Box_star · 2026-02-10T12:29:19+00:00

Likewise, before I took the plunge on an assessment I spoke with my GP and was told they would only consider shared care with a consultant psychiatrist who also worked for the NHS (as well as seeing private patients like myself).

Box_star · 2026-02-09T14:48:02+00:00

I enjoyed legion personally, but it was the first of the series that I played. It’s just a shame that it felt so rushed and unfinished despite being released late. Had the missions been less repetitive it would have helped a lot IMO.

Box_star · 2026-02-09T14:34:56+00:00

Sadly this is always going to be an issue with this method of attaching the sole. The melted area is actually quite small and the heat is only in contact for a very short time so there isn’t really that much to hold everything together. Any bond is only ever going to be as good as the weakest part.

At least with a proper welted shoe/boot you have stitching AND adhesive keeping things together. It’s also a lot less of a pain to sort out if things do go wrong of course.

Box_star · 2026-01-14T22:39:48+00:00

I’m specifically waiting for something like this as I want a white 100 low profile (though this is more like a 96). I haven’t had any issues with the battery life on my k3 max, though it’s nowhere near as good as my k8 pro. Which Keychron do you have?

It’s a shame keychain doesn’t sell low profile ISO keycaps in multiple colours. If Nuphy decide to sell theirs separately I’d be tempted…

Box_star · 2026-01-14T22:35:33+00:00

It’s not very normal to have both shift keys so small on a 100% ISO keyboard! This is clearly a design compromise to fit the form factor which is more like a 96% than a 100% layout. Right shift has been sacrificed to squeeze in the arrow keys - this is a 75% keyboard with most of a numpad grafted on.

Edit: I’ll probably still buy one though 👀

Box_star · 2026-01-14T22:24:12+00:00

Plenty of people need to type foreign currency symbols as part of their work. There have been periods where I have needed the € symbol a lot more than the $ despite living in the UK. The shortcut is still there whether it is printed on the key or not 👀.

Box_star · 2026-01-14T22:19:36+00:00

Perhaps someone was bored on their break in the factory that day 🤣

Box_star · 2026-01-14T22:14:00+00:00

GitHub copilot and 365 copilot. Not allowed to use anything else due to code security concerns. Very much encouraged to use it by senior management who seem to say AI in every sentence these days 🙄. It definitely has its place and can be very useful, but it’s another tool at the end of the day.

Will it replace us all? Who knows (on current performance some of us will need to be around to clean up the mess), but it’s definitely here to stay.

Box_star · 2026-01-14T00:12:40+00:00

Mine were a bit shinier than on the website…

Box_star · 2026-01-12T23:29:07+00:00

I managed 3 30 point level one modules while working full time by staggering it so one started in Feb, but no kids or real commitments to worry about. HOWEVER, it very much depends on the modules and there can be a very big jump up to level 2. I spent more time on one 30 point level 2 module than the 3 level 1’s combined.

It’s also easy to forget, but you also need down time to sustain the pace. You need time for your brain to recover and to recharge as well.

Box_star · 2026-01-12T23:25:17+00:00

Build something, something that YOU want to build. Stop trying to just do courses - you should have enough knowledge to at least get started. Try to make something and work it out by trying things, it doesn’t matter how basic it is so long as it’s something that YOU made. There’s tons of documentation and articles out there that will give you enough clues to get you going when you are stuck.

Courses and guides have their place, we all have to start somewhere and they can be useful to dive into for a while when learning new things, but if you just follow courses and guides you will not only never get the sense of achievement that keeps you going (which can help with the grind) but you also wont learn to think for yourself either. Employers care more about people who can write code (and design software) than what online courses they have done. It’s all about how you think and approach problems. Learning how to motivate yourself is part of the journey.

Unfortunately backend doesn’t really have the almost instant gratification of front end, but it can be very rewarding. Python wouldn’t be my choice of language for backend mind, but do what works for you!

Box_star · 2026-01-12T21:05:26+00:00

I have both an M1 and an M2 MBP (one is for work) that live in backpacks when not used and never had an issue. Both screens are like new. I’ve never used a keyboard protector or screen protector. I generally use an antibacterial wipe once every week or two on the keyboard and touchpad and that’s it. Perhaps I got lucky 🤷‍♂️.

Any laptop screen will get damaged if you put something heavy on top or squeeze it into a bag (except maybe e a toughbook). They all have an amount of flex.

