[marshallford]

I often see Imposter Syndrome being discussed on HN and in other software development circles. While I have yet to face the feeling of being an imposter; this particular quote from the article strikes a bit of a nerve,

"Sturgeon’s law says “ninety percent of everything is crap”. I’ve found this to be true of developers. Nine out of ten developers are not just bad but incompetent."

I'm not a mathematician, but if this statement is true, chances are I am an awful developer. Knowing this, how do I and others proceed? Can we be useful on a team?

[yummypaint]

I am reminded of the addage "If you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, you're the asshole." I suspect the author is has systemic problems working with others. I think if someone is earnestly doing their best to improve their skills, a true professional will accord them the respect they deserve.

[jasonswett]

I think my estimate was a little on the high side. I've tempered my opinion since then (and I've edited that part out of the post). I don't think 9 out of 10 developers are incompetent.