Do you pick the technology and the tools for your job?
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For nearly every contract I get the pseudo title architect. I can't pick what to wear (corporate attire rules apply), I can't pick which version of .NET to use, I can't pick which deployment method, I can't pick the colors or fonts on the applications, I can't choose the text, I can't choose the code style, I even had a place complaint that I *gasp* write comments in code (their choice was comments shouldn't be in code because it makes it too hard to read), about the only choice I ever get is what screen resolution I can use (and that is kind of dictated by the LCD) One of these days I will be allowed to make a decision without a meeting and I won't know how to handle it.
Need a C# Consultant? I'm available.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know. -- Ernest HemingwayEnnis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
One of these days I will be allowed to make a decision without a meeting and I won't know how to handle it.
Allowed to make decisions? Dear, oh, dear... I really do despair at what the world is coming to. You never wait to be asked to make decisions, you make decisions and then start issuing diktats, demands and ultimatums all-the-while digging your heels in, sticking to your guns and pressing for increased budgets. If people start questioning or trying to subvert your decisions or, god forbid, suggest a meeting related to your decisions, you give them the hectoring of a lifetime. And then some.
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Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
One of these days I will be allowed to make a decision without a meeting and I won't know how to handle it.
Allowed to make decisions? Dear, oh, dear... I really do despair at what the world is coming to. You never wait to be asked to make decisions, you make decisions and then start issuing diktats, demands and ultimatums all-the-while digging your heels in, sticking to your guns and pressing for increased budgets. If people start questioning or trying to subvert your decisions or, god forbid, suggest a meeting related to your decisions, you give them the hectoring of a lifetime. And then some.
Too many places will terminate your contract instantly if they see you as being the problem and making decisions, no matter how correct is usually used against you. I make suggestions and let full-time employees make decisions.
Need a C# Consultant? I'm available.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know. -- Ernest Hemingway -
Well I guess developers as the end user customer are an entirely different kettle of fish but ordinary users don't like too frequent or great changes. We used to do a release pretty much whenever we felt like it but that was all wrong, now we always do a release twice a year (barring really bad bugs that crop up from time to time which get an immediate release): a minor bug fix update in the fall and a major new release in the spring. Anything too often and it just annoys the end users no matter what it contains or how important it seems to the developer.
"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." - Walter Bagehot
And begins the developer's work. :suss:
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While reading Jim Crafton's rant below, one question came to my mind. How many developers actually can select the technology and/or tools they work with? In my case, I am free to use any code editor and debugger, also a scripting language for various ad-hoc tools I build occasionally, but things like the development platform, build system, and code control system are determined by my employer. Can you actually make a decision like: "I am fed up with X - from now on I'll use Y for my development"?
Nemanja Trifunovic wrote:
Can you actually make a decision like: "I am fed up with X - from now on I'll use Y for my development"?
Hoo yes. The buck (and bucks) stop here.
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.
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While reading Jim Crafton's rant below, one question came to my mind. How many developers actually can select the technology and/or tools they work with? In my case, I am free to use any code editor and debugger, also a scripting language for various ad-hoc tools I build occasionally, but things like the development platform, build system, and code control system are determined by my employer. Can you actually make a decision like: "I am fed up with X - from now on I'll use Y for my development"?
I don't even get to pick where the IT staff installs my development server...[^]
Imagine that you are hired to build a bridge over a river. The river gets slightly wider every day; sometimes it shrinks but nobody can predict when. Your contract says you can't use concrete or steel - the client only provides timber and cut stone (but won't tell you what kind). Gravity changes from hour to hour, as does the viscosity of air. Your only tools are a hacksaw, a chainsaw, a rubber mallet, and a length of rope. Welcome to my world. -Me explaining my job to an engineer
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While reading Jim Crafton's rant below, one question came to my mind. How many developers actually can select the technology and/or tools they work with? In my case, I am free to use any code editor and debugger, also a scripting language for various ad-hoc tools I build occasionally, but things like the development platform, build system, and code control system are determined by my employer. Can you actually make a decision like: "I am fed up with X - from now on I'll use Y for my development"?