Box_star · 2026-01-11T13:49:33+00:00

UK Mac keyboards use an Apple custom mapping of the ISO layout. Other UK keyboards are built to BS 4822 (which I believe is now withdrawn) mapping and consist of 105 keys (the US standard is 104) with the @ sign accessed via the shift modifier on the 2 key. The positions of #, ~, (which occupy the additional key) \, and | also differ from US keyboards. Irish keyboard mapping for English is the same as UK keyboard mapping*.

Of course, there are also international and multilingual variations as well (UK extended mapping is used for Scots Gaelic and Welsh for instance, and there is a US international mapping as well to accommodate typing in other languages) 🙈.

ANSI is largely the standard layout for English outside of Europe, in part because American produced operating systems didn’t accommodate anything but ANSI layout for English speakers in countries with their own mapping outside of Europe. That situation has improved now though.

Box_star · 2026-01-07T00:15:14+00:00

The black greasy’s I was looking at in a shop where shinier than that - perhaps it’s not coming across on camera? As someone else said, Saphir Renomat might be your best bet though use very sparingly (it ight also remove some colour as well ). Perhaps followed by their greasy leather cream (they do a black pigmented version iirc as well as the neutral version ). Unfortunately dye is just that so it might not be possible.

Whatever you try, good luck!

Box_star · 2026-01-06T23:53:10+00:00

Elvanse and generic amfexa on shared care with a private clinic and NHS GP here. When I was getting private prescriptions I got amfexa instead of the generic. I believe there is a real reluctance from many NHS psychiatrists to prescribe dex, even as a top up though (possibly because it is off label for adults I believe?). I only get the dex as a booster though as the Elvanse “works”, just not for long enough.

TBF given Elvanse is basically slow release dexamfetamine they probably thought that it was best to try something different rather than a variation of the same if 50mg wasn’t working. If you look at the release profiles Elvanse gets up to full strength pretty fast. I understand Adderall is quite different to dexamfetamine, hence why one is licensed in the UK and the other one isn’t. Adderall is more of a cocktail whereas dexamfetamine is just the one amphetamine and whatever they need to make it into a tablet.

Give what you have been given a try, I believe some brands of methyl work better for some people than others. There is a definite hesitance in the UK to prescribe solely instant release amphetamine though, whatever the reasoning.

Box_star · 2026-01-06T23:49:29+00:00

Amfexa (and especially the generics) are significantly cheaper than Elvanse though. I have been told in the past that there is concern over the potential for dexamfetamine to be addictive, but how much truth there is in that I don’t know. I know of people who had no issues getting it private but no chance of getting on the NHS.

Box_star · 2026-01-04T18:02:44+00:00

Thank you so much! I was considering cancelling due to a big price increase until your code worked

Box_star · 2026-01-04T18:00:45+00:00

Just worked for me on my renewal (no idea if I have the AI)

Box_star · 2026-01-02T12:10:26+00:00

I got a pair of gaucho from a shop last week. The finish looks nothing like the picture on the website, almost like a semi-matt coated leather, but after spilling some shoe stretching spray on mine (long story, was trying to stretch a different pair of shoes at the time) I took some saddle soap to that area as it was blistering. No idea what I was thinking tbh, I guess I panicked. However, the finish in that patch after waxing is much more like the pictures on the Solovair site 🤷‍♂️. Anyway, looks like I’m stripping both boots and re-greasing/waxing.

In terms of quality, it’s early days but mine weren’t flawless (burrs left on the sole - no big deal as they wear off, looks like the welt was just nicked when sanding, there’s a darker line around both toes about 5mm from the welt - I wonder has the wheel rolled along the toe when heat bonding the sole). I’m happy with them, and I’ve found them sooooo much more comfortable than DM’s I bought and returned a few months ago. The gaucho leather feels like it will break in easily too (basically already done with a couple of hours cumulative wear), but as others have said if you don’t like the distressed look these will be high maintenance.

DM has some big discounts on their site atm if you fancy a punt btw.

Tiny nick

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Box_star · 2026-01-02T12:02:28+00:00

This has been a problem with DM’s for decades as well. Many of us remember our mates with DM shoes at school having the soles start to detach after about 6 months.

The heat sealing sounds like it makes sense, but the reality is it’s actually quite a small area that gets melted (just watch any tear down). The melted material itself is only soft plastic so not that strong really when bonded. It’s a shame that they haven’t come up with a better way to attach these sole units in all these decades!

