When I Was Saying...
A sharp, ironic critique of the IT industry's misplaced priorities — from investing in ping-pong tables instead of communities, to creating 23-year-old 'seniors' who still don't know the difference between an abstract class and an interface.
When I* was saying that we need to invest in the community and User Groups, you were investing in ping-pong tables. Now we have plenty of mediocre ping-pong players and no community.
When I was saying that you can't lure IT people to conferences with cookies and perks, you kept buying pizza, giving away t-shirts and iPads. Now every event starts with a hunt for freebies. And that's how they end, too.
When I was saying to invest money in training specialists, you kept handing out referral bonuses. Now nobody actually works — everyone just refers.
When I was saying that you can't pay thousands of dollars to people who don't know the difference between an abstract class and an interface, you kept paying them. Now everyone earns thousands of dollars, but nobody has a damn clue what the difference is between an abstract class and an interface.
When I was saying that we need to write technical articles, you kept reading Habr and discussing companies. Now Habr is doing great, but nobody writes technical articles.
When I was saying that you can't call everyone a "senior," you kept minting them. Now we have a ton of 23-year-old seniors, and still nobody has a damn clue what the difference is between an abstract class and an interface.
When I was saying that people matter more than processes, you kept throwing Agile parties and installing Scrum boards. Now we have total Scrum everywhere, and yet — let's be honest — projects are still built just as poorly.
When I was saying that you shouldn't ask brain teasers at interviews, you kept asking why manhole covers are round. Now everyone knows why manhole covers are round, but the difference between an abstract class and... well, you get the idea.
When you say that programmers have become spoiled — you're right. After all, you did everything correctly!
*"I" is a collective image; any resemblances are coincidental.
