Saturday, September 28, 2019

How to succeed as a poor programmer

In a previous post I outlined why programmers should strive to be good at one thing rather than everything.

In this post I discuss how to be an asset to an organization when you are not a good programmer.  First, for the record:

I am a poor programmer.   Ask anyone who has worked on group projects with me.

But the key compensation is I am aware I am a poor programmer.   I do not try to do anything fancy.   I follow some heuristics that keep me productive IMO.   I think these heuristics are in fact good for all programmers, but are essential for those of us in the bottom quartile.

  1. KISS.   Always ask first something the extreme programming movement advocates:  what is the simplest thing that could possibly work?  Try that and if it doesn't work, try the second simplest thing.
  2. YAGNI.   When it comes to features and generality, "You Aint Gonna Need It".
  3. ALAN. Avoid Learning Anything New.   Various languages and environments and tools come and go, and each of them requires learning a new set of facts, practices, and a mentality.   And they will probably go away.   Only learn something new when forced.   In 1990 I learned C++.   In 2015 I learned Python.  Good enough.
  4. Make arrays your goto data structure.   Always ask "how would a FORTRAN programmer do this?".   During the course of your lifetime, you should occasionally use trees, but view them like binge drinking... regular use will damage your liver.
  5. Never pretend you understand something when you don't, and never bluff.  Google first, then ask people for what to read, and finally ask for a tutorial from a colleague.   We are all ignorant about almost all things. 
  6. Be aware that most coding advice is bad.   Think about whether there is empirical evidence that a given piece of advice is true.
  7. Avoid linking to other software unless forced.  It empirically rarely goes well.
  8. Try to develop a comfort zone in some area.   Mine is geometric C++ code that calls random numbers.   Don't try to be an expert in everything or even most things.
Finally, let the computer do the work; Dave Kirk talks about the elegance of brute force (I don't know if it original with him).  This is a cousin of KISS.   Hardware is fast.  Software is hard.   Bask in the miracle of creation in software; you make something with behavior out of bits.   If you are bad at programming, you are still programming, something that very few people can do.

40 comments:

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Do you have a link to Dave Kirks talk/paper?

teki said...

https://www.nvidia.fr/docs/IO/8343/Elegance-of-Brute-Force.pdf

Anonymous said...

Great write, can relate greatly to this!
I would just add one thing - "find team that compensate your weaknesses and allow your contributions to amplify that team".

Unknown said...

If you follow those (bad) advice you too can be a Munchkin at the bottom of the ladder.

Anonymous said...

Their is a lot of wisdom in this post.

Markus said...

I read from somewhere that Carmack said they pretty much rely on the array when making Doom. But I guess at least he used some tree for BSP?

SuperCed said...

I love this article !

squeen said...

Brilliant! This typifies the difference between wisdom and intelligence. Intelligence might (for example) think #3 is wrong---wisdom over the decades proves it to be the correct choice.

paulsmith198914@gmail.com said...

It was interesting to read this post.post online
What you wrote should be applied in any business and profession. Do not try to be an expert in everything. I agree.

Unknown said...

> Avoid linking to other software unless forced. It empirically rarely goes well.

Are you saying don't use middle ware? Because empirically all of the projects I've worked on would have been no-goes without middle ware.

Lisa Resnick said...



Absolutely fantastic job you have done here.This is so nice.Thanks for sharing.
clipping path service

Oliverking said...

Hello there, You’ve done a great job. I will certainly digg it and personally suggest to
my friends. I am sure they’ll be benefited from this site.reloader activator
avg driver updater
driver booster
Revo Uninstaller

Areeba Malik said...

I was searching about these tools and finally found your blog amazing list thanks admin.
Windows 7 activator
Windows 10 activator
4k Video Downloader
Windows 10 Product Keys

Oliverking said...

Your complicated aspect therefore is undoubtedly tips on finding the best performing reconstruction stable for the task, there are a couple of issues you should take time to give some thought to in this article.mixed in key
push video wallpaper
3d lut creator
IDM
grids for Instagram

ADI FREE PC SOLUTIONS said...

I love reading a post that will make people think.
Also, thanks for permitting me to comment!
IDM
Easeus Data Recovery
Windows 7 activator
4k video downloader
Microsoft office 365
Windows 10 activator
xforce keygen

Korg Legacy said...


