Hacker News Reader

I couldn't quite understand why the answer to the "Why were you using Python? question wasn't "We carefully assessed the client's ability to maintain and use the code - which is a critical requirement..."

... and used Python instead of a language with good compile-time safety enforcement, like Ada, because Python is easier to learn by noobs.

if you read the story they picked Python because the sysadmins knew it and they had to know the language in order for them to maintain it

So, they picked Python because it is easy to learn by noobs. Yeah, this changes everything.

Probably because we're reading it in a low-stress situation where we don't fear for our job and can think clearly.

While I can only speak for myself, if I'm getting talked at the way this guy was being talked at, I'd probably forget the requirements too.

Seriously, what the fuck. There is no good part to this story. If I'm the Director of Engineering and I have to deliver a project and I find out at the last minute that they've been doing it wrong for months, it's my fault and nobody else's.

If it's fine, why would I chew an employee out? This story is fucked up (not just screwed up).

I mean, presumably that's why it's called "murderboard".

This reminds me of the old BOFH stories. There's a lot of casual verbal brutality in older engineering/ops cultures, that's why people invent things like "#hugops" to try to soften it a bit. It is not how things should be done in 2021.

> Oh mate, you are taking your job too seriously. You should go and do 100% of what you can, and if the project still fails, hey it wasn't your fault. Some tasks are FUBAR before they arrive at your desk and there is no point in worrying about that.

Agreed. This is exactly the type of person that shouldn't be working on these types of projects.

Yes, take the job seriously. Yes, feel responsible for your own actions. But don't assign all blame to yourself before you even start. Treat yourself as you treat others.