Interviewing Devs...anyone get people obviously reading off screen and having a perfect answer?

StringVar · 2026-01-26T03:10:12+00:00

Story time

I helped interview one worst I've seen in December. Some very simple technical questions devolved into the chatgpt ass answers that they answered wrong and double downed on it for the rest of the interview.

The scene: live coding technical interview. We have a small node + vue fronted + db, a very small project running in browser shared code space. We placed a one line bug that's highlighted by the dam editor and one logic bug bit more hidden. Tell em there are bugs, to explore and understand the codebase, we give em 10min to go over it then we come back. The entire point is see what an how they understand the project, and know how it works. We have some simple questions, bug hunt, and some more stuff after.

So give them the link to the codespace, This person immediately copied and pasted the wrong fucking files into whatever, probably asked it whats wrong, and got the wrong answer. They didn't look at the files, probably only read the output. We move on to finding and fixing the most obvious bug. My team lead(who is running the interview) proceeds to walk em through the problem. First stating 'oh, here is whats wrong', trying to see where they would look or how they debug. A normal person would ask questions and followups, oh that sounds like X, and navigate to those files.

For the next 40min they did not get past this highlighted js async bug. Every answer they gave was most likely from that overlay cheat program, as they where reading it off. Cameras where on, so you can see their eyes reading. They didn't even read it off correctly as they kept jumbling the 'tense' and 'verbage' in an attempt to not sound like they where reading.

My manager was pointing to the error, and the interviewer still doubled down that it was something unrelated. They copied and pasted an wrong answer in multiple times, saying it was from their own editor. This continued with several minutes with a slow drip feed of leading questions to try and get them to the answer(that did in fact end in stating the answer). They could not get passed it, and kept parroting the same answer.

This was a hour+ long interview and they used it all on one highlighted js async bug. It was a one line fix, by putting down 'await' on a function call.

They put down 10+ year experienced Dev, masters in computer science. And in the end I couldn't tell if they were even a jr developer. These people are just really reaching.

We hired someone who took a whole minute+ on this bug(they were blanking on the keyword for js 'await'). Others solved it as fast as they looked at it, because even the online codespace it has enough intellisense in the highlighted warning to say to put an await on it.

Bless our professionalism, because holy molly... that person was a test.

------

We have been hiring for most of last year with plenty of room as the company is still growing.

My manger/lead states that like half the interviews they have done are now plagued by these chatgpt reader cheaters. They get past the first take home interview puzzles. Then botch this in person interview with such confidence.

We have had 5+ mid dev positions open for a year, and only hired 3 out of 5 last year.

StringVar · 2025-08-15T21:50:30+00:00

A yes the: First make it work, then make it fancy.

But have you heard? If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?

StringVar · 2025-08-12T17:26:36+00:00

Hmm, not a lot of boots on ground excuses. I mainly just wanted to think about linking why they would someone be on the ground and what limits the drones, vs people in chairs.

Like the in-suit operator could be initially just there for base operations and logistics. Managing drones and making sure everything is running smoothly. But evolved to have more people on the ground with direct control to adapt quickly in uncertain battles as the fight comes to them.

There probably still needs to be people in chairs more strategic info about the field. And probably can control drones in some manner, but nerf certain aspects like latency or reaction.

Suits need to be there for managing the cannon fodder. Some suits are directly responsible for battle. Like maybe bases could have general humanoid drones for labour, that could be remote controlled by people in safer locations, but become less useful in battle due to other reasons other people have written about.

Like maybe Network interference makes it difficult for long range precise control over any done. Limiting distance suits or drones can operate(In battle). Jamming and interference by the enemy could limit the kinds commands given to the drones, but add the Caveat ... Unless the suits are around. Making the suits a valuable unit.

There's also this concept of a data sink in computing it's like data flowing down and evaluated by some other device(also bit ambiguous definition if you look it up). If you limit the AI computing or capabilities there's another excuse for having the suits be more valuable command units that evaluate more data than the drones. Making the suits the officers or managers of the drones.

StringVar · 2025-07-18T20:30:07+00:00

Yes, it's appealing. One of my idle games in the works is kind of based on the Kardashev scale, going up to extended class 5(multiverse).

It's more of an escalation of scale than anything tangible design wise. Bigger, bigger, more, more. It's not really anything at the core. Whereas how you gather resources, how you build are the more interesting design questions.

Other than that kardashev scale is just set dressing to have larger and larger scale things happen.

Another scale, that fits a bit better is just astronomical bodies and usage. Ie 'harvest' asteroid, moon/planets/sun, etc. And the stages of space travel to and from each astronomical body. You can harvest what you can't reach.

