Re: Query for Top 10 Most "Expensive" Queries

Daniel Morgan <damorgan_at_exxesolutions.com> wrote in message news:<3F4F73DB.F7A2F0D3_at_exxesolutions.com>...
> Noons wrote:
>
> > "Billy Verreynne" <vslabs_at_onwe.co.za> wrote in message news:1a75df45.0308282123.58d5dbe7_at_posting.google.com...
> >
> > >
> > > Today - programmers write crap code. Even after a 100 builds of that
> >
> > No, they don't. They cut-and-paste crap code into their
> > programs. "write code" does not happen today: you "import"
> > inappropriate "patterns" and spend the rest of the time fiddling
> > the xml config file to try and make that crap match reality.
> >
> > It's supposed to save time, but invariably what you get is grossly
> > inneficient code. In about twice as long as it would take to write
> > the same thing in a sane programming language. And you end up using
> > only 10% of the "pattern" functionality anyways because no one
> > in his right mind would activate the rest of it.
> >
> > I wish I had a lead pipe. I've got a #2 iron golf club that
> > does MOL the same damage...
> >
> > --
> > Cheers
> > Nuno Souto
> > wizofoz2k_at_yahoo.com.au.nospam
>
> Ah ... you both bring a small tear to my eye. Taking me back to the days when resources had value, code wasn't
> just thrown over the cubicle wall, and programmers had skills not accumulated like paper towels in the kitchen.

When was that? 20 years ago, I made quite a good living untangling or replacing the crappy spaghetti that passed for code, done by barefoot Garfield wannabees. And don't get me started on the COBOL hacks in big aerospace companies... I _still_ see some of that code in "Oracle" systems, and it is still amazing that it even works.

I miss the good ol' days too, but it was never sweetness and light. "Strategic planners" would fire people and hire their friends while putting companies out of business and keeping the new computers for their own businesses, coders would be worked to death, companies would co-opt their workers ideas, workers would steal code and ideas (not me!), layoffs whenever there was a slight downturn in the economy, ergonomics was off in an ivory tower, choice of employers was limited, headhunters and software marketeers were slimeballs clothed in "professionalism," many programming teachers were less-than-successful geeks, the "value" of resources was insanely defined by management... but it _was_ fun for us technoweenies. The big difference nowadays is a larger pool of less-enthusiastic people with years of PC usage and perhaps some C training. How appropriate for applications programming is _that_?

I think those of us who have made it through more than a couple of decades may simply have been more suited to the work than those who just did it for a couple years then went off to do something else - who remembers them? Now there are more people who are less suited, and the ones that could be better are outnumbered and hence, "outvoted" in the type and quality of work. Always remember, technical excellence faces an uphill battle in a free market - but it's the right thing to do.

jg

--
@home.com is bogus.
Crappier, Cheaper, Quicker.  The market chooses 3.