I can pretty much pick everything. I can't pick the client environment in most cases though. All company personal pcs are windows xp, so I have to write for that. I pick everything I use though. One current example. They were using visual source safe. I've decided that it sucks. I'm going to switch to something else (probably svn, but need to look into it) at the end of the current project. I don't control the budget though, I have to justify any choice that requires a big spend to my management.
Simon
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Too many places will terminate your contract instantly if they see you as being the problem and making decisions, no matter how correct is usually used against you. I make suggestions and let full-time employees make decisions.
Need a C# Consultant? I'm available.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know. -- Ernest HemingwayI'll tell you this for nothing: nobody ever made big money in business without ruffling a few feathers.
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John C wrote:
you can't drop change on your customers very often.
If only someone would tell Microsoft.
or how about all of those PowerPC based Mac users and Apple :sigh:
Steve
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For nearly every contract I get the pseudo title architect. I can't pick what to wear (corporate attire rules apply), I can't pick which version of .NET to use, I can't pick which deployment method, I can't pick the colors or fonts on the applications, I can't choose the text, I can't choose the code style, I even had a place complaint that I *gasp* write comments in code (their choice was comments shouldn't be in code because it makes it too hard to read), about the only choice I ever get is what screen resolution I can use (and that is kind of dictated by the LCD) One of these days I will be allowed to make a decision without a meeting and I won't know how to handle it.
Need a C# Consultant? I'm available.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know. -- Ernest Hemingwayand your happy with that??????????????????
Harvey Saayman - South Africa Junior Developer .Net, C#, SQL
you.suck = (you.passion != Programming) -
While reading Jim Crafton's rant below, one question came to my mind. How many developers actually can select the technology and/or tools they work with? In my case, I am free to use any code editor and debugger, also a scripting language for various ad-hoc tools I build occasionally, but things like the development platform, build system, and code control system are determined by my employer. Can you actually make a decision like: "I am fed up with X - from now on I'll use Y for my development"?
ah yup :) im a single developer for a company with +- R40mil turn over the last financial year... i pretty much get what i want, maby because my boss (the IT director) only codes in 0's and 1's.... oh and clarion but i think its the same thing :rolleyes: so natuaraly i talk circles around him and he has no idea how i do my job so if i need books overnighted, i get them :) if i need tools, i get them... just last week i asked for CodeRush (saw the add for it here on CP) and i got it
Harvey Saayman - South Africa Junior Developer .Net, C#, SQL
you.suck = (you.passion != Programming) -
I can pretty much pick everything. I can't pick the client environment in most cases though. All company personal pcs are windows xp, so I have to write for that. I pick everything I use though. One current example. They were using visual source safe. I've decided that it sucks. I'm going to switch to something else (probably svn, but need to look into it) at the end of the current project. I don't control the budget though, I have to justify any choice that requires a big spend to my management.
Simon
Simon Stevens wrote:
probably svn
i use SVN, open source so naturally a powerful tool with quite the learning curve... especially if you've never worked with version control software like myself :)
Harvey Saayman - South Africa Junior Developer .Net, C#, SQL
you.suck = (you.passion != Programming) -
ah yup :) im a single developer for a company with +- R40mil turn over the last financial year... i pretty much get what i want, maby because my boss (the IT director) only codes in 0's and 1's.... oh and clarion but i think its the same thing :rolleyes: so natuaraly i talk circles around him and he has no idea how i do my job so if i need books overnighted, i get them :) if i need tools, i get them... just last week i asked for CodeRush (saw the add for it here on CP) and i got it
Harvey Saayman - South Africa Junior Developer .Net, C#, SQL
you.suck = (you.passion != Programming)HarveySaayman wrote:
Harvey Saayman - South Africa Junior Developer .Net, C#, SQL
You are a junior developer without a senior or suprivisor.Now that is cool buddy :)
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For nearly every contract I get the pseudo title architect. I can't pick what to wear (corporate attire rules apply), I can't pick which version of .NET to use, I can't pick which deployment method, I can't pick the colors or fonts on the applications, I can't choose the text, I can't choose the code style, I even had a place complaint that I *gasp* write comments in code (their choice was comments shouldn't be in code because it makes it too hard to read), about the only choice I ever get is what screen resolution I can use (and that is kind of dictated by the LCD) One of these days I will be allowed to make a decision without a meeting and I won't know how to handle it.