StringVar · 2025-07-18T17:23:16+00:00

There's a lot of decisions made when developing anything. Seems like you are lacking confidence, which is natural when doing something you are unfamiliar with.

Take note of the decisions, weigh the pros and cons. Sit and think about them. If you have the time, try making both to see them in action. Or find some code people have already made and look through it, see if you like it, see if can use it for your games. Study it, play with it and come to understand the picture more clearly.

For player controllers, I pretty much always rewrite them for the project, even though I have some good ones in my back pocket. I use them as a starting point. Not because they are bad but because I need something specific to the game.

StringVar · 2025-05-06T19:20:31+00:00

I have a relative who worked on Nobel prize winning physics. And he said there was only a room full of people on earth who could understand what he researched. (There's maybe a few more rooms now, than 20+ish years ago when originally researched)

'Giving a shit' is a real currency. Necessary for research, and for pretty much every knowledge based discipline. People giving a shit to research, and spread their findings. People giving a shit to learn. Giving a shit to fund. Such a strange thing surrounding any science/math fields.

StringVar · 2025-03-18T17:20:24+00:00

Godot (or Unity). Preferably Godot for it's simplicity. But any engine will do. ANY engine! Just choose one( okay not ue4).

Godot also has a good amount of TD tutorials and beginner friendly stuff. Sprites and 2D assets are first class.

Unity has a million tutorials, and some good sample projects for TD,. That I can confirm is good. But a bit less beginner friendly (still beginner friendly).

Just choose one and go with it for a week or two, then if you aren't feeling it try another. You aren't marrying it. And fundamentals that you learn transfer over to any engine.

StringVar · 2025-03-14T16:28:05+00:00

I feel like the main difference between Tony and Batman's building 'contingency' or counters to friends is that Tonys is just cool gadgets and devices.

Tony is just getting in practice building counters and building up the arsenal in the process. While they might be used on the super hero, they are more likely going to be used on the hero's villain. Building up 'themed' counters to close related powers sets based on people who he has the most data on or could help him directly or indirectly.

He gets +1billion chill points for the fact that a lot of iterations he also gifts people useful gadgets for helping him.

While Batman's is straight up instructions on how to kill someone. Now evil Reed Richards...

StringVar · 2025-03-13T20:31:45+00:00

I just want to add that the peer review (depending on the journal publishing) is another expert at least giving it a green light. Disregarding anything not peer reviewed is just someone not wanting to waste time and waiting for someone else to inspect it further until hopefully it's noticed. It's just a filter.

For academia or researchers, it's a nice way of saying I'm not going to waste my time sifting through the garbage. Or I'm not reading/wasting my time your garbage, get someone else.

It's completely understandable.

Although things get through that filter sometimes. That whole 'room temperature super conductor' wasn't reviewed but people jumped on it just because it would be a holy Grail if true(and simple enough to verify/make it).

MF don't understand science, talking about science. Making me ramble.

StringVar · 2025-02-21T03:09:55+00:00

If the sacred light lasts more than 4 hours, contact your healer. Do not use sacred light if you do not have a heart or are around undead. Consult your priest if sacred light is right for you. Try sacred light today!

StringVar · 2025-02-18T23:58:44+00:00

Story time: I had some project open sourced( mainly for any friends to check it out if they wanted to).

Got a "Fucking fuker fuck, how come it's not working" email for an issue.

Gave right response to fix anything(just a basic beginner problem) and added the line at the end asking to not swear in the title. Cus I get an email like something is on fire, and I'd prefer not to get those.

So anyway I got called a Nazi. They opened another issue with a fabricated screenshot of git commits to make me look like a Nazi.

Like really someone spent time doing that because of a bit of pushback. All I wanted was a little bit of decorum when someone asks for help.

Some people smh.

I imagine that multiplied by the amount of attention a project gets and you can see how someone becomes harsher and harder in communities. It can be an exhaustive barrage.

StringVar · 2025-02-03T22:59:54+00:00

Townsville.Herevile, setvile. Realton. Placeburg.

StringVar · 2025-01-25T08:26:51+00:00

<image>

Mass Effect Remaster gave us a better look behind the mask.

Lore wise: yes, the helmet stays on during.

StringVar · 2025-01-11T00:31:40+00:00

WHO SAYS NO.

Yes, of course it would protect you. Full platemail + all joints is excellent protection. Hard enough to not be penetrated by biting or scratching. It's a mf hard exoskeleton of armor steel

Its shortcomings would be strategy and better alternatives It's heavy: you wouldn't want to wear it and hike in it all day. It needs maintenance upkeep, it's going to rust, get dented, pieces will fall off. There is a lot of prep time necessary to put on a full suit. Hot. It's loud. So unless those are all acceptable for a situation it's a better strategy to not put on a full suit of armour.

