Refresh Teesside October 2012 Talk

"They don't make us like they used to" - a tongue-in-cheek look at the differences in problem solving by today's computer employees versus yesterday's computer employees

Transcript

1. Refresh Teesside 10th October 2012 { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
2. “They don’t make us like they used to...” Rick Trotter @tskynet http://tsky.net Wednesday, 10 October 12
3. Wednesday, 10 October 12
4. Wednesday, 10 October 12
5. Disclaimer: I’m not saying older coders are better. I’m simply highlighting a generational divide in problem solving. We need to understand why things are different. { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
6. Disclaimer: We’re all guilty in one way or another. All quotes are real, though the names have been changed or omitted to protect those involved. { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
7. Long ago in a computer room not so far, far away... Wednesday, 10 October 12
8. My first Computer Wednesday, 10 October 12
9. My first Computer Was based on a ZX80 kit Wednesday, 10 October 12
10. My first Computer Was based on a ZX80 kit Required reading to Wednesday, 10 October 12
11. My first Computer Was based on a ZX80 kit Required reading to make it do basic tasks Wednesday, 10 October 12
12. My first Computer Was based on a ZX80 kit Required reading to make it do basic tasks My dad had to build it from electronic components Wednesday, 10 October 12
13. My first Computer Was based on a ZX80 kit Required reading to make it do basic tasks My dad had to build it from electronic components No GUI whatsoever Wednesday, 10 October 12
14. My first Computer Was based on a ZX80 kit Required reading to make it do basic tasks My dad had to build it from electronic components No GUI whatsoever Coding was mysterious Wednesday, 10 October 12
15. Reading was mandatory If you didn’t read the manual, you didn’t know how to load your software - let alone start programming something useful. Wednesday, 10 October 12
16. Previous Generation Wednesday, 10 October 12
17. Previous Generation Wednesday, 10 October 12
18. Previous Generation Wednesday, 10 October 12
19. Previous Generation Wednesday, 10 October 12
20. Previous Generation Bow Ties or sensible ties Beards Lots of paper output Dark rooms Serious faces Pimply-faced star-wars kids Wednesday, 10 October 12
21. The turning point The Dot Com Boom Wednesday, 10 October 12
22. The bubble burst but the public realised the potential to quickly make $$$ from computers.. Wednesday, 10 October 12
23. This generation Wednesday, 10 October 12
24. This generation Wednesday, 10 October 12
25. This generation Wednesday, 10 October 12
26. This generation Wednesday, 10 October 12
27. This generation Bow Ties or no ties T-shirts Gadgets Swanky Offices Silly happy faces No socks Wednesday, 10 October 12
28. Problems faced today Wednesday, 10 October 12
29. Problems faced today • There is an increasing plethora of “OMG iwannabe famous like Zuckerberg!” coders Wednesday, 10 October 12
30. Problems faced today • There is an increasing plethora of “OMG iwannabe famous like Zuckerberg!” coders • Modern tools and resources mean anyone considers themselves a “coder” if they know how to use a H1 tag or click on GUI buttons Wednesday, 10 October 12
31. Problems faced today • There is an increasing plethora of “OMG iwannabe famous like Zuckerberg!” coders • Modern tools and resources mean anyone considers themselves a “coder” if they know how to use a H1 tag or click on GUI buttons • Poor press coverage of software development companies leads to misinformation Wednesday, 10 October 12
32. Problems faced today • There is an increasing plethora of “OMG iwannabe famous like Zuckerberg!” coders • Modern tools and resources mean anyone considers themselves a “coder” if they know how to use a H1 tag or click on GUI buttons • Poor press coverage of software development companies leads to misinformation • Lack of problem-solving skills in recruits Wednesday, 10 October 12
33. Problems faced today Wednesday, 10 October 12
34. Problems faced today • Changes in education targets and goals - programming is seen as Excel Spreadsheets Wednesday, 10 October 12
35. Problems faced today • Changes in education targets and goals - programming is seen as Excel Spreadsheets • New recruits seek the easy or quick option - Why learn anything when you can steal? Wednesday, 10 October 12
36. Problems faced today • Changes in education targets and goals - programming is seen as Excel Spreadsheets • New recruits seek the easy or quick option - Why learn anything when you can steal? • Perceived “easy money” for “little work” Wednesday, 10 October 12
37. it can’t be that bad you say:- oh, you want proof? { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
38. StackOverflow posts like this: { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
39. “Draw line using bonjour: I am likely to use Bonjour in my code and i want to draw a line or say canvas using Bonjour in iphone and simultaneously line or canvas should be drawn on other iphone. Please provide me source code or demo example for using this.” Wednesday, 10 October 12
40. or this: { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
41. “hai Iam new to ios programming .I want to upload a photo from my app to facebook .Iam using Xcode 4.2 . please help me how to do this from scratch. i tried rayweinderlich and several other method any help will be highly appreciated” Wednesday, 10 October 12
42. not convinced? { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
43. “I want to develop a jigsaw puzzle with random images in android. Can any one tell how can i do this ?” Wednesday, 10 October 12
44. but it’s not just on the world wide pleb.... { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
45. Messages from junior developers like this: { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
46. “I copied this code from a site and it doesn’t work. It’s supposed to take my image and upload it to my server - what’s wrong?” <form> <input type=”file” name=”myimage”> <input type=”submit”> </form> Wednesday, 10 October 12
47. or this: { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
48. “My mail form isn’t working - why not?” <form> Name: <input type=”text” name=”name”> Message: <textarea name=”message”></textarea> <input type=”submit”> </form> Wednesday, 10 October 12
