Table flipping is an expression of frustration; it means someone's given up on trying to solve a problem constructively and gotten so angry that they flip the table over. In context, the relevant part of the metaphor is giving up on the problem.

While I have never known anyone to actually flip a whole table before, I have seen someone flip a game board, scattering pawns, cards, and tokens everywhere.

It isn't just walking away, it's walking away while giving everybody the finger--a belligerent surrender.

From http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/flipping-tables-%E2%95%AF%E2%9...

"Flipping Table emoticon (written as: (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻) is a text-based emoticon depicting a person flipping a table out of rage. Primarily used by East Asian internet users to express rage, the emoticon became popular among Western internet users following its introduction through internationally popular online games."

That doesn't sound right in this context:

> Where did we make that left turn into experienced, table flipping talent leaving the industry and the culture of brogramming scaring new talent away?

That sounds like "table flipping" is a good thing, like "turning the tables" on someone, but I'm honestly a bit puzzled.

Maybe they mean, "experienced, completely fed-up talent leaving the industry"

Interesting that the etymology of flipping tables meme apparently comes from East Asia. I'd have thought of the "other" famous table flipping incident:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleansing_of_the_Temple

Huh. I get why brogramming is bad in context but that emoticon is just used to express frustration with computers most of the time, no?

I don't understand why she chose that particular cultural marker but it doesn't change her point.

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

┬──┬ノ( º _ ºノ)

There you go. Easy does it, buddy. He won't hurt you any more.

People who throw a tantrum rather than being professional. E.g., that developer who decides a requirement or dev issue is wrong and slam's his or her fist on the table rather than politely discussing their objection.

Also applies to some particularly obnoxious clients in my experience.

However, that is not what the author means in the context of the article. It seems to me that she is using it to refer to experienced developers who are fed up with the change in software toward the "brogramming" culture (though god I hate that word), and are at the stage where they'd rather get out of software then try to change things.

That said, the way she uses the phrase seems particularly odd to me, and it took me a while to try to understand what she meant.