hamstergeddon's recent activity
-
Comment on Seeking advice as a Frontend web developer in ~comp
-
Comment on Seeking advice as a Frontend web developer in ~comp
hamstergeddon Link ParentBefore this project, I liked that he was a regular contributor to the codebase. It was one of the things I respected most about him because I've had a lot of managers in the past who either didn't...Before this project, I liked that he was a regular contributor to the codebase. It was one of the things I respected most about him because I've had a lot of managers in the past who either didn't know how to write code or simply didn't. So it was kind of refreshing because it eliminated the disconnect between management and the developers. But yeah this project has shown me that there is absolutely a big downside to that as well!
If they really need to write code, they need to act like a team member and talk about the changes that they are going to make with the team.
Yes! Absolutely. Hearing my code is flawed stings a little, but it helps shape me into a better developer in the long-run. This wouldn't bother me so much if we were hearing "hey we did what we needed to do to reach a milestone in a messy project, now we need to clean it up, here's how I did that". But it's just... "hey I refactored a bunch of stuff, here's the PR". I guess it could be worse, he could just bypass the PR process entirely...
As for metrics, these sound absolutely useless to how productive actual developers are. I would never use something like that myself - especially since in your case it sounds like its your manager who is changing your code? That's setting you up for failure and that's what bad managers do.
It's not something implemented by my manager, and he seems to know it's bullshit. It's something implemented by our CTO, who has a long career in upper management for various FAANG and FAANG-like companies.
-
Comment on Seeking advice as a Frontend web developer in ~comp
hamstergeddon Link ParentIt's refreshing to have a conversation with you that didn't start with you magically appearing before me in Minecraft ;) Yeah I'm trying to build up the courage to do that. We have our 1:1's on...It's refreshing to have a conversation with you that didn't start with you magically appearing before me in Minecraft ;)
I would have a discussion with your manager.
Yeah I'm trying to build up the courage to do that. We have our 1:1's on Tuesdays, so I guess I have the weekend to put all of my thoughts into more work-friendly words. I just don't want to word vomit or like you said, make my feelings his responsibility.
This all assumes your manager is acting in good faith. It’s possible they are sabotaging the team in a failed attempt to pump their ego and appear important to upper management. In that case I would look to switch teams or jobs ASAP.
I think he's generally acting in good faith and I've long felt that a lot of our problems begin just above him in the corporate ladder (middle management...who would've thought!). He could just have me fooled, but despite recent problems I still give him the benefit of the doubt.
-
Comment on Seeking advice as a Frontend web developer in ~comp
hamstergeddon Link ParentYeah most code-based metrics are terrible. We don't pay attention to lines of code, but number of commits or coding days (at least 1 commit per day = a coding day), which also doesn't really pan...Yeah most code-based metrics are terrible. We don't pay attention to lines of code, but number of commits or coding days (at least 1 commit per day = a coding day), which also doesn't really pan out either because there are genuinely days where you don't commit any code to the repo. So of course people find workarounds, like getting really loose with what's commit-worthy. My workaround is simply maintaining our testing server's branch so it's caught up to master, plus whatever feature work's going on. It's dumb.
-
Seeking advice as a Frontend web developer
We have this big project at work...an "all hands on deck" kinda thing that has us rank-and-file frontend devs working alongside our manager more closely than I'm used to. And it was fine, because...
We have this big project at work...an "all hands on deck" kinda thing that has us rank-and-file frontend devs working alongside our manager more closely than I'm used to. And it was fine, because I like the guy and he's been a decent manager. But this project is killing me.
On multiple occasions now I've written code, had it pass code review (often with his approval after a round of changes/guidance), and then every few days we get these massive re-write PRs from him where he completely rewrites large chunks of what we've done. It's leaving me feeling a few different ways:
- Angry because how quickly your code gets replaced is a (imo, bullshit) metric used as a part of our annual reviews and promotion discussions
- Doubting myself because in my head a good developer doesn't have their code rewritten that quickly.
