How to reach "dark matter" developers

6 points by AussieCoder 12 years ago | 9 comments

Scott Hanselman has talked about "dark matter" developers (http://www.hanselman.com/blog/DarkMatterDevelopersTheUnseen99.aspx) - the ones working in companies everywhere writing the software that keeps businesses running. They're writing applications in VB6, MS Access, ASP.NET and often using outdated software and outdated practices. They work 9-5 and when they go home at the end of the day the only technology they use is their TV remote.

I'm not disparaging them. I work with them. For them, writing code is just a job and that job helps keep the businesses we depend on working.

But they could be so much more productive if they updated their skills and had opportunity to gain new experience.

There is no shortage of educational information and opportunities on the web, but these aren't the type of people to go looking for it. It needs to come to them, in their workplaces, ideally during their working day.

So, my question is this - if we want to help them enhance their skills and experience, how do we reach them?

dkuntz2 12 years ago |

I think the real question is: do they want "help"?

They're doing perfectly well. They fill their role, they do their job, they do what they want during their free time. Who are you (or anyone) to say that needs to be changed?

The last paragraph of Hansleman's post captures it perfectly:

> The Dark Matter Developer will never read this blog post because they are getting work done using tech from ten years ago and that's totally OK. I know they are there and I will to support them in their work.

AussieCoder 12 years ago | |

My concern is that whilst they think they are doing their job, the people paying them don't think they are doing it well enough or doing enough of it to value it. I'm seeing more and more development jobs off-shored or out-sourced not because that results in better work, but simply because it results in the same work being done more cheaply. That's great for the companies and countries that are picking up that work, but it's leaving a swathe of developers who are "mid-career" who are at risk of becoming unemployed and whilst they may get new jobs, they may not earn the kind of money they are used to.

czbond 12 years ago | | |

I honestly think this will continue. I've seen startups, and Fortune 5, Fortune 500 doing this. I believe a majority of the development function will continue to be outsourced. I read CIO magazine regularly, and I see the development process continue to be outsourced. In addition, India, Russia, China, Thailand are becoming good development alternatives. The first round of outsourcing in the early 00's didn't go so well. However, the economics of the situation, and the increasing skill set lead me to believe it will continue. I am sure this comment will be flamed, but it's the truth IMHO. (Note: I have a CompSci degree, done a few tech startups as CTO, so don't shoot the messenger).

punkghetto 12 years ago |

i'm a total newbie at technology and programming. I'm an accountant, but in the last year I've developed a passion for computing and learning to code. I was never exposed to coding or making growing up, everything was a dark hole or a black box that just worked (most of the time). My answer to your question is that if you want to 'reach' or 'help' them your energy will mostly be wasted. You can't install curiosity, motivation, or a lust for knowledge in a person. They have to want it, there is already enough resources to keep anyone's head spinning. (at least there is for me)

AussieCoder 12 years ago | |

I agree, curiosity and passion are something you either have or you don't. As an industry we need to improve our capabilities and continuously demonstrate our value and a subset who are lacking or have outdated skills risks influencing the perception of the value of the whole.

That said, if we can't make people want to be interested we need to find another way to reach them.

Some industries require formal certification and demonstration of ongoing professional development, but IT generally doesn't (although there are pockets which do). Some of the best developers I have worked with have had no formal training, however, just passion, curiosity and a willingness to put in the hours to learn and excluding them would be a mistake. So how do we do it?

czbond 12 years ago | |

I think you're spot on. We like to believe everyone is motivated to achieve - but the truth is that most aren't.

rpietro 12 years ago |

not sure whether this will come out the wrong way, but for some people programming is a career while for others it is and will likely always be a job.

again, don't get me wrong: the ones who do it as a job might well have other things that they love and that for them would be a dream come true type of career. doesn't mean they lack passion or are not really good at something else, but programming might just not be the thing that they are passionate about

AussieCoder 12 years ago | |

I totally agree with you - for many programmers, programming is just a job. And I'm not saying that's wrong, but I work with a lot of these developers and my issue / concern is that they are not actually very good at their job - they get by only because expectations of IT in their organisations are low, something which is true in most large corporations and many smaller ones.

When the people paying the IT bills have low expectations to begin with, and are often disappointed with the applications they are given, IT becomes devalued.

I'm working with a team at the moment where we have introduced a structured data access architecture (.NET shop, so Entity Framework underpinning a repository model) and it has transformed the productivity of the team. They are no longer writing the same data access code in 5 different places, testing it 5 times and finding 5 different sets of bugs. They are now writing the code once, testing it once and re-using it.

The team hadn't even heard of Entity Framework, despite being a dedicated Microsoft/.NET shop and Entity Framework being around for several years. Getting them to move from their hand-coded approach, which was what they learnt for .NET 1.0 was a challenge but, having done it, they wouldn't go back and love the flexibility and power the new approach gives them.

This isn't a discussion about technologies though. I'm sure that there are many other teams just like this team and I'm interested in how to get to them to introduce new technologies and ways of working. The more productive we are as developers, and the more "delight" the applications we develop are, the more valued we will all be as an industry.

czbond 12 years ago |

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