When I got into the business in the late 1970s, there was strong selective pressure in favor of people being capable and smart. Back then, software didn’t offer a lucrative career path for people with good memories, conformist instincts and a superficial command of MBA jargon. The people who had coding jobs and who didn’t wash out had it in their blood. There were lots of bullshitters, just as there are now, but they failed rapidly and were driven out.
I’m a bit younger than the OG greybeards (and a lot younger than people like Don Knuth). I’ve been in the business for longer than most coders have been alive. During that time, I’ve reskilled more times than I can count, and I still write code, though it’s mainly prototype and proof-of-concept stuff at this stage in my career, when the development team gets stuck.
And that’s the thing: I’m not there to block new people from submitting pull requests. I’m there to help get the job done. If you find the whole process opaque and need mentoring, just ask.
When I got into the business in the late 1970s, there was strong selective pressure in favor of people being capable and smart. Back then, software didn’t offer a lucrative career path for people with good memories, conformist instincts and a superficial command of MBA jargon. The people who had coding jobs and who didn’t wash out had it in their blood. There were lots of bullshitters, just as there are now, but they failed rapidly and were driven out.
I’m a bit younger than the OG greybeards (and a lot younger than people like Don Knuth). I’ve been in the business for longer than most coders have been alive. During that time, I’ve reskilled more times than I can count, and I still write code, though it’s mainly prototype and proof-of-concept stuff at this stage in my career, when the development team gets stuck.
And that’s the thing: I’m not there to block new people from submitting pull requests. I’m there to help get the job done. If you find the whole process opaque and need mentoring, just ask.