What's it like at your work place?
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I'm curious, and probably venting a little, but I recently started at a company that is so screwed up it's hard to believe they are still in business, I thought I would ask for opinions and share stories. This place thinks they are producing an outstanding product and their development practices are the best. What I see is there is no plan, no design documents, nothing. Five developers are all working on different things to be incorporated into a framework using different models. We've got VB, COM, ATL, MFC and third party components all trying to be intergrated. The manager actually told me that there is no time to properly plan anything because the competition is to intense, and besides no one does that any way. He was dumb founded when I pointed out that the competition does exactly that. (I worked with a competitor before). To top off the confusion we are supposed to be prisoners in the building. I was actually charged vacation time for going outside and walking around the building. All of this is just so funny to me, maybe a new catagory could be started. We could have a competition, My manager is more screwed up then yours.
My workplace is just plain EXCELLENT!! However, my workplace is at home and I'm my own boss. I've been programming professionally (making money at it) for over 10 years now and have avoided working for someone else sitting in a cubicle all day like the plague. I really don't know how all you "cubicle" guys do it. I just can't crank out code day after day from 9-5. Sometimes you have inspiration, sometimes you don't. If I'm not getting anything done I just screw off and go do something I feel like doing. If I'm really "on" I can crank out a thousand lines of quality code in a day. That charging you vacation time for going outside sounds to me like a good reason to start looking for another job. I've always been under the impression that experienced programmers are treated like gold by companies, but a few comments I've seen recently here are making me start to wonder about that. Are there just so many programmers out there now that there is no respect any more? Are the two week training course programmers diluting the whole market? Why aren't more programmers tele-commuting? Why chain a person to a desk all day when you can probably get a much more talented person working from home? As long as the job gets done on time and to spec, that should be the main requirement shouldn't it? Our company get's about 10 emails a month from contract programming companies in India, Russia etc looking for work. Maybe that's devaluing the workforce somewhat? Obviously I have no experience in the "real" world of cubicle programming so there are probably obvious answers to those questions, but no matter what line of work you are in, respect has to be the most fundamental requirement out of a boss or organization or what's the point? No money in the world is going to turn those gray hairs back. Ground Zero Tech-Works http://www.ayanova.com
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I'm curious, and probably venting a little, but I recently started at a company that is so screwed up it's hard to believe they are still in business, I thought I would ask for opinions and share stories. This place thinks they are producing an outstanding product and their development practices are the best. What I see is there is no plan, no design documents, nothing. Five developers are all working on different things to be incorporated into a framework using different models. We've got VB, COM, ATL, MFC and third party components all trying to be intergrated. The manager actually told me that there is no time to properly plan anything because the competition is to intense, and besides no one does that any way. He was dumb founded when I pointed out that the competition does exactly that. (I worked with a competitor before). To top off the confusion we are supposed to be prisoners in the building. I was actually charged vacation time for going outside and walking around the building. All of this is just so funny to me, maybe a new catagory could be started. We could have a competition, My manager is more screwed up then yours.
That is Wonderful!!!! Where is That? At this moment I need a work like that!!! :cool: Carlos Antollini.
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My workplace is just plain EXCELLENT!! However, my workplace is at home and I'm my own boss. I've been programming professionally (making money at it) for over 10 years now and have avoided working for someone else sitting in a cubicle all day like the plague. I really don't know how all you "cubicle" guys do it. I just can't crank out code day after day from 9-5. Sometimes you have inspiration, sometimes you don't. If I'm not getting anything done I just screw off and go do something I feel like doing. If I'm really "on" I can crank out a thousand lines of quality code in a day. That charging you vacation time for going outside sounds to me like a good reason to start looking for another job. I've always been under the impression that experienced programmers are treated like gold by companies, but a few comments I've seen recently here are making me start to wonder about that. Are there just so many programmers out there now that there is no respect any more? Are the two week training course programmers diluting the whole market? Why aren't more programmers tele-commuting? Why chain a person to a desk all day when you can probably get a much more talented person working from home? As long as the job gets done on time and to spec, that should be the main requirement shouldn't it? Our company get's about 10 emails a month from contract programming companies in India, Russia etc looking for work. Maybe that's devaluing the workforce somewhat? Obviously I have no experience in the "real" world of cubicle programming so there are probably obvious answers to those questions, but no matter what line of work you are in, respect has to be the most fundamental requirement out of a boss or organization or what's the point? No money in the world is going to turn those gray hairs back. Ground Zero Tech-Works http://www.ayanova.com
I think I must have the best of both worlds. Working at home sounds great but I'd really miss out on the daily intereaction with other good engineers. Since I write device drivers I have to spend a lot of time tweaking code on the hardware I target (not to mention proving to the ASIC guys that the bugs are all in the hardware - not the software) so I'm "cubicle bound" ( or at least "lab-bound" ) most days. On the other hand I have just about as much flexibility as you could want. My main hobbies are weather driven pursuits and I am free to go and play anytime the weather looks good ( which is quite often here in California ) so long as I get the work done and spend a reasonable amount of time at the office. Also, since I put in really long hours during "crunch" periods I can take off two or three consecutive days here and there without digging into the pitifully small annual leave that most Silicon Valley companies offer as standard. ( Oh - and did I mention I think I'm way overpayed :-D
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I'm curious, and probably venting a little, but I recently started at a company that is so screwed up it's hard to believe they are still in business, I thought I would ask for opinions and share stories. This place thinks they are producing an outstanding product and their development practices are the best. What I see is there is no plan, no design documents, nothing. Five developers are all working on different things to be incorporated into a framework using different models. We've got VB, COM, ATL, MFC and third party components all trying to be intergrated. The manager actually told me that there is no time to properly plan anything because the competition is to intense, and besides no one does that any way. He was dumb founded when I pointed out that the competition does exactly that. (I worked with a competitor before). To top off the confusion we are supposed to be prisoners in the building. I was actually charged vacation time for going outside and walking around the building. All of this is just so funny to me, maybe a new catagory could be started. We could have a competition, My manager is more screwed up then yours.