- Confused because features I thought I understood are constantly being rewritten leaving me wasting time trying to relearn how things work
- Wondering what the point of writing code is if it's just going to be thrown in the garbage later in the week?
And like I'll be the first to admit I'm not the most proficient developer on our team. React and Typescript are relatively new concepts to me, despite a long career in web development. But I've been writing with it for about a year now and I had thought I was finally getting a good grasp on things. But now I'm wondering if I'm just an idiot? Is it imposter syndrome or have I actually somehow coasted through a 15 year career across various stacks and it's just now catching up to me?
Or is this just the nature of massive projects like this? We had a half-baked product scope to begin with and its getting daily changes with entire chunks of it not very well thought out by our PM. I can see how it would make sense that the more senior developer might see the need to refactor things when things are constantly changing and we're left writing code based on assumptions and half-written requirements. I'm also getting are comments on my PRs that request changes, but mid-comment he's like "I'll just take care of this because it's blocking me".
It's just really taking a toll on my mental health and how I feel about my job. I've been trying to find another job for a few months now, but I'm not having any luck. Job hunting sucks and when you're already demoralized as hell, it's hard to sell yourself to prospective employers.
Could really use some insight from other experienced devs, please!
11 votes -
Comment on SpaceX says its Starship rocket broke up mid-flight as debris videos emerge online in ~space
hamstergeddon Link ParentInteresting! I've always associated it with Kerbal Space Program, since that's where I first encountered it before SpaceX was more of a household name...Quite frequently, in fact, but nothing a...Interesting! I've always associated it with Kerbal Space Program, since that's where I first encountered it before SpaceX was more of a household name...Quite frequently, in fact, but nothing a few more struts couldn't fix :)
-
Comment on An update from Nintendo (Nintendo Switch 2 announcement) in ~games
hamstergeddon Link ParentYeah it's weird, but I do love to tinker with settings. In the case of Witcher 3 I was experiencing a lot of texture pop-in that was very distracting during conversations and being able to tone...Yeah it's weird, but I do love to tinker with settings. In the case of Witcher 3 I was experiencing a lot of texture pop-in that was very distracting during conversations and being able to tone the settings down a bit reduced it substantially.
-
Comment on An update from Nintendo (Nintendo Switch 2 announcement) in ~games
hamstergeddon Link ParentI recently began a playthrough of Witcher 3 on the switch. It's impressive as hell that it works on the Switch, but it also looks like its out of 2007. Especially once you apply the recommended...I recently began a playthrough of Witcher 3 on the switch. It's impressive as hell that it works on the Switch, but it also looks like its out of 2007. Especially once you apply the recommended (by fans, that is) graphics settings to smooth the choppiness out.
Not to mention how badly games like Pokemon Violet/Scarlet perform at times.
But also this is kind of a moot point because I don't think the announcement said anything about graphical capabilities? And it's hard to tell from a few shots from Mario Kart. Maybe it's from leaks, but I don't keep up with that stuff because we've been getting "leaks" about Switch revisions for so long now that I stopped paying attention.
-
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
hamstergeddon LinkAt the beginning of the year I decided to start tracking my alcohol intake in the hopes of decreasing it. I began tracking it with a printout calendar and I was coloring in each day with a...At the beginning of the year I decided to start tracking my alcohol intake in the hopes of decreasing it. I began tracking it with a printout calendar and I was coloring in each day with a different color corresponding to the # of drinks. Green = 0, Yellow = 1-3, Orange = 4-5, Red = 6+. This was going well until the 11th when my kids needed crayons and I gave them the crayons I'd set aside for this project. And I haven't consistently kept the calendar up to date since. And to be fair, the crayons were theirs. Also, my calendar is a bit more red than I'd prefer, but there are plenty of green days and I did, because of the calendar, opt to drink less on a few nights that I did drink. So that's progress!
