What are examples of programmers disregarding aesthetics for productivity?

3 points by rodarmor 3 years ago | 5 comments

I really enjoy it when I see programmers with a deranged disregard for aesthetics in the name of efficiency or productivity. Some of my favorited examples from my own experience:

- An extremely productive, like, 100x senior engineer I know works on a stock Ubuntu box with the default desktop wallpaper and an un-customized IntelliJ IDE and when he opens an IDE window he doesn't even full screen or center it. Just blasting code in an un-centered 68% width IDE.

- The smartest person I know (like, easily) uses the tcsh shell, the nvi editor, and the twm or ratpoision window manager, all ancient, unmaintained tools. I think they were the state of the art when he started using Unix and he never bothered switching.

- I saw a very clever bitcoin developer just set `contenteditable="true"` on an HTML element and use it as a text editor, I think because he already had the window open.

- Another developer I know with insane quality standards just names things "foo" when he can't think of a name for things, to the point where we worked on a project together for a month in a repo called "foo" until we came up with a name.

What are some good examples you've witnessed?

mamoriamohit 3 years ago |

Wow, I read these examples, and I feel like I am not productive at all, haha.

If I have to count examples, I'd also like to count stuff that is not happening on the computer, but around it. Example, the desk.

I know a very clever developer who rarely dusts off his desk. Plugs his headphones, opens up the laptop, and gets going.

I know a very smart chap who carries a water bottle everywhere he goes, and uses it to keep hydrated, but he doesn't wash it. Just keeps refilling it multiple times a day. No wash at all.

rsynnott 3 years ago |

> works on a stock Ubuntu box with the default desktop wallpaper and an un-customized IntelliJ IDE and when he opens an IDE window he doesn't even full screen or center it. Just blasting code in an un-centered 68% width IDE.

That's what a windowing system is _for_. On a modern largish (say, 27") monitor, you probably don't _want_ it full-screen; for most people that's going to be less comfortable to use than a narrower version with other stuff in the missing space.

> Another developer I know with insane quality standards just names things "foo" when he can't think of a name for things

You can get away with this if you're working on your own, but it's horrible practice if you're working with people.

jleyank 3 years ago |

You can fight your tools or fight your problem. Tools that get out of your way and are multi platform are things that should be appreciated.

nonrandomstring 3 years ago |

For work I use dwm (a fully suckless setup) with some custom hacking to add a few features on the top bar. Generally I hate "window managers", which seem pointless and slow down my computer and my workflow. If you're reaching for a mouse you're doing it wrong.

(On my fun computer I use KDE for music sequencers and suchlike, like a normal sensible person)

alexmolas 3 years ago |

I don't think that using ancient and unmaintained tools is a sign of productivity. Of course, it's not always needed to use the latest tool, but I believe that the real sign of productivity is knowing which tool to use for each thing. Otherwise you can fell in the classical "when you are a hammer everything is a nail".