Hello. My name is Victoria, and I live with a programmer. And it’s actually pretty fun. Well, not lion-tamer-sky-diver fun, but there is definitely a certain subtlety to it. Like, how some principles of software development migrated into our everyday life. Of course, I’ve adapted them to fit the real world, and not every software developer follows such principles, but these are the things my husband taught me and now I can’t imagine living without them.
Premature optimization is the root of all evil.
I used to think that improving something before it was completed made the end result even better. Wrong! It usually makes matters worse and more complicated. Funny how I often violated this rule but never realized it until my husband said it out loud. Now I preach “Premature optimization is bad for you” to my mom. Zero effect. So, she keeps tidying up the kitchen WHILE I’m still cooking and, therefore, making more mess.
There is a non-zero probability for everything.
My husband will never say never because his applied mathematics background dictates “there’s a non-zero probability for that.” I like to use this phrase at my discretion. For example, it helps me get out of questions I don’t want or don’t know how to answer, like “Will you ever stop devouring doughnuts?” “Erm… There’s a non-zero probability for that.”
Organize your sentences like database queries if you want results.
How many times have you felt the frustration of people “not catching a hint”? That’s because you didn’t wrap it right. “Hints” should be clear and concise, like database queries. True, they will lose their “hinting” quality, but it is the quickest way to get a response to all your wishes, complaints and suggestions. This technique has been helping me out both at home and at work, where I successfully communicate with developers query-style.
Apply system approach to problem-solving.
So, you’ve got this huge issue to solve. And it’s so big that the scale of it terrifies you and paralyzes all your decision-making capabilities. What do you do? Right, break the issue into digestible pieces. This makes perfect sense: big problem means big stress, little problem — little stress, tiny problem — no stress at all. And while it sounds like a natural thing to do, I personally get crippled by even medium-sized issues. So, I have to pull myself together and remind myself that it’s gonna be okay as long as I start small.
Being a geek is sexy.
In the past, geeks used to have that image of dorky comic book-video game freaks with no social life, interests outside programming and poor hygiene. Now, comics have become popular, video games - fascinating, and geeks — attractive. Modern geeks give out that sexy “I am super smart” vibe. Provided they are attractive, dress well and follow the basic rules of personal hygiene, of course. Put that plaid shirt over an “Iron Man” t-shirt, snap a pair of glasses on, hold a laptop covered in conference stickers — and it is on. I’m talking both guys and girls.
Five years with a software developer changes you. I love how my transformation worked out. How about you? What did programming bring into your everyday life? Do you have any professional life hacks that help you at home? Girls living with developers, what’s your story? Let me know in the comments below.
