[Info-vax] [OT] Programmers, was: Re: VSI: "Official 8.4-1H1 Launch"

[Simon Clubley]

On 2015-06-16, David Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> wrote:
>
> I've known two basic types of programmers.  Those who understand what 
> they are doing, and usually do a good job.  Then there are those who 
> "cut-n-paste" code others have written, many times not really 
> understanding what it is doing.  For them, things usually don't end well.
>
> So, in today's IT world, we seem to have some of the former, and many of 
> the latter.  Using all the available tools, and lack of understanding, 
> some really bad stuff has been produced.  Look at the security mess.  I 
> doubt some of these so called programmers understand the concepts.  If 
> you give some who don't understand binary a bit mask they don't know 
> what to do with it.
>

I'm going to agree with you to some extent here. (Yes, I'm actually
_agreeing_ with you on something. :-))

What I'm finding during the job hunting is that the ticklists are all
about the framework of the year and far less about the conceptual
background knowledge.

It seems the belief is that if you know the framework you will be much
more productive on day one. Of course that goal ignores the little fact
that the main time sink in getting up to speed in an organisation isn't
whatever framework they are using, but learning the organisation
specific codebase and systems. That's a far bigger task...

However, regarding your last sentence, I find it very hard to believe
that there are programmers who don't understand binary and bit masks.
You might want to leave the exaggeration to JF... :-)

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Microsoft: Bringing you 1980s technology to a 21st century world