There's a ton of pedantry in programming. This may be confusing until you realize that programmers spend 8+ hours a day working with the world's most irritating pedant -- the computer. And the computer is .. kind of an a-hole to be honest.
this is why I don't understand people who get all pissed off that programmers tend to be pedants. It's an occupational hazard.
@codinghorror @Altimor Suspect it might be treatable as it's not a monotonically increasing trait. It tends to peak at about 5-10 years of experience. Perhaps juniors can be offered some wider perspective that helps them avoid it
@codinghorror Is there a future where computers can be made less pedantic?
@codinghorror It might be hard to believe, but at one point in my life I was a happy, positive individual to be around.
@codinghorror Grimm's Fairy Tales should be required reading for beginner programmers. And The Monkeys Paw. The computer will give you exactly what you asked for, so beware!
@codinghorror I love that C compilers have flags that allow you to specify the level of pedantry you wish to be subjected to
@codinghorror I doubt that the pedantry in programming actually weighs a ton. You should measure it and then update your metaphor. 😉
@codinghorror Truly. That’s why we don’t invite computers to family dinners, holidays or vacations.
@codinghorror "Technically correct is the best kind of correct" is a common refrain around my office.
@codinghorror My friends call me the "rule nazi" when we play board games - and they really get upset when I try to find that one edge case covered in the rules for 5 minutes🤣 I am the only programmer and I don't see the point of playing board games and not following the rules to the last bit
@codinghorror Agreed, but we do tend to be dicks more often than not. Maybe a required class in interpersonal skills would help. I remember a three day trip for how to talk to management really opened my eyes.
@codinghorror Cause or effect? Does programming make you pedantic, or do you have to be pedantic to be a programmer?
@codinghorror It's all about knowing when to pick your battles, both in programming and with humans. It takes a while to realize that perfect is the enemy of good.
@codinghorror Pedantry implies unnecessary precision or accuracy. I've never found either to be unnecessary.
@codinghorror Maybe you don't remember how troubleshooting problems is with lawyers or financial people. There is no way they can follow a logic path from the beginning to the end, exploring the whole decision tree without interrupts or personal and unrelated considerations.
@codinghorror 100%. There are two quite pedantic people in my family, both uncles and both programmers. I must have read this before because I remember always sticking up for them to my parents about it being less their fault than they probably realise. Point it out but be understanding.
@codinghorror This is a sysadmin & dba thing too. Single character mistakes eat harddrives for lunch… picky & pedantic is a survival trait in the computer field.
@codinghorror Or, is it possible that people who have tendency to pedantry choose to work with computers?
@codinghorror I also feel I became a pedant as I got into programming, or the trait became more pronounced at least. I sometimes tell people "Being a pedant is part of my job" as an apology.
@codinghorror *looks at all the smugsters making "clever" pedantic jokes in the replies* *sets computer on fire*
@codinghorror I think this people are all over and is in all fields.. don't know of is culture or generational
@codinghorror @mattjpark "Computers are like old testament gods, lots of rules and no mercy" brainyquote.com/photos_tr/en/j…
@codinghorror Funny thought :). Sometimes it feels that way ... However, it's like an a-hole who knows what's good for you & that's why it has to be this way :). It comes with being a reliable good ol’ friend.
@codinghorror To be fair, the computer is only a pedant because we made it that way. And because it's easier to be a pedant and require precision than it is to make assumptions and guesses.
@codinghorror Old school. Increasingly, the AI 🤖 will just say, "Thanks for the data, now step back while I solve this for you. And, no, I won't be showing you the code because you wouldn't understand it anyway." 😲
@codinghorror I'm not sure I agree but this is an interesting take.
@codinghorror Will use this as an excuse in the future Thx