Meanwhile, at
the Hall of Justicework, I've been struggling a bit with our stack, which is React, Typescript, and ChakraUI. Nothing too insane, but I felt I needed some extra curricular work to help me learn some of the advanced concepts faster. Plus it is nice to write code without it being code reviewed. So I decided to build a web app version of the calendar printout idea. I started super late last night, so only got about as far as display the entire year as a calendar, but I'm hope to add some functionality to it tonight. It also occurred to me that while I love to drink and play video games, I absolutely cannot drink and write code at the same time. So in a way, this project's mere existence serves as a short-term alcohol deterrent.It's a very simple project that shouldn't take very long, so my hope is that I might actually finish a side project for a change! Will share demo links once there's something worth demoing.
-
Comment on WordPress developer publishes code to block Matt Mullenweg's web hosting clients in ~tech
hamstergeddon LinkI like this as a middlefinger to Matt, but it does ultimately primarily just hurt innocent wp.com users who shouldn't have to be dealing with this. I really don't foresee this taking off to the...I like this as a middlefinger to Matt, but it does ultimately primarily just hurt innocent wp.com users who shouldn't have to be dealing with this. I really don't foresee this taking off to the extent that it would need to in order to negatively impact Matt financially. It might piss him off though, which is certainly a small victory. Maybe he'll overreact in a way that bites him in the ass later?
-
Comment on All main Disney animated canon films are going to be destroyed and you can save five, which five do you pick? in ~movies
hamstergeddon LinkThis is hard, so I'm going with two sets of answers! For My Childhood Self: Pinocchio Alice in Wonderland The Rescuers The Great Mouse Detective Tarzan For My Children: Toy Story Encanto Frozen...This is hard, so I'm going with two sets of answers!
For My Childhood Self:
- Pinocchio
- Alice in Wonderland
- The Rescuers
- The Great Mouse Detective
- Tarzan
For My Children:
- Toy Story
- Encanto
- Frozen
- Moana
- Lightyear
-
Comment on Matt Mullenweg: What drama should I create in 2025? in ~tech
hamstergeddon LinkThe fucking audacity of that man. The WordPress community deserves so much better than this ass hole at the helm. I've attended a few local WordCamps over the years and they're always full of just...The fucking audacity of that man.
The WordPress community deserves so much better than this ass hole at the helm. I've attended a few
local WordCamps over the years and they're always full of just the nicest, most inclusive people around. Not to mention how supportive the larger online community is.I sincerely hope this continues to blow up in Matt's face. Whether that's via his removal from the helm, him going bankrupt from all the court cases, or a WP fork taking off thanks to a fed up community. Really hope this saga is the last any of us have to hear his name.
-
Comment on Deception, lies, and Valve - Valve's role in CS gambling in ~games
hamstergeddon Link ParentIt's honestly not that surprising. My qualms with loot boxes in general aside*, Valve is remarkably pro-consumer in the gaming space. They've picked up a lot of goodwill among gamers because they...It's honestly not that surprising. My qualms with loot boxes in general aside*, Valve is remarkably pro-consumer in the gaming space. They've picked up a lot of goodwill among gamers because they sell stuff cheap and they add a lot of benefit to games that utilize their feature set (workshop for mods, save syncing, etc.). Not to mention they're basically single-handedly enabling the progression of linux gaming these days via the Steamdeck.
