Re:Signs that you're a good programmer
by onemorepassword on Thursday April 25, 2013 @01:48PM
(#5608715)
I think you'll find that HN, and our profession in general, has a disproportionate amount of people with a strong tendency to take things very literally and overlook the intended humor.
Especially when it comes to matters they take very seriously.
Poe's law [1] absolutely applies here and is likely why commenters here are so polarized about this article.
I agree, I laughed a few times while reading. A lot of the points are insightful in some regards and just blatantly wrong in others. Going to thinkgeek doesn't make you a good programmer, it just makes you a nerd.
A lot of what he wrote categorizes people into boxes, we tend to like boxes, but not to be put into them... Some of his points, if abstracted, are very insightful.
Obviously, to me and the author at least, this isn't like an actual guide to being a good programmer - this is a semi-autobiographical, kidding essay about the subject.
That's how I read it at least - I expected to agree with some points and not with others, and empathize with a fellow soldier. It tweaks a lot of whiskers because he invariably badmouths something you like or props up something you hate. For me, I was scoffing when he said tabs vs. spaces wasn't important.