49. Count to ten. { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
50. then you get CV’s like this: { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
51. “I’ve done a ecommerce website for a local businesses using Front Page and Paint. I know all about computers and spend all day on them” Wednesday, 10 October 12
52. Read: When at school, we had to do some 2-page websites using crap software. I now sit on Facebook all day. { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
53. or like this: { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
54. “After not getting a job in joinery I thought I’d do computers instead.” Wednesday, 10 October 12
55. because they’re so similar? { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
56. or like this: { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
57. “In my spare time I like to take electrical equipment apart” Wednesday, 10 October 12
58. Panic. { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
59. Responses in software development teams like this: { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
60. Dev: What does this chunk of code do? Junior: I dunno. Dev: But you wrote this last month for the client Junior: I just got it off a website somewhere. Wednesday, 10 October 12
61. or like this: { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
62. “Dave built this database table before he left. We don’t know what it’s for.” Wednesday, 10 October 12
63. Where are the quality control procedures? Where’s the accountability? { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
64. Is it any wonder clients don’t trust developers? WE don’t trust them! { } Wednesday, 10 October 12
65. Solution? Employers: Wednesday, 10 October 12
66. Solution? Employers: • Choose candidates wisely - read between the lines. Check, double check and test them. Wednesday, 10 October 12
67. Solution? Employers: • Choose candidates wisely - read between the lines. Check, double check and test them. • Create a culture of learning in your business Wednesday, 10 October 12
68. Solution? Employers: • Choose candidates wisely - read between the lines. Check, double check and test them. • Create a culture of learning in your business • Realise YOU can’t know everything - impart this concept in new candidates Wednesday, 10 October 12
69. Solution? Employers: • Choose candidates wisely - read between the lines. Check, double check and test them. • Create a culture of learning in your business • Realise YOU can’t know everything - impart this concept in new candidates • Create accountability, create project control methods and procedures Wednesday, 10 October 12
70. Solution? Employers: Wednesday, 10 October 12
71. Solution? Employers: • Encourage reading and learning in all your teams Wednesday, 10 October 12
72. Solution? Employers: • Encourage reading and learning in all your teams • Pool your skills and resources and do what you’re each good at Wednesday, 10 October 12
73. Solution? Employers: • Encourage reading and learning in all your teams • Pool your skills and resources and do what you’re each good at • Consider working with education to explain requirements for candidates they send you Wednesday, 10 October 12
74. Solution? Employers: • Encourage reading and learning in all your teams • Pool your skills and resources and do what you’re each good at • Consider working with education to explain requirements for candidates they send you • Promote good practice in the industry Wednesday, 10 October 12
75. Solution? Employers: • Encourage reading and learning in all your teams • Pool your skills and resources and do what you’re each good at • Consider working with education to explain requirements for candidates they send you • Promote good practice in the industry • Consider ISO standards for your company Wednesday, 10 October 12
76. Solution? Employees: Wednesday, 10 October 12
77. Solution? Employees: • Realise you don’t know everything and neither do your colleagues Wednesday, 10 October 12
78. Solution? Employees: • Realise you don’t know everything and neither do your colleagues • Accept you cannot ever stop learning. Ever. This is computing - change is here to stay Wednesday, 10 October 12
79. Solution? Employees: • Realise you don’t know everything and neither do your colleagues • Accept you cannot ever stop learning. Ever. This is computing - change is here to stay • Be honest with your colleagues and with employers Wednesday, 10 October 12
80. Solution? Employees: • Realise you don’t know everything and neither do your colleagues • Accept you cannot ever stop learning. Ever. This is computing - change is here to stay • Be honest with your colleagues and with employers • Realise you will never land your dream job on the first go, or the second. Wednesday, 10 October 12
81. Solution? Employees: Wednesday, 10 October 12
82. Solution? Employees: • RTFM! Seriously. Do it. Amaze yourself Wednesday, 10 October 12
83. Solution? Employees: • RTFM! Seriously. Do it. Amaze yourself • Document your own code no matter how simple you think it is - be prepared to discuss it with your team Wednesday, 10 October 12
84. Solution? Employees: • RTFM! Seriously. Do it. Amaze yourself • Document your own code no matter how simple you think it is - be prepared to discuss it with your team • Be prepared to start simple and build up your job role - everyone starts somewhere Wednesday, 10 October 12
85. Solution? Employees: • RTFM! Seriously. Do it. Amaze yourself • Document your own code no matter how simple you think it is - be prepared to discuss it with your team • Be prepared to start simple and build up your job role - everyone starts somewhere • Leave a good legacy for others Wednesday, 10 October 12
86. Solution? Employees: • RTFM! Seriously. Do it. Amaze yourself • Document your own code no matter how simple you think it is - be prepared to discuss it with your team • Be prepared to start simple and build up your job role - everyone starts somewhere • Leave a good legacy for others • Don’t build systems out of greed Wednesday, 10 October 12
87. Effect A happier business, happier clients A happier coding team Less lost ‘stupidity’ time Wednesday, 10 October 12
88. Effect Less More Wednesday, 10 October 12
89. Effect More usable and Re-usable codebases Wednesday, 10 October 12
90. Effect Better future candidates Wednesday, 10 October 12
91. end Rick Trotter @tskynet http://tsky.net { } Wednesday, 10 October 12