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Programming IT Technology

Developer Stigma After a Bad Or Catastrophic Release? 223

An anonymous reader writes "We hear in the news all the time about how executives can drive a company into the ground and yet somehow become more desirable to other big companies. What we don't hear about are the grunts who implemented those decisions, and whether or not they end up resume-stained or blacklisted. Since we've got so many developers with lots of time in the trenches, I thought I would appeal to their experience. When disaster looms and sales starts pushing for development that has little chance but to end in disaster, what happens to the programmer who decides he needs his job enough to follow orders? Have they ever become unhireable?"
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Developer Stigma After a Bad Or Catastrophic Release?

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  • by rlp ( 11898 ) on Saturday July 11, 2009 @12:33PM (#28660965)

    I'm sure Windows 7 developers will still be employable after the October release.

  • by Brian Gordon ( 987471 ) on Saturday July 11, 2009 @12:35PM (#28660987)

    then I don't want to work for them

    Must be nice to be 5 years ago.

  • A solution (Score:5, Funny)

    by bunyip ( 17018 ) on Saturday July 11, 2009 @12:54PM (#28661173)

    A good friend of mine spent a couple of years on the Confirm project, which ended in a total mess almost 20 years ago. He claims that he simply put "2 years, federal prison" on his resume so that he'd have a better chance of being hired.

    For those that don't know the Confirm project, they spent about $180M and about 6 weeks from the end date realized they were at least 18 months late. You can look up the rest of the details. :-)

  • by Kjella ( 173770 ) on Saturday July 11, 2009 @12:56PM (#28661197) Homepage

    How is being able to tell your interviewer "I quit in the middle of projects I don't think will succeed, because it's good for my career" good for your career?

    Well, you are taking advice from a guy with the nick "ILuvRamen" - maybe there's a connection?

  • by The End Of Days ( 1243248 ) on Saturday July 11, 2009 @01:22PM (#28661403)

    Class warfare is pretty much the only way the Slashdot team can bring any class to this site.

  • by Quothz ( 683368 ) on Saturday July 11, 2009 @01:28PM (#28661451) Journal

    They want people with used car salesman skills to shovel their rip-off extended warranties to rubes. Being able to spout techobabble bingo may help, but only as a smokescreen. An actual techie might tell customers the truth. That would be entirely unacceptable.

    Obligatory: You know the difference between a used car salesman and a computer salesman? A car salesman knows when he's lying.

  • by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 11, 2009 @01:48PM (#28661603)

    iare of Mellenium guy. Me nmaed it ME after me. i many gude peeple skil

  • by John Hasler ( 414242 ) on Saturday July 11, 2009 @03:01PM (#28662163) Homepage

    > For those that don't know the Confirm project, they spent about $180M and about 6 weeks
    > from the end date realized they were at least 18 months late.

    Yes, but how did it differ from the average project?

  • by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 11, 2009 @08:20PM (#28664485)

    There is an exception to the "don't burn bridges" mantra (which I have always followed, except for this one exception).

    Look deep into yourself and decide if working with, for, or even having your name approved by the person is going to ruin your life to the point you'd rather be on welfare for the rest of your life.

    If the answer is yes, burn, baby, burn!

    I had one manager that bad, ever. Anywhere that person works will, guaranteed, be a shithole because they work there. Period. I quit that job with the intent of going on welfare (very lucky for me I managed to find work elsewhere).

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