Need a C# Consultant? I'm available.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know. -- Ernest HemingwayEnnis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
I even had a place complaint that I *gasp* write comments in code (their choice was comments shouldn't be in code because it makes it too hard to read)
So... Where do they put them? You have a comments.txt or something? :-D Surely, there are some comments... somewhere... right..?
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HarveySaayman wrote:
Harvey Saayman - South Africa Junior Developer .Net, C#, SQL
You are a junior developer without a senior or suprivisor.Now that is cool buddy :)
i totaly agree! but thats the way it is :) luckily i have my friends here at CP to bounce ideas off of and get help so its cool and also id like to add that im a junior on paper while my skill level is way above someone else with double my experience
Harvey Saayman - South Africa Junior Developer .Net, C#, SQL
you.suck = (you.passion != Programming) -
HarveySaayman wrote:
Harvey Saayman - South Africa Junior Developer .Net, C#, SQL
You are a junior developer without a senior or suprivisor.Now that is cool buddy :)
Bassam Saoud wrote:
Now that is cool buddy
oops, i read "Now that is NOT cool"... its not actually, having no guidance sux sometimes but i always solve the problems eventually and because i do it myself i think ill remember it for a lo0o0o0ong time :)
Harvey Saayman - South Africa Junior Developer .Net, C#, SQL
you.suck = (you.passion != Programming) -
I can run pretty much whatever i want on my dev machines. But when it comes to the build system, source control, platform and compilers, that's a toss-up between group decisions, company policy, and Tradition.
Citizen 20.1.01
'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master - that's all.'
regards, Paul Watson Ireland & South Africa
Fernando A. Gomez F. wrote:
At least he achieved immortality for a few years.
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While reading Jim Crafton's rant below, one question came to my mind. How many developers actually can select the technology and/or tools they work with? In my case, I am free to use any code editor and debugger, also a scripting language for various ad-hoc tools I build occasionally, but things like the development platform, build system, and code control system are determined by my employer. Can you actually make a decision like: "I am fed up with X - from now on I'll use Y for my development"?
Yes; Language, framework, OS, IDE/text-editor, dev machines, servers, monitors, build system, chair, desk, office, debugger No; Code repo (svn, I'd choose svn anyway), document repo (Perforce), bug tracking (bugzilla), task tracking (xplanner) I've got it pretty good. Except for the bugzilla and xplanner bit, I detest those two tools.
regards, Paul Watson Ireland & South Africa
Fernando A. Gomez F. wrote:
At least he achieved immortality for a few years.
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While reading Jim Crafton's rant below, one question came to my mind. How many developers actually can select the technology and/or tools they work with? In my case, I am free to use any code editor and debugger, also a scripting language for various ad-hoc tools I build occasionally, but things like the development platform, build system, and code control system are determined by my employer. Can you actually make a decision like: "I am fed up with X - from now on I'll use Y for my development"?
Unfortunate for me I have to continue to use what management and our clients agree on. It's all over the board too, older clients have older development environments and when they want something it's twice as hard to make it work. I only wish I had a choice..
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While reading Jim Crafton's rant below, one question came to my mind. How many developers actually can select the technology and/or tools they work with? In my case, I am free to use any code editor and debugger, also a scripting language for various ad-hoc tools I build occasionally, but things like the development platform, build system, and code control system are determined by my employer. Can you actually make a decision like: "I am fed up with X - from now on I'll use Y for my development"?
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While reading Jim Crafton's rant below, one question came to my mind. How many developers actually can select the technology and/or tools they work with? In my case, I am free to use any code editor and debugger, also a scripting language for various ad-hoc tools I build occasionally, but things like the development platform, build system, and code control system are determined by my employer. Can you actually make a decision like: "I am fed up with X - from now on I'll use Y for my development"?
My boss makes the major decisions about languages and platforms, but within that I'm free to use my choice of style, libraries, tools, etc. I've also got a lot of input into design decisions. I also get to wear jeans, boots and t-shirts to work. I love working for a small company!
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.