Are Software Developers Naturally Weird? 579
jammag writes "Well, c'mon, yes — let's admit it. As a veteran coder discusses as he looks at his career, software development is brimming with the offbeat, the quirky and the downright odd. As he remembers, there was the 'Software Lyrics' guy and the 'Inappropriate Phone Call' programmer, among others. Are unique types drawn to the profession, or are we 'transformed over time by our darkened working environments and exposure to computer screen radiation?'"
I'd like to think (Score:3, Funny)
It's the screen radiation, but The Others don't think that way...
Re:Asperger's syndrome. (Score:5, Funny)
People with Asperger's syndrome - and left-handed people - make the best programmers. Ergo, weird comes with the terratory. I prefer "interesting". I'm "interesting"...and programming has kept me earning top dollar for 35 years.
I find that women with big tits make the best programmers and I have as much evidence as you do that proves me right.
What? (Score:5, Funny)
What do you mean? African or european developers?
Re:Talk about slow news day (Score:2, Funny)
They just act normal for other Family Values folks who are probably have the exact same desires and values. I think if the "Family Values" people just told the truth, they'd find that every one else in their movement is just as sexually "deviant" as the people they profess to be fighting against - in other words, homosexuality and sleeping with hookers is the norm with them.
Re:Asperger's syndrome. (Score:3, Funny)
I find the best programmers are the ones with the maturity to complete a task when they said they would. Who can perform an exhaustive session of testing without complaining (even though it's boring, but necessary work). Who will produce the required documentation to a high standard and will play nice with the other members of the team they are in.
In that respect, neither handedness nor syndromes seems to have any relevance.
So how's Superman working out for you? I assume you didn't hire Batman because he has "issues".
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:No, not that wierd (Score:3, Funny)
You know lots of CEOs, futures traders, rock musicians, and high-end call girls, do you? I'd like to work where you work.
Re:Asperger's syndrome. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:What? (Score:4, Funny)
What do you mean? African or european developers?
I don't know! Auuugh! *flies off bridge into chasm*
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:4, Funny)
That would be an interesting social experiment.
Lock a bright eyed young prep school student in a room with a computer and an internet connection and time how long it takes before he is putting dialogue bubbles on cat pictures and gift ordering goatse mousepads to his friends' moms.
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:4, Funny)
Jesus fuck you self-flagellating faggots are annoying.
"20thNervousBreakdown" is free, maybe you should register it?
What kind of question is ths? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:1, Funny)
A friend showed a group of us the 'one man one jar' video that was doing the rounds.
Most people reacted with disgust. My first thought? "Should have filled it with water - you can't compress a liquid*"
(*under normal circumstances in an anus, obviously)
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:1, Funny)
>We're just smarter than most others
Hum, I am totally unable to correlate those words with smartness...
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:5, Funny)
We need more people like to explain people like us to people like them.
Thanks man.
Re:Asperger's syndrome. (Score:3, Funny)
I find that women with big tits make the best programmers and I have as much evidence as you do that proves me right.
That's just not true. Haven't you looked around? It's the men with the biggest tits that make the best programmers.
"Right" and "Wrong" questions. (Score:5, Funny)
Helicopter Problem
A helicopter was flying around above Seattle yesterday when an electrical malfunction disabled all of the aircraft's electronic navigation and communications equipment.
Due to the clouds and haze, the pilot could not determine the helicopter's position and course to steer to the airport.
The pilot saw a tall building, flew toward it, circled, drew a handwritten sign, and held it in the helicopter's window. The pilot's sign said "WHERE AM I?" in large letters.
People in the tall building quickly responded to the aircraft, drew a large sign, and held it in a building window. Their sign said "YOU ARE IN A HELICOPTER."
The pilot smiled, waved, looked at his map, determined the course to steer to SEATAC airport, and landed safely.
After they were on the ground, the co-pilot asked the pilot how the "YOU ARE IN A HELICOPTER" sign helped determine their position in Seatle.
The pilot responded "I knew that had to be the MICROSOFT building because, similar to their help-lines, they gave me a technically correct but completely useless answer."
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:5, Funny)
"How would you like your eggs?"
"Dead".
"Very funny. How would you like your eggs served?"
"On a plate would be a good start."
"No, I mean, how would you like them cooked?"
"On a stove?"
"Do you want them sunny-side up, scrambled, poached, or over easy?"
"Yes. That's certainly better than raw."
"Which one?"
"You mean I have to choose which egg I want cooked? You can't do them both?"
"How do you want your eggs?"
"You can't do them the way I want them."
"We can do them ANY way you want them."
"Okay, then I want them for free."
Re:"Right" and "Wrong" questions. (Score:5, Funny)
A man was flying in a balloon, and lost his way. Luckily, on a hill, he spotted a guy that he could steer to. He asked the guy: "Where am I>". The guy answered: "You are in a balloon". "Oh", said the balloon guy, "you must be a software developer". "Why", asked the guy on the hill. "Well", said the balloon guy, "your answer is factually correct, but completely useless". "Oh", said the guy on the hill, "then you must be a manager". "Why" asked the guy in the balloon. "Simple", said the guy on the hill: "you don't know where you are, you don't know where you are going, and suddenly it is all my fault!"
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:5, Funny)
The truth is we are all individuals.
I'm not.
Re:Who we are (Score:2, Funny)
Tax lawyers are the professional crackers of the tax legal code.
Re:Short résumé (Score:3, Funny)
The multitude scene, Life Of Brian.
Brian "You must be individuals"
Crowd (As one) "Yes we are individuals!"
One bloke at the back; "I'm not"
(-:
Re:"Right" and "Wrong" questions. (Score:4, Funny)
I'm still waiting for the pun.
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:3, Funny)
Well then, I am certain you won't mind answering "yes" or "no" when someone asks whether you have stopped collecting child pornography.
I am glad you have principles to which you adhere, even if they don't make any sense.
Answers aren't binary. If asked
So your answer is.....maybe?
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:4, Funny)
summon your inner Clippy.
Shudder! Begone, thou evil spirit!
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:1, Funny)
Most native English speakers ...
Its too bad English isn't a programmer's native language...
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:3, Funny)
That sounds like a great solution to the problem of having people who like spending time with you.
Re:From what I've discovered... (Score:1, Funny)
The truth is we are all individuals.
I'm not.
I'm xor. Whats your point?
Re:er... (Score:2, Funny)
That reminds me of something I told my daughter when she was young. She was upset because some schoolkids called her weird. We had this talk:
"What's the opposite of weird?"
"Normal."
"What's normal?"
"How most people are."
"In other words, average, right?"
"Yeah."
"Who wants to be average?"