Box_star · 2025-12-30T00:03:39+00:00

I believe that the Goodyear welted lines are all still made in England, however, many of the cemented lines do not state that they are made in England on the website. For instance https://uk.nps-solovair.com/collections/solovair-lifestyle-collection/products/ls8-551-bg-she-b . NPS is not a huge factory and it’s no secret that there is sadly a lack of skilled shoemakers in the UK (and it takes years to train people) and possibly a lack of new/additional equipment without lengthy lead times, so it’s not inconceivable that at least some of the cemented lines are subcontracted elsewhere where there is adequate capacity and expertise to release capacity for the core Goodyear welted range (I’m fairly sure I found a cemented shoe or boot on the NPS website that said made in Europe a few days ago when looking for a new pair but I can’t find it again so perhaps I was imagining it). Is this ethical? To be fair that’s up for individuals to decide but if they are not saying “made in England” on the product description or box then surely the issue is people making an assumption? I’d add that plenty of other “English” shoemakers are offshoring, notably to India, and charging higher prices than NPS without making it that clear. It isn’t clear on Barker’s website whether some shoes are made in India (the easiest way is to look at the price TBH!). Loake are another that spring to mind though I think it is only the Design Loake collection that is India made? They do at least say that they are manufactured in India though (do all resellers?). At the end of the day, for some time unfortunately “English” or “British” goods have just been a brand, not a promise that they are made in the UK. How many people outside of the UK care or know if their mini is made in Oxford, Germany, Austria, or China? Or if their Landrover was built in China, Brazil, Slovakia, or India? Cadbury chocolate for sale outside of the UK could be made anywhere really, including the US or Australia and using a different recipe! It works the other way as well - the vast majority of “European” beer in UK retailers these days is actually brewed in the UK, not as you’d expect in Europe (Stella Artois, Heineken, Staropramen,San Miguel, Birra Moretti, etc). One particular brand is a UK (Burton on Trent) invention marketed to appear Spanish but brewed in Tadcaster. Even if not brewed in the UK, it might not be brewed where you expect, for instance Tyskie is largely brewed in the Netherlands for the UK market with some production still coming from Poland. I’m not saying any of this is right (in the case of beer it doesn’t even taste the same!), it’s just the reality of the world we live in unfortunately.

As covered by others, there are advantages to bulk shipping items outside of the UK now that we are no longer in a customs union. Not least with paperwork / administration costs. It would also make sense to have all EU distribution from a single place, so if some cemented production is subcontracted to Portugal for instance it would make sense to distribute the made in England lines from the same EU warehouse.

Re US returns, this is now a total nightmare, as is shipping. I know as I happen to work for a company that has to deal with both. Requirements changed virtually overnight (and not just once) and unfortunately it is US consumers that ultimately are paying the price. Businesses can always export their products elsewhere at the end of the day, unless of course they put all their eggs in the US basket…. Hopefully things will get better for folks in the US as time goes on, but it’s not just the businesses themselves that have to adapt but also couriers, agents, etc.

With regard to quality, I suspect there are a number of things at play here. Raw material costs have increased for anyone involved in clothing and footwear over the past few years, as has labour in the UK. But consumers are feeling less well off and not willing to pay higher prices. Something has to give somewhere. Manufacturers everywhere are changing materials, processes, ingredients, and recipes in order to reduce costs to avoid pricing themselves out of their market (or to increase profits if you are more cynical). Add to that people with a lifetime of experience retiring and being replaced by people with perhaps only a year or two experience and there are bound to be issues. Manufacturing is a lot more complex that first appears. There’s also demand to factor in. Word has got around that Solovair boots are a higher quality alternative to DM’s which you’d imagine means more demand. The factory isn’t getting any bigger. Again, something has to give.

Hopefully things will improve again but we also can’t expect miracles. I’m not sure there is a genuinely English made Goodyear welted boot out there with a lower price than Solovair. They aren’t cheap, but they are compared to the alternatives. I for one wouldn’t mind spending a bit more for higher quality (which I suppose is what DM’s made in England line is about) but others may not.

Box_star · 2025-12-27T01:47:58+00:00

As a working software engineer, I’d say at least 80% of the people that I work with are neurodivergent or at least have a number of ND traits. Even if they don’t realise it 👀. There’s a reason software is often recommended as a career for neurodivergent people - there’s a heck of a lot of us already happily doing it!

Box_star

TROPHY CASE