6 employees in an office, most time 2 of them telephoning at the same time. Most time there is at leas one person not working at the software department there and discussing sth. So its often loud. Telecommuting? Would be the greatest problem for the boss, because he can't enter the office and start to discuss sth. I think he just has not an own email-account. I'm writing software for machines, so it makes sense to be in the firm, cause mostly you can't test your programms "offline". btw offline: some computers there are just "offline", cause the network-officer has so much to do ... Nevertheless, the boss encouraging me, and he is the best I ever had, so I will stay at this company for a while. Friedrich
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6 employees in an office, most time 2 of them telephoning at the same time. Most time there is at leas one person not working at the software department there and discussing sth. So its often loud. Telecommuting? Would be the greatest problem for the boss, because he can't enter the office and start to discuss sth. I think he just has not an own email-account. I'm writing software for machines, so it makes sense to be in the firm, cause mostly you can't test your programms "offline". btw offline: some computers there are just "offline", cause the network-officer has so much to do ... Nevertheless, the boss encouraging me, and he is the best I ever had, so I will stay at this company for a while. Friedrich
How the hell do you get a gig like that? I'm like you, I just cannot turn it on a 9:00 and turn it off at 5:00. I like to work on a train of thought until I'm exhausted, 12-15 hours a day, several days in a row, than take off a day or two or three to recharge. But, hell, try to get a typical management type to comprehend that! Its like they have all been trained to manage an assembly line.
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How the hell do you get a gig like that? I'm like you, I just cannot turn it on a 9:00 and turn it off at 5:00. I like to work on a train of thought until I'm exhausted, 12-15 hours a day, several days in a row, than take off a day or two or three to recharge. But, hell, try to get a typical management type to comprehend that! Its like they have all been trained to manage an assembly line.
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I'm curious, and probably venting a little, but I recently started at a company that is so screwed up it's hard to believe they are still in business, I thought I would ask for opinions and share stories. This place thinks they are producing an outstanding product and their development practices are the best. What I see is there is no plan, no design documents, nothing. Five developers are all working on different things to be incorporated into a framework using different models. We've got VB, COM, ATL, MFC and third party components all trying to be intergrated. The manager actually told me that there is no time to properly plan anything because the competition is to intense, and besides no one does that any way. He was dumb founded when I pointed out that the competition does exactly that. (I worked with a competitor before). To top off the confusion we are supposed to be prisoners in the building. I was actually charged vacation time for going outside and walking around the building. All of this is just so funny to me, maybe a new catagory could be started. We could have a competition, My manager is more screwed up then yours.
Your first name doesn't happen to be Dilbert does it? I couldn't work in an environment like that. I'd jump ship yesterday.
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My workplace is just plain EXCELLENT!! However, my workplace is at home and I'm my own boss. I've been programming professionally (making money at it) for over 10 years now and have avoided working for someone else sitting in a cubicle all day like the plague. I really don't know how all you "cubicle" guys do it. I just can't crank out code day after day from 9-5. Sometimes you have inspiration, sometimes you don't. If I'm not getting anything done I just screw off and go do something I feel like doing. If I'm really "on" I can crank out a thousand lines of quality code in a day. That charging you vacation time for going outside sounds to me like a good reason to start looking for another job. I've always been under the impression that experienced programmers are treated like gold by companies, but a few comments I've seen recently here are making me start to wonder about that. Are there just so many programmers out there now that there is no respect any more? Are the two week training course programmers diluting the whole market? Why aren't more programmers tele-commuting? Why chain a person to a desk all day when you can probably get a much more talented person working from home? As long as the job gets done on time and to spec, that should be the main requirement shouldn't it? Our company get's about 10 emails a month from contract programming companies in India, Russia etc looking for work. Maybe that's devaluing the workforce somewhat? Obviously I have no experience in the "real" world of cubicle programming so there are probably obvious answers to those questions, but no matter what line of work you are in, respect has to be the most fundamental requirement out of a boss or organization or what's the point? No money in the world is going to turn those gray hairs back. Ground Zero Tech-Works http://www.ayanova.com
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Your first name doesn't happen to be Dilbert does it? I couldn't work in an environment like that. I'd jump ship yesterday.
Continuation to this story. Yes I did inform this pleasant company that I would be leaving their employ. They responded by telling me 1 minute before my usual quiting time that I was finished that day. I gave them more than two weeks notice, they gave me 1 minute. To top it off they are even refusing to pay me for the two week notice I gave them, a customary practice. Despite being two weeks into a project and expecting to finish it before I left I was informed that I had not been doing anything important for the last few weeks. If Scott Adams is out there and wants new material, I can keep you busy for months.
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Continuation to this story. Yes I did inform this pleasant company that I would be leaving their employ. They responded by telling me 1 minute before my usual quiting time that I was finished that day. I gave them more than two weeks notice, they gave me 1 minute. To top it off they are even refusing to pay me for the two week notice I gave them, a customary practice. Despite being two weeks into a project and expecting to finish it before I left I was informed that I had not been doing anything important for the last few weeks. If Scott Adams is out there and wants new material, I can keep you busy for months.
Not just a customary practise, a legal one. At least it is in the UK unless they're sacking you for misconduct reasons. At least you don't have to work there for another 2 weeks though.