3D LUT Creator CrackI am very impressed with your post because this post is very beneficial for me and provide a new knowledge to me

Korg Legacy said...


Refx Nexus I am very impressed with your post because this post is very beneficial for me and provide new knowledge to me

Aliza Kally said...

Latest VersionIDM 6.38 Crack is software that facilitates faster activity while using the web or during files download. We are Place a Video tutorial below on the way to Crack IDM With Patch, Serial key, crack. IDM Serial key’s the simplest thanks to registering it. Internet […]

Muzammil said...

I guess I am the only one who came here to share my very own experience. Guess what!? I am using my laptop for almost the past 2 years, but I had no idea of solving some basic issues. I do not know how to Crack Softwares Free Download But thankfully, I recently visited a website named Crackedfine
Push Video Wallpaper Crack
Wallpapers HD 4k Backgrounds Crack

Oyhooy said...


Disk Drill Pro 2022 crack

Iboysoft Data Recovery 2022 crack

CCleaner Pro 2022 crack

novaPDF Pro 2022 crack

CyberGhost VPN Premium 2022 crack

Octane Render 2022 crack

ArtRage 2022 crack

Little Snitch 2022 crack

PolyBoard 7.07g 2022 crack

Process Lasso Pro 2022 crack

Johny Sins said...

I guess I am the only one who came here to share my very own experience. Guess what!? I am using my laptop for almost the past 2 years, but I had no idea of solving some basic issues. I do not know how to Easy to Direct Download But thankfully, I recently visited a website named softcrack
Nitro Pro Enterprise Portable Crack

Mr Leo said...


I guess I am the only one who came here to share my very own experience. Guess what!? I am using my laptop for almost the past 2 years, but I had no idea of solving some basic issues. I do not know how to Download Latest PC Cracked Softwares But thankfully, I recently visited a website named pcsoftz.net
Tenorshare 4uKey For Android Crack
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Crack
IObit Driver Booster Pro Crack
Sidify Music Converter Crack
IObit Uninstaller Pro Crack
Audio Amplifier Pro Crack
Restoro Crack

Affu Jani said...

I like your all post. You have done really good work. Thank you for the information you provide, it helped me a lot. I hope to have many more entries or so from you.
Very interesting blog.
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Crack

RealCrack said...


I guess I am the only one who came here to share my very own experience. Guess what!? I am using my laptop for almost the past 2 years, but I had no idea of solving some basic issues. I do not know how to Download Latest PC Cracked Softwares But thankfully, I recently visited a website named pcsoftz.net
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Crack
Icecream PDF Editor Pro crack
Tenorshare 4uKey For Android Crack
Restoro Crack
Restoro Crack
Autodesk PowerMill Crack
NoteBurner Spotify Music Converter Crack
Nitro Pro Crack

Amine said...

Download Any in Udemy Paid Courses For Free

Google Adsense Marketing: Learn SEO tips and tricks in this SEO training courses

Free online marketing training to get the digital skills you need to grow your business

Forex course offers a series of free currency trading lessons that will teach you everything

Smith Michael said...

I am very impressed with your post because this post is very beneficial for me and provide a new knowledge to me
Adobe Lightroom Crack
Screenpresso Crack
Ludo Star MOD (Unlimited) Crack

CrackMod said...

I guess I am the only one who came here to share my very own experience. Guess what!? I am using my laptop for almost the past 2 years, but I had no idea of solving some basic issues. I do not know how to Download Latest PC Cracked Softwares But thankfully, I recently visited a website named pcsoftz.net

https://pcsoftz.net/

https://pcsoftz.net/tenorshare-4ukey-for-android-crack/

https://pcsoftz.net/tenorshare-4ukey-android-unlocker-crack/ Crack

https://pcsoftz.net/adobe-photoshop-lightroom-crack/

https://pcsoftz.net/iobit-driver-booster-pro-crack/ Crack

https://pcsoftz.net/icecream-slideshow-maker-pro-crack/ Crack

https://pcsoftz.net/icecream-pdf-candy-desktop-pro-crack/ Crack

https://pcsoftz.net/icecream-pdf-editor-pro-crack/ Crack

https://pcsoftz.net/sidify-music-converter-crack/ Crack

https://pcsoftz.net/iobit-uninstaller-pro-crack/ Crack

https://pcsoftz.net/audio-amplifier-pro-crack/ Crack

https://pcsoftz.net/driver-genius-pro-crack/ Crack

https://pcsoftz.net/navicat-premium-crack/ Crack

https://pcsoftz.net/windows-12-crack/ Crack

https://pcsoftz.net/adobe-xd-crack/ Crack

https://pcsoftz.net/restoro-crack/ Crack

Download free softwere said...

