Hiring Good Programmers Matters 681
Doctor O writes "Joel Spolsky (of joelonsoftware fame) has some good points and fun with numbers on the quality of programmers and whether it is more profitable to go with cheap or good programmers. His point is that a good programmer will simply create code of a quality that average programmers never can create. An interesting read."
I hope he's wrong (Score:4, Funny)
Can't Go Wrong (Score:5, Funny)
Yes, you're all great programmers, much better than all the others out there. Especially because you read my posts. We need more people just like you.
Yes, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The answer depends (Score:3, Funny)
He forgot something (Score:5, Funny)
WTF happened to the ??? step!
Re:Elitist Programmers (Score:2, Funny)
Re:The answer depends (Score:5, Funny)
Although, without bad programmers, we wouldn't have The Daily WTF [thedailywtf.com].
Sometimes a person's purpose in life is to serve as an example to others. What kind of example is another matter entirely...
Re:I hope he's wrong (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The answer depends (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The answer depends (Score:5, Funny)
printf("Hello world!\n");
// 3 cheap coders x $0.05 = $0.15
A single programming Guru will write it as:
/*
* Hello world!
* Copyright (c) 2005 John "Code Guru" Doe
*
* This programme tells the computer to say hello
* to the world, using correct Engligh grammar.
* It should look like:
*
* Hello, world!
*
* NOTES
*
* The programme is limited to one way in which
* it greets the world. In version 2.0 we may
* include another variant of the phrase. We
* will need an advanced AI engine for the task.
*
* BUGS
*
* The punctuation is not entirely correct.
* The programme skips the comma between
* "Hello" and "world".
*
* TODO
*
* Needs more testing.
*/
// Greet the world. To do that, we make the
// computer say "Hello, world!".
printf("Hello world!\n");
// 1 guru coder x $80/hr x 8 hours = $640.00
Re:The answer depends (Score:5, Funny)
You need error-checking on printf and an error log for the error message, you need to internationalize and localize the string, you need both user and maintenance documentation, and you need a client-server architecture. Not to mention that you seem to have jumped into the project without written requirements, a specification, and usability testing.
This would take about a month at my standard rate of $200/hr.
Re:I hope he's wrong (Score:5, Funny)
Well, I couldn't hire monkeys, but I did the next best thing - outsourced the documentation department.
Romeo, Romeo, why is it that they are calling you Mister Romeo?
You should be talking to your father about getting your name changed,
And if you will not be doing that, oh please just be renewing my contract,
And I will be changing my name to Julie or something else that sounds kind of American!
(Shall I be listening to the on-hold music, or shall I just punch "0" and hope to be transferred?)
They didn't quite meet the "all documentation shall be written in iambic pentameter" part of the specification, but it wasn't bad for $6/hr... and it was still better English than what my alma mater's graduating these days. I'm convinced!
Re:The answer depends (Score:3, Funny)
Pick Two... My CEO says to pick Four (Score:2, Funny)
"We have to be faster... better... cheeper... and REUSABLE..."
All the engineers I was with worked VERY hard to not laugh.
Re:my own experiences (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Can't Go Wrong (Score:4, Funny)
Just pack my job up and move it to India now. Apparently, I won't be needing it.
Re:Yes, but... (Score:1, Funny)
Compilers shouldn't talk smack like that; it can really hurt a guy's feelings.
Eeeeeeewwwww. (Score:3, Funny)
Wow. I don't know what's more disturbing - that Romero was your ex-girlfriend, or that you thought he was hot.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the captain has turned on the 'Don't go there' sign..."
Re:And exactly what is a 'good' programmer? (Score:1, Funny)
Have you checked Linux kernel source code
Re:The Google strategy (Score:2, Funny)
Other news (Score:5, Funny)
1) Good Carpenters build good furniture
2) Good Architects architect good structures
3) Good Authors write good books
Re:Does quality matter, though? (Score:2, Funny)
You hire average programmer to make test.
You hire cheap programmer to make documentation.
You hire bad programmer to make coffee.
You hire sexy programmer to make love.
You hire ugly programmer to make installation CD.
The software will be affordable.
Good programmer - high pay but U hire only one.
Average programmer - average pay.
Cheap programmer - low pay.
Bad programmer - under pay.
Sexy programmer - average pay.
Ugly programmer - low pay.
Re:Joel headed up the excel team at Microsoft (Score:3, Funny)
Perhaps thats why he now says companies should hire competant programmers.