Novice vs average vs seasoned programmer

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Novice vs average vs seasoned programmer

Novice

• TDD for all our code.
• 80% test coverage, no less.
• Robert C. Martin and Martin Fowler are our guru.
• AGILE for the win.

Average programmer

• And remember guys, bugs free and cover your flanks!.
• Guys? do you think we should skip some meetings?.
• Who was the idiot that selected this technology?
• We are not making, maybe we should sleep at the office.
• Testing?.. just copy the result of the test.

Seasoned Developer

• We killed some Viet-bugs and we survived the attack of a few snipers-vendors.
• We barely met with the deadline, it was hard but we won (and we get a bonus), however, we lost two good guys (they found a better job), I’m afraid I’m the next one.
• I hear we could bribe the DBA, he likes to smoke, we should try it for the next time.

Note.

I think a novice could reach the level of seasoned-programmer in a single and sh***tty project but the projects must be :

• hard as a nail and bad planned: Short deadline lacks resources and awful planning if not also poor vendor and non-friendly customer/product owner.
• But, even after all, it must end in a victory.

Note 2:

Some developers talk about TDD or some new technologies that sounds great (but they are a pain to work and they are a waste of time anyways) and it is my expression

I know what they are talking but I don’t know WHY they are using it. But surely, some novices put a lot of passion for this kind of stuff.

What are the perks of a seasoned developer.

• He/she is not micromanaged anymore.
• He/she is invited to the meeting (not the useless meeting but the meeting with the big-ups), where he/she could get visibility = raise.
• He/she gets a better salary.
• 9am-5pm is religion.
• He/she knows who-is-who in the business. For example, sometimes it’s worth to earn the favor of the secretary-executive and sometimes you want to play “Metal Gear Solid” (stleath game) with your customer