Ask HN: Are most of us developers lying about how much work we do?

Re:Ask HN: Are most of us developers lying about how much wo... by Matumio on Friday December 17, 2021 @03:34AM (#29589487)

Or maybe if you have to painstakingly copy those finance numbers and hour reports, you will be thinking about them more. You look busy enough to qualify as working, giving you time to actually think.

All the time tracking tools I've ever used (at software companies!) had a bad UI. Sometimes we even have to track the same hours into two different tools. Can't we automate time-tracking away? My explanation is that this is the result of cultural evolution. Companies that make people think twice about their time and spendings are more successful. People will copy whatever successful companies are doing.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Are most of us developers lying about how much wo... by exikyut on Saturday December 18, 2021 @08:31AM (#29604349)

> You look busy enough to qualify as working, giving you time to actually think.

This is so messed up - and yet so interesting as a direct result of that.

I've only ever considered the idea of "looking busy" in the sense of whether or not someone is trying to optimize for shirking actual mental engagement.

I never thought of how doing that can actually make room to think. But that's so logically obvious once you mush the two ideas together!

I say this is messed up because I can totally see this being both necessary and helpful in certain situations. Wow.

[ Parent | on HN ]