Dev.SN

Cowboy Engineers in the Software Industry

posted by janrinok on Sunday March 02 2014, @07:59PM   
from the was-it-much-harder-in-my-day? dept.

shabadoo writes:

"Will software engineering always be a cowboy's game? Or is it just a case of when you're a passionate expert the pimples stand out more clearly. This guy has clearly had enough. His vents are amusing, but also raise some good points about the state of the industry."

• Maximizing Value Maximizing Value (Score: 1) by cafebabe on Tuesday March 04 2014, @03:26PM

  by cafebabe (894) on Tuesday March 04 2014, @03:26PM (#10891)

  When you're an employee, your job is to your boss's bidding. If he wants you to implement a nonsensical braindead idea, that's what you do.

  Your job as an employee is to maximize shareholder value. If you're out of a job, your colleagues are out of a job and your boss is out of a job, that's because shareholder value is zero and no-one done their job properly.

  I'll admit that it can be very difficult to say "Your idea blows goats" in a manner which is diplomatic but you're dis-honorable to ignore it and you make the computer industry look amateur.

  Parent

• Re:Maximizing Value (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Tuesday March 04 2014, @04:07PM

  by Grishnakh (2831) on Tuesday March 04 2014, @04:07PM (#10916)

  Then by that definition, every industry is "amateur". I don't know of any industry where you can tell your boss he's an idiot and his idea is stupid and expect to keep your job for long. Yes, you can be more diplomatic, but after you've made your case, his word is sovereign, so when he tells you to implement the nonsensical braindead idea, that's your job. You can go over his head to his boss, but that's a sure recipe for disaster.

  Parent