* - idk how CS handles lootboxes, but the way they were handled in TF2 is mostly fine by me. Primarily cosmetic items, with a few functional items that are also available via dumb luck without participating in the gambling. All that being said, I do think it's largely immoral to do lootboxes because they're clearly predatory toward those with gambling problems (otherwise known as "whales"). But lootboxes are also not a hill I'll die on when assessing whether or not I'll do business with a company. Especially given how tame Valve's seem to be compared to the endless supply of pay-to-win mobile games, AAA games, etc.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
hamstergeddon LinkMinor Spoilers for Witcher 3's early game Started playing Witcher 3 on the Switch last night. I've done maybe 5 quests in total and I'm already really impressed by how much storytelling and...Minor Spoilers for Witcher 3's early game
Started playing Witcher 3 on the Switch last night. I've done maybe 5 quests in total and I'm already really impressed by how much storytelling and worldbuilding they cram into short little side quests. "Devil By The Well" was particularly cool. Starts off simple enough -- A father's daughter got sick drinking tainted water and needs pure water. The only source being a nearby well, which is haunted by a ghost. Which seems like a pretty generic quest... "I need X, but Y. Defeat Y".. but it's *not* that simple. Over the span of 20 mins or so you uncover what's binding the ghost to the well and learn her story, which is pretty tragic. Then you free/kill the ghost. And unless I'm mistaken, it appears the well is directly connected to the very lake that the tainted water came from? Either way I didn't quite feel right collecting payment on that contract (I foresee being poor in this game).My point being that a simple early-game side quest was packed with story and drew me into the world immediately. And I love that. If that's any indication of what the rest of the game holds, I'm very excited to continue playing!
Playing it on the Switch is interesting. There's a weird clumsiness to the switch's graphics that's very reminiscent of the PS2 era. But obviously it looks much nicer than a PS2 game..it's hard to describe. I'm glad there are a bunch of graphics settings to tweak, because after some tinkering, the game is substantially less hard to look at. But I really can't complain...it's a full blown open world RPG on a Switch Lite. The game's $9 on PC right now, and if what I read is true, there's cross-save functionality between Switch/Steam somehow, so if I really feel compelled to experience this a bit more pretty, I could just do that. But for now, the convenience of having it handheld is more important than the graphics.
-
Comment on How do you do, fellow web developers? A growing disconnect. in ~comp
hamstergeddon Link Parenthaha, yeah I feel you. I can't tell you how many times I've googled "Jobs a developer can easily transition into". None of them sound appealing, except for Developer Advocate, but those seem very...Unrelatedly I'm trying to get out of tech in the next several years to find something else to spend my life on hahaha
haha, yeah I feel you. I can't tell you how many times I've googled "Jobs a developer can easily transition into". None of them sound appealing, except for Developer Advocate, but those seem very hard to come by without existing experience with the role!
-
Comment on How do you do, fellow web developers? A growing disconnect. in ~comp
hamstergeddon Link ParentSo far the AI nonsense isn't bothering me too much. It's more the people that are doing that (mainly project managers, middle management, etc.) and the "politics" of work. Maybe it's just my...So far the AI nonsense isn't bothering me too much. It's more the people that are doing that (mainly project managers, middle management, etc.) and the "politics" of work. Maybe it's just my company, but getting yourself lined up for promotions is basically a part-time job in and of itself. All this career planning nonsense, ever-moving goalposts, vague requirements, and buttering up stakeholders. I just want to write some god damned code, ya know?
I've actually found AI to be very useful when migrating from one framework to another (eg "How do I do [thing in Angular] in React?") and then it gives me a brief breakdown of why it's completely different and some code samples. Or when I was learning Typescript I'd just give it an object and ask it to spit out a type for me. I'd use it, learn from it, and eventually stopped needing to ask CoPilot. Obviously it doesn't teach me everything, but it's a lot less friction than the "old" way of just googling it and clicking through people arguing on Stack Overflow.
I have no doubt though that as it evolves and weaves its way more and more into the industry that I'll get sick of it. They'll start using AI to assess your commits and analyze readiness for promotion. Or check your work against AI solutions and penalize you somehow for not being as efficient as a robot that stole other people's code. sigh
-
Comment on How do you do, fellow web developers? A growing disconnect. in ~comp
hamstergeddon Link ParentI'm in my late 30s and I definitely started off like this as I was learning and began working for small, local web dev agencies. Then as soon as I entered the corporate world ~10 years ago, it...It’d be nice to surround myself with people who want to care, and will dig deeper to understand — for example — “how” React works, instead of just assuming its existence. But understanding isn’t a job prerequisite, which will only get worse with AI. RIP to the author and me, I suppose.