Wow, amazing block structure! How long
Have you written a blog before? Working on a blog seems easy.
The overview of your website is pretty good, not to mention what it does.
In the content!
vstkey.com
Overloud TH-U Full Crack
iMyFone D-Back Crack
Sonnox Oxford Reverb Crack
Lurssen Mastering Console VST Crack
Windows TubeMate Crack
PhpStorm Crack
Redshift Render Crack

RealCrack said...


I guess I am the only one who came here to share my very own experience. Guess what!? I am using my laptop for almost the past 2 years, but I had no idea of solving some basic issues. I do not know how to Download Latest PC Cracked Softwares But thankfully, I recently visited a website named pcsoftz.net
Tenorshare 4uKey For Android Crack

fulllicensekey said...

Thank for the wonderful article hopefully you will find my article Here as useful
Deep Freeze Standard Crack
PhotoCartoon Professional Crack
Zero Assumption Recovery Crack

zoya noor said...


Excellent post. I've been browsing this blog constantly, and I'm impressed!
Lightworks Pro crack
Comodo Antivirus crack
Aiseesoft MobieSync crack

Amine said...

Hive IPTV

Amine said...

Lemo IPTV

John Albert said...

I worshipped however much you'll acquire performed here. The representation is engaging, your made material shrewd. notwithstanding, you demand get got a touchiness over that you wish be turning in the going with. weakened obviously come further in advance again since unequivocally the same practically a ton regularly inside case you guard this expansion. Edgerunner David jacket

amine said...

Dit artikel bekijkt twee van de beste IPTV-sites in Nederland en Europa: PandoraIPTV en IPTVDark.
PandoraIPTV: https://pandoraiptv.net/
heeft zich gevestigd als een van de belangrijkste IPTV-providers in Nederland en Europa en biedt een uitgebreide selectie aan tv-kanalen, films en series aan zijn abonnees. Het platform biedt hoogwaardige video streams in HD en is compatibel met verschillende apparaten.
IPTVDark : https://iptvdark.net/
is een andere belangrijke speler op de Europese IPTV-markt, bekend om zijn betrouwbaarheid en stabiliteit. Het biedt een breed scala aan kanalen en inhoud en heeft een responsieve klantenservice.

Our travel destiny said...

Nurse salaries in the USA are diverse and influenced by several key factors, including geographical location, level of education, and years of experience. Registered nurses (RNs) typically earn an annual salary of around $75,000, although this can vary widely, particularly between urban and rural settings. Urban nurses often enjoy higher salaries, reflecting the greater demand for healthcare services and the higher cost of living in those areas. Advanced practice nurses, encompassing nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists, can earn significantly more, with salaries ranging from $175,000 to $200,000 or even higher based on their specialized training. Additionally, many nursing positions include attractive benefits packages that enhance overall compensation. With the ongoing demand for healthcare professionals and a consistently evolving industry, wage growth remains strong across the nursing sector. The nursing profession not only presents a financially lucrative career but also offers numerous opportunities for advancement and personal fulfilment in patient care.
https://www.dynamichealthstaff.com/nurse-salary-in-usa

Mahnoor PC said...

"""Nice piece of content

Google Trends Alternatives """

Sadeempc said...

Thanx for the amazing article hopefully you will find my article Here as useful.
TreeSize Professional Fully Cracked 2024
Soda PDF Standard With crack 2024
Xara Photo & Graphic Designer Pro Cracked 2024
SkinFiner 5.3.3 With Crack 2024

Game Show said...

Get the latest version 2025

Download Link
Download Link
Download Link
Download Link