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by jd3 544 days ago
Many of the best engineers that I have worked with over the years have a discerning constitution which seems to innately allow them to identify high quality software, which is essentially a matter of taste.

The problem is that this disposition is not the norm for a technician, which is why I tend to prefer hiring and training engineers that are artistic, creative, and obsessive.

3 comments

I once thought the same thing. Over time I realized those engineers weren’t necessarily good at picking the right thing up front. They were good at making it work despite any deficiencies.
I would argue that our whole civilization works because people either accept deficiencies or make up for the deficiencies on their own.
Software will continue to be garbage until we expect more out of it. And that extends to the people writing it. This isn't a profession that is kind to people who want to do things by the book.

We incinerate the book every few years, but the fundamentals remain the same.

Keep on fighting the good fight