These are the things that kill me...
(excuse the title, I've been listening to a lot of The Smiths lately)
We developers require a few things to get our job done: a computer, a decent chair (quickly becoming optional for some folks), and lots and lots of uninterrupted quiet. By 'quiet', I don't mean silence but rather stillness, the absence of stuff being on fire.
That's basically it. Our industry, the software development industry, has a lot of flaws, but the biggest is the lack of the "Big Three" mentioned above. Often we can't get a decent chair, or a decent computer, or even a decent amount of uninterrupted concentration. In addition, there are lots of workplaces that are downright hostile to developers. This is the stuff I want to record here: the frustrating, maddening and sometimes down right stupid things that we put up with all in the name of making a living.
I intend to make this list ongoing. If you want to add something, feel free to shoot me an email at jw@clvr.im.
Open offices, especially loud, no-privacy-allowed types affairs.
Desks that face inwards. Even if I'm not surfing YouTube all day, it's a slight psychological stresser to have people able to see your screen.
"Sales bells". Yeah, ringing a giant bell to announce you made a sell is really going to keep us on track.
Forced pair programming. Nothing is more uncomfortable than having to stare at someone else's screen when you have no idea what's going on.
Revolving-door teams. I worked on a team where our most senior guy had 5 months. The CEO simply fired people he didn't like.
Lack of personal space. I know your startup is strapped for cash, but shoving everyone onto shared tables with less than a foot in either direction isn't cool.
"Shit's on Fire" syndrome. Having an emergency every hour is not good for concentration.
"It's just a button". Look, you really don't know what we do...
12 hour days. Hours != Productivity. If you can get what needs to be done in 5 hours, whatever whatevs. If it takes you 16, that's your problem.
We're programmers, not typists. Just because I'm not typing, doesn't mean I'm not working. Some stuff needs to be thought out.