I'm in my late 30s and I definitely started off like this as I was learning and began working for small, local web dev agencies. Then as soon as I entered the corporate world ~10 years ago, it just became impossible for me to be like that. I don't have time within my working hours to get philosophical with my stack. All projects need to be done yesterday. There are half a dozen meetings that should've been an email or slack message. If I dare slow down to make sure I fully understand the how of the code I'm writing, I get labeled as "slow" and get lapped by code camp junior devs who just write code carefree with little understanding of the longterm impacts. Or I don't do enough code reviews or get enough commits in and then the stats looks funky when my annual review comes along.
The best I can do at work is rapidly start building things with new tech and learn what works, rather than how it works. And I'm not willing to sacrifice time with my family or my own mental health by digging into these things outside of work hours.
-
Comment on What’s something you’re personally proud of from this year? in ~life
hamstergeddon Link ParentI learned this lesson VERY quickly! Blood, sweat, and tears were poured into that first session's plan and long story short, content got cut, we went weeks without playing at a time, and...I've learned to prep less, and make campaigns short, 3-5 sessions max
I learned this lesson VERY quickly! Blood, sweat, and tears were poured into that first session's plan and long story short, content got cut, we went weeks without playing at a time, and scheduling just got harder and harder. It's unfortunate, but I am thankful for having had the chance to try it and flex my creativity a bit!
-
Comment on You make friends *HERE*?! in ~tildes
hamstergeddon Link ParentI didn't really start clicking with individuals on the site until I joined the MC server. Which isn't a knock on the site or anyone here. It's just my ability to connect with people is greatly...Ever joined the Minecraft server? I haven't, but I've been tempted.
I didn't really start clicking with individuals on the site until I joined the MC server. Which isn't a knock on the site or anyone here. It's just my ability to connect with people is greatly tied to my sense of humor, which is often more goofy/teasing/raunchy/stupid than is appropriate on the site itself. Or at least it's a better fit for something more laid back like a video game.
-
Comment on What’s something you’re personally proud of from this year? in ~life
hamstergeddon LinkOver the past few years, I've been trying to put myself out there more in an effort to overcome my social anxiety. New social situations are anxiety-ridden nightmares still, but I've been...Over the past few years, I've been trying to put myself out there more in an effort to overcome my social anxiety. New social situations are anxiety-ridden nightmares still, but I've been successfully forcing myself to participate in them anyway. Frustrating thing is that 80% of the time I'm completely fine in the moment. But the irrational fear of the 20% can be paralyzing in the run-up to social events. Some highlights this year:
- Just in general I've been trying to force myself to participate in more social things with my kids. We've done a few birthday parties, trips to the parks, school functions, made regular visits to the library, etc. I think my biggest fear is that I project and enforce my own anxiety on them. I want so much better for them, so it's important to me that we go out and do things even if they make me uncomfortable.
- Attended a work event that involved flying across the country (US, so like 5.5hr flight). I ended up having a blast and loved getting to meet people I'd only ever talked to via Slack for the past 2 years. Granted it was in Napa Valley, there was a lot of free wine, and I was responsibly hammered most of the time..but still!
- Continued to attend my local UU church and participate in running services, albeit behind-the-scenes. It's kind of a double-edged sword. I dislike having a recurring obligation (couple Sundays a month), but it's genuinely good for me. I can socialize a bit, mingle with other liberals, etc. But man I hate having non-work obligations!
- Tried my hand at DMing D&D and it was going well until the group imploded (no fault of my own though).
I touched on this in another reply, but I initially liked him being a manager that wrote a lot of code because I felt it helped bridge the gap between IC and manager. But yeah it's clearly not always sunshine and rainbows and now I'm rethinking whether it's really doing me any good at all.
That's what's so confusing and frustrating about this to me. My annual reviews are good (not great, but good enough to get a decent bonus) and the only direct negative feedback I've gotten is that I don't write code fast enough. Which is a valid criticism, but a far cry from meaning it needs to be repeatedly rewritten.