|
Well that's short and sweet! 
Siyapa
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you for this opportunity to shamelessly plug this blog entry I posted a few months ago:
From Good to Great[^]
To summarize:
A Good Engineer has:
- Intelligence
- Intuition
- Passion
A Great Engineer has the good engineer traits, mostly, as well as:
- Great Communicator
- Motivator
- Approachable
A Great Engineer helps all of your other engineers rise to become Good Engineers and fosters a team environment that works well together.
|
|
|
|
|
First of all thanks for writing a fantastic blog post and its totally fine to promote articles like these. Keep it up!
Although, before a good or great software engineer you are good or great programmer. I would like to see more distinctions in technical skills at individual level rather than ability of dealing with groups and inspiring team members.
Keep contributing 
Siyapa
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you, and also thank you for the topic ideas.
The engineer that I mention in the "Great Engineer: Inspirational" section does not have the strongest programming skills, that is his own admission to me. However, he is very intelligent, and has the depth to understand very technical topics. His greatest skill is that he understands people. He is one of the best trouble-shooters at my company, and can adapt to almost any environment. That is why I consider him a "Great Engineer".
To drop down and simply isolate the programming skill, I think that you need to strip away all external skills, and simply analyze the output of the programmer. The only exception, is they both produce results within the expected amount of time. A Good programmer produces Good code, and Great programmer produces Great code.
Judging the code is subjective and comes down to the qualities that are valued at the company. However, generally I would say:
Good Code is:
- correct
- robust
- efficient
- adaptable
Great Code:
- simple
- can be correctly modified by the other programmers
- correct
- robust
- efficient
- adaptable
Again, I think what makes the difference to jump from Good to Great is how it affects the others that you work with.
If you're the only one that works in the code, if you meet your schedules, Congratulations!!! You're a Great Programmer.
Thanks again,
Paul
|
|
|
|
|
Opinions of others which are almost always worth chasing out of your head by repeating the prophylactic mantra: $ic transit gloria mundi.
«OOP to me means only messaging, local retention and protection and hiding of state-process, and extreme late-binding of all things. » Alan Kay's clarification on what he meant by the term "Object" in "Object-Oriented Programming."
|
|
|
|
|
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einstein
|
|
|
|
|
sic transit gloria mundi - Gloria is unwell; we're sending her home by van; she'll be there by Monday.
I love telegrams! 
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
|
|
|
|
|
Aaditya Chauhan wrote: How are the rockstar X different from good X?
By making it the most important thing you do.
Plato was a rockstar, because his life evolved around what he did. Darwin focussed his life on his profession. Practice, practice, practice, until your keyboard bleeds.
..then again, I'd also recommend to consider whether it would be worth it to dismiss every other pleasure in life to reach that goal. One "could" try to be content with being "good".
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
|
|
|
|
|
Certainly.
I love it when the solution to a problem boils down to 'practice! practice! and practice!'. Its motivating.
Siyapa
|
|
|
|
|
99% of inspiration is perspiration.
We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP
|
|
|
|
|
A good programmer would never label him/herself as a rockstar programmer or want to be labeled as such by others: it's like calling yourself an expert - that raises my hackles immediately.
All the rockstars I have ever worked with tend to be know-it-alls who use impenetrable and over-engineered code that is hard to maintain.
Kepp it simple stupid is something that 'rockstars' scorn and it undoes them every time.
|
|
|
|
|
I accept the facts that you have mentioned. The term 'rockstar' is itself controversial.
A better question would be what separates top 1% programmers from others?
By rockstar i meant top 1% programmers and not 'know-it-all' species.
Siyapa
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the very idea of 'great' programmers is wrong for starters because its misplaced. What is important is good engineers.
And what makes a good engineer is someone who can design a simple solution to a complex problem.
They also musn't be attached to their product and be happy to sling it out if needs be.
|
|
|
|
|
Quote: And what makes a good engineer is someone who can design a simple solution to a complex problem.
I accept that completely.
But in addition to that i believe some engineers are much better than others in doing the same.
My topic of discussion is what makes them better?
|
|
|
|
|
Aaditya Chauhan wrote: what makes them bett
Lack of ego.
|
|
|
|
|
I believe your first assumption is wrong.
Great programmers != rockstar programmer.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
(√-sh*t) 2
|
|
|
|
|
I know there are many debates already on the definitions of 'rockstar programmers'.
But as far as this question is concerned by rockstars i mean great programmers only.
Thanks for clarifying.
 Siyapa
|
|
|
|
|
Aaditya Chauhan wrote: But as far as this question is concerned by rockstars i mean great programmers
only.
I reject that statement.
|
|
|
|
|
You don't. There are maybe 10 great programmers at any time, and they didn't become what they are - they descended from the heavens.
|
|
|
|
|
Lets take a moment and thank almighty for this!   
Siyapa
|
|
|
|
|
I believe that great programmers never know they're great, the think of themselves as average or good at most. That drives them to never stop improving - allowing them to reach new heights.
Big mouthes never fare too well unless inserted in a environment full of ID-10T individuals, who are keen to call others "genius" or "great", mainly to justify their utter incompetence.
|
|
|
|
|
I also believe that they have attitude of moving forward and getting things done irrespective of hindrances they face .
Siyapa
|
|
|
|
|
The difference is: great programmers code better than good ones.
--Carlo de La Palice
THESE PEOPLE REALLY BOTHER ME!! How can they know what you should do without knowing what you want done?!?!
-- C++ FQA Lite
|
|
|
|
|
Very minutely observed i must say.
Siyapa
|
|
|
|
|
General 
News 
Suggestion 
Question 
Bug 
Answer 
Joke 
Praise 
Rant 
Admin 
Submit an article or tip
