Open Source, Blogs, Tweets and the rest... [modified]

[peterchen]

I can't agree with the "more", but I see merit. My mantra for interviews comes in two parts: Let them write code and passion. I've tried the first one once, and after what I've seen there I'd never ever hire a developer again who I've watched writing code. I've also worked with a self-proclaimed 9-5 developer, decent, likable guy, but most of the time they are not up to the grind. There are places for them, but only a few. Checking for OSS contributions, even blogs, can kind of check both things at once. Someone who contributes without pay should be "passionate enough for our needs", and if you can have a look at his code, and maybe even the comments of others, the better.

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Another point: The gist of those is that only a developer can judge a developer. However, Human Resources can also check for such contributions and prepare a "dossier" without reading the code.

FILETIME to time_t
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | WhoIncludes - Analyzing C++ include file hierarchy

[Maximilien]

I don't blog, I don't tweet, I don't open-source things. I work at work and my work is valued by my boss. I do other things when I'm not at work.

Watched code never compiles.

[Soulus83]

You need to grease your shoes's toes quite often right? :-D

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--either way, you are right." — Henry Ford

[Dan Neely]

Probably depends where you want to work. If it's for a OSS company than not having contributed anything is probably going to be a big black mark. Likewise if you want to work at a trendy startup, not using the latest social mediaprivacy sink platform is going to stigmatize you. Otherwise, meh.

3x12=36 2x12=24 1x12=12 0x12=18

[Richard A Dalton]

There's nothing inherently better or worse about Community Contributions vs CV. Both can be good, both can be bad. Obviously we'd all love to hire programmers who are passionate about their work, who spend their spare time studying their craft, becoming better developers on their own time and their own dime. That's a big win for any employer and also increases the odds that the developer will be good. That said, you could have a great developer who wants to go home in the evening and hang out with his kids and not look at a keyboard until 9am the next morning. After years of "unwinding" by booting up the laptop and "playing" with new technologies, I'm starting to see that there may be benefits to actually unwinding. I'd hate to think that decision would count against me, but it might. I have a twitter account. Why? Not to broadcast my thoughts, but to keep up. I almost missed out on a conference here a few months back, I realised that there's a lot going on there that I was missing out on. I only follow people related to my work, and it really has opened up a whole new community for me to engage with. I have recently wiped my website and started again much simpler, pretty much just a blog. I speak occasionally at conferences and it's handy to be able to put the slides and sample code up there, and maybe write up some of the stuff you didn't have time for. I don't contribute to open source projects, I'd like to, might in the future, but I already waste enough of my evenings. I managed to get jobs before I blogged, tweeted and spoke at conferences. I think good developers will never have trouble finding work. I can tell you right now we're having a hell of a time finding good people in Dublin. -Richard

Hit any user to continue.

[Jeremy Hutchinson]

patrice_carbonneau wrote:

I might be a but of a dinosaur

It's spelled butt ;)

[devenv exe]

Maximilien wrote:

I don't blog, I don't tweet, I don't open-source things.
 
I work at work and my work is valued by my boss. I do other things when I'm not at work.

Me too. I'm not an expert, but my work is highly valued by my boss. My boss is also valued highly by his boss, plus the company I work for is also valued highly nationally. Open Source, Blogs, Tweets and the rest... is clearly not our business.

"Coming soon"

[Daniel Scott]

Have you considered that their current employer may not allow them to contribute?

[devenv exe]

Dario Solera wrote:

Of course not, but the ones that contribute are probably better.

yes probably, but not necessarily, just like certifications.

"Coming soon"

[keyboard warrior]

patrice_carbonneau wrote:

his 'public' contribution

or hers. ;P or just a generic "their"

[wizardzz]

It helps for freelancers / contractors / consultants, but I think it is unrealistic to expect all your high level developers to partake in these.

Craigslist Troll: litaly@comcast.net "I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson

[AspDotNetDev]

Richard A. Dalton wrote:

I don't contribute to open source projects

Don't be so sure. ;)

[Managing Your JavaScript Library in ASP.NET]

[PatriceCarbo]

Jeremy, Well spotted. :doh: I just corrected it. Best,

[CalvinHobbies]

My problem with Blogging is I don't update as often as I should ( more important things), as for Tweeting, I start out techie and then later end up talking about food. Other part is, I feel alot of you say enough to fill in my tech quota.

///////////////// Groucho Marx Those are my principles, if you don't like them… I have others.

[Henry Minute]

Dario Solera wrote:

but the ones that contribute are probably better.

Depends on your definition of 'contribute'. I can think of several contributors that aren't worth the silicon they're abusing.

Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus! When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is.

[Mark_Wallace]

A blog is not just for Christmas.

I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!