[r0s]

As an autodidact software developer, I've been lucky enough to avoid these self-doubts.

I still experience them, but the difference is I don't wonder what my peers think: For the first few years I was teaching myself how to code, the harsh open ego of my online community tore me down every step of the way. Mainly hackers and engineers on IRC.

There's nothing like hearing a peer or mentor tell me my work is utter crap, with full unabashed honesty. One of my most vivid memories is a fellow developer telling me my abilities were amateur and I wasn't qualified for the job, straight to my face, in front of all my peers. This is only possible in a pseudo-work online environment, with non-coworker peers. The impersonal pragmatism of online social groups has been a valuable crucible for suspected impostors, and it forces me to examine myself and see my failings. Harsh, and often false, but no longer a question lingering on my mind.

[bertr4nd]

Sounds horrible. I came across the following quote earlier today that sums up my reaction pretty well: "Honesty without empathy is cruelty."

[r0s]

It was. On the other hand I feel like I know exactly my skill level and limitations.