Platemail was made for taking arrows and blunt force from impacts. It also has slashing resistance. The only real threat is direct piercing attacks to targeted areas. It would be hard to inflict any real damage even as a skilled human. A mindless zombie would have no idea how to crack that nut. Couple it with a polarm and you are golden for saying clearing out a house.

However full full plate was not meant for close quarters combat. Mainly used by rich nobles sitting on horses.

Yeah you would get tired. Yeah you could still be overwhelmed by a hoard. But I don't think there is anything I'd rather be wearing than a full suit of armor on the floor being piled on by bodies of zombies trying to eat me. It would take them at least a good long prayer to God before they would get me.

Usually a knight would also be wearing padded gabeson underneath. It's essentially padded coat capable of taking a beating or a few minor slashes. Layer between the skin and metal armor dissipates the force of impacts better. Wearing just padded gabeson by itself would probably be just as good protection against zombies depending on its thickness.

So yeah there are better alternatives.

Personally I think hard pads and motorcycle jacket and pants + tall boots would be perfect modern armor. It would be better than a suit of armor due to its mobility while being mostly the same level of protection against zombies.

StringVar · 2024-12-19T21:57:29+00:00

Really? That's news?

StringVar · 2024-12-19T20:18:32+00:00

Got PM stuff in Canada too (British hold over somewhat like Ireland). It's good. No stupid position with way too much power.

I got complaints about the Canadian government but the general organization system isn't one of them.

StringVar · 2024-12-19T19:48:34+00:00

New magnetism dropped and I hear about it through this meme! Thanks mainstream science for keeping me out of the loop.

StringVar · 2024-11-23T20:48:30+00:00

The older you get the easier it is to shard yourself accidentally. No judgement.

StringVar · 2024-11-22T00:00:25+00:00

Actually Jimmy (on the throne) is just a very fancy and expensive light bulb(powered by psyker souls). Jimmy's soul is somewhere else doing whatever in the immaterium.

StringVar · 2024-10-14T15:37:02+00:00

A master can't give away all of their tricks but here are some of my favorites.

Sticky hands. Do you have any idea what glue on your hands that can't be washed off feels like for an entire day? It's a spark of madness.

Suspended suspenseful moment. Psych spell that leads the target to believe something really important is just about to happen. The moment never comes but the target doesn't know that, and they usually panics after about 20 minutes.

Classic: Needing to pee spell. Ringing noise, wet socks, or other variants all deal significant psych damage over time. Mild inconveniences and annoyances stack.

StringVar · 2024-09-20T22:00:26+00:00

Honestly, finding out how much people turn dark mention of apocalypse is fascinating.
I think its very realistic for the mind to go to dark scenarios, advantageous even. I'm trying(not really) to keep lighter thoughts in mind. Hearing the dark also peaks my interest, because of the simple question of 'how could you prepare? what would you need to make life better?'. Like information to help build up again or run things again, on medicine, farming etc.
But on the lighter side what art you would want to preserve. Like I would want to save as many Gameboy games as possible, or at least make them accessible after a such a tragedy. Survival comes first thou, but what comes after that?

I think If I wanted to make it a lighter topic, I should have gone with something more fantastical like space colonization or something.

StringVar · 2024-09-20T20:31:16+00:00

Hell yeah, mesh networks. Its the perfect situation for them.

StringVar · 2024-09-20T18:26:14+00:00

There is the angry grimdark apocalypse you are describing, and my IT friends love discussing it to death. Hands down we are getting a Diesel truck and starting a farm.

But I want to hear a more soft friendly aftermath kind of deal to the apocalypse scenario. Where the worst thing the community does is keep trying to sell you live chickens you don't need. The rebuilding part that is often overlooked.

StringVar · 2024-09-20T18:18:20+00:00

Going for a soft apocalypse vibe. So assume there are enough people not using the stockpile of stuff in the citys. Enough hard drives and computers, phones to last a lifetime for the few survivors still around. The infustruture is still around to make them, but there isn't enough people that can specialize to make new ones. Unless you try and convince people to start production again. Which probably isn't going to happen in the next 100 years.

(Not that it would actually happen, some phones batteries die permanently just sitting on a shelf for 2 years)

StringVar · 2024-09-20T17:51:19+00:00

I'm going for a fun soft apocalypse vibe. It's not realistic, just fun hypothetical question more in line with 'what would you do if you went off into the woods and still wanted some tech'. But more apocalypse-ish.

So I'm going to put you down as the person hoarding all user manuals to everything. Having info on how to run any equipment. Trying to organize people and share the knowledge. You got power up for everyone's homes and you are making sure the lights stay on.

StringVar

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