Many coding geniuses, except maybe Linus Torvalds himself, seem to be happier with programs than people.
What is your experience of programmers and tech folk in general (without any hate here in mind other than "what about improving the people skills" a bit more)
#Relationships #Programmers #Tech
#Improving people more than tech?
#PeopleSkills + #BetterPeople ?
It's funny, because being obsessed with technology is more of a fanboy/early adopters/hype junkies thing. When I develop software, I am always thinking in people: users, other developers... I don't put a button anywhere because a machine needs it; I put it because a person needs it. I don't store a bit of data anywhere because my app needs it; I store it because somebody may want to get it back.
Software is a tool, not a goal. If people is not at the center of your development process, you can't be a good developer.
If people is not at the center of your development process, you can't be a good developer.
@jgg I agree a lot with last sentence.
And not to undo my complement, could I ask something potentially revealing but worthy just to know... what I would ask the many developers - (some who didn't say it as well as you did in reply) and that is:
- how many people do you actually talk to for this type of development? (so not just to "keep in mind" people but how many to do really do the "care work" of listening or asking personally yourself?)
I imagine for most people it's near-0 or not needed (but could be practices) so practically neearly 0 for "people work" is common probably (not including colleagues either unless they go deep with them socially on company time about theory, thoughts and mechanics of life / people!).
I don't consider the "thoughts about making the button" as something human as interactions coming from a result of doing it - although I appreciate the consideration - just more humans part of a health circle seem the rightest way.
If people is not at the center of your development process, you can't be a good developer.
To be honest, for most of the projects I have been in, I barely have contact with final users. Corporate policies. In the rare cases I talked with them, I learned a lot. Of course, you have to be careful, or you will end implementing functionality only one of your users need. There are no two people who thinks alike.
But we are always thinking in users, clients, other developers... We are always debating what the best way of helping them is. What will be more efective, more intuitive, if this feature is more important for them than that bug fix. It is always about people.
I see software as a form of communication between me and the user. And when I am the user, I can feel the vibe of the people who did the software. You can feel the care they put in designing it. Or the pain of releasing something you know is still bug ridden. Or the conflicting parts of an app, that reveal the conflicts between the people who did it. It is all there, if you pay attention.
A good example of this is Windows. Everytime Microsoft launches some new version, I can see the tension between the tech and the marketing people. Tech trying to make something fast, simple, effective. Marketing filling it with ads, crapware, and nonsense. Looking at Windows is like seeing a war in stop motion.
If people is not at the center of your development process, you can't be a good developer.
@jgg Good writing there.
Something still is a bit missing without talking to people more but I get people are being pulled in so many directions and even don't want the users to call all the shots / be told "no" especially when it's so great already it's hard not to want to perfect it from user and others with maybe different ideas!
