I'm a devloper, ask me anything :: suggestion

Evil Phil

DefinitelyMarc has suggested that we run Ask Me Anything threads on the forum. His idea is that the students and less experienced developers it will benefit from the experience of more senior people.

So yay or nay? Also if you'd like to volunteer post below.

TrueDub

Happy to assist, to the best of my abilities.

Developer/Tech Lead, 25 years experience, ranging across COBOL, mainframes, databases, especially now Java & Javascript.

14ned

Evil Phil wrote: »

DefinitelyMarc has suggested that we run Ask Me Anything threads on the forum. His idea is that the students and less experienced developers it will benefit from the experience of more senior people.

So yay or nay? Also if you'd like to volunteer post below.

Sure why not. I already do this for C++, it would nice to be away from that niche for a bit.

DefinitelyMarc

Excellent, excellent....

I also mentioned that younger/less experienced devs could contribute their own AMA's as I think we all have something we can contribute.

Thanks folks!

Evil Phil

Okay then, let's do this.

I'm not going to actively manage the threads like they do on the AMA forum. Just start a thread with AMA in the title and we'll go from there. If you feel a question or comment is disrespectful report it and I'll deal with it.

After a couple of threads we can come up with some specific rules.

Evil Phil

I've had a quick think about this and I've added some rules to the Forum Charter.

the_syco

Evil Phil wrote: »

So yay or nay? Also if you'd like to volunteer post below.

Perhaps have a "we're not doing your homework" disclaimer?

Evil Phil

the_syco wrote: »

Perhaps have a "we're not doing your homework" disclaimer?

Already a forum rule

beauf

I think a thread like that would be great. Especially for soft skills.

Pelvis

Just don't do what they've done over on tGC and post an AMA for everyone at the same time!

Hollister11

I'm really looking forward to this.

I probably can think of loads of questions to ask the pros.

begbysback

I vote yes - but only if we can ask how much they get paid

14ned

begbysback wrote: »

I vote yes - but only if we can ask how much they get paid

Most permies can't answer this due to their employment agreement. But contractors can.

begbysback

Can they give circa? Say between 50-60k?

14ned

begbysback wrote: »

Can they give circa? Say between 50-60k?

Most employment contracts require you to not disclose your pay to your colleagues. In the strictest sense, that means you tell nobody, and most on here I suspect won't just to be safe. It's very different in Europe, over there people ask each other their salary all the time.

Niall

Idleater

begbysback wrote: »

Can they give circa? Say between 50-60k?

I know it's "ask me anything", but some things I might just decline to answer. I'd prefer questions to be more focused on software development, experience in the software/IT industry and work practices than company free lunch comparisons.

begbysback

Fair enough - not sure if I would answer myself - but for an AMA, my view on others on Boards are that they are more questions based on personal experiences, one important one may be the differences in pay, and what it would take to have more earning power.

endacl

Ask you anything?

How do you spell 'developer'?

:pac:

14ned

begbysback wrote: »

Fair enough - not sure if I would answer myself - but for an AMA, my view on others on Boards are that they are more questions based on personal experiences, one important one may be the differences in pay, and what it would take to have more earning power.

Something the young uns appear to be particularly surprised with is how much drudge work is still required in senior positions. Even as a niche contractor earning well per hour, the amount of time I spend mechanically copy and pasting when refactoring twenty year old codebases is daft. But unfortunately most clients won't let me use more modern automated tooling e.g. clang-modernize. And as a contractor, you give the client exactly what they ask for. So forty hours of copy and pasting per week it is.

Niall

Idleater

begbysback wrote: »

Fair enough - not sure if I would answer myself - but for an AMA, my view on others on Boards are that they are more questions based on personal experiences, one important one may be the differences in pay, and what it would take to have more earning power.

Ask me anything on pay vs experience. I'm not saying work for nothing or that one can't be paid extremely well starting out, but looking back I've gained more from my experiences than I've cared for payments.

There was a good Quora answer I saw recently about the "google free food" - in terms of say $100k salary a $10 lunch is minutes if not seconds.

DefinitelyMarc

So how do people want to set these up?

Shall we let people go ahead and make them themselves or should a mod do it?