The General US Politics Thread

It's not just that it is hard to write, it is that many programmers are not inclined to writing and maintaining it, or to having to explain their work to others in general. Some have an attitude that no one but they are able to understand their code, and don't want to "waste time" explaining it, and thus you get the situations where a programmer dies and a company is left with a black box system which no one knows how it works.

But, from experience, I can also tell you that writing useful documentation and maintaining it is hard. It only gets harder if your documentation isn't intended for someone with technical knowledge.

As for why a lot of things get left undocumented: it's essentially a gesture of goodwill. There is absolutely no incentive to document your code or the usage of your program beyond that which you need except to hypothetically help some future other. Presumably, if you were to be leaving of your own accord, you might have the time and inclination to go through and document things as necessary for whoever comes after you, but outside of that situation you're basically hoping that whoever creates your system either wants to cover for their own death or is happy enough to help the organisation that fires them. Usually, the second one.

The moral of the story is to not expect people to put in hours of work doing something they dislike because it might vaguely help some future unknown figure when the more likely scenario is often "you kicked me out". Which goes for everything, really, not just programming. It's how you lose institutional knowledge, but only when computers are involved do you get so much blatant "I don't know how this works".

Edited by RainehDaze on Sep 17th 2021 at 10:03:29 AM

Right, which is why companies should do more to reward and encourage such documentation, and allow for enough room to do so. Ultimately, that is in the company's own interest as well, because paying someone after the fact to do the detective work of figuring out what they have is often much more costly in the end.

And with that, I believe we've had enough of a tangent for today. We can continue in the Computer thread, if you like.

As I said, it's just a loss of institutional knowledge, not some weird software development-specific egotism like you were insinuating. Software just crystallises it nearly in specific examples of things people don't know how to do.

It's a general people thing. "Please provide a handbook on how you can be replaced unasked" isn't fun to do or in anyone's own interest.

Edited by RainehDaze on Sep 17th 2021 at 10:14:25 AM

People also generally don't like to think about their own mortality either. "Please prepare this in case you die tomorrow or something" isn't something any employee wants to hear.

Well, perhaps that's just because software is the most directly familiar example to me. Though I think software is a bit of a special case, since the documentation is aimed at other programmers rather than end users.

Also, in the past many programmers have considered bad commenting practices to be Vetinari Job Security.

Which is why smart companies have detailed and specific requirements for commenting code, so they can make sure there's always someone who can understand the first guy's shit.

Oh yes, the job security crowd. I had forgotten about those. They're the same sort of people who build in booby traps to their software so they can screw the company over should they get fired.

I keep telling my bosses that I need a backup, but hey. They are giving me job security out of the generosity of their hearts.

This situation reminds me how there's a vital pillar of Internet infrastructure that is maintained by one guy in the middle of nowhere.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, in McConnell Center speech, insists the Supreme Court isn't 'partisan hacks'

Fantastic. You just can't make this shit up. Giving a speech about not being partisan in a building named for Mitch Mc Connell, someone who would love nothing more than to turn the SCOTUS partisan... Who was also present, by the by.

The emperor has no clothes, indeed.

I used to want to become a Christian, but now because of people like her I'd rather become a Satanist than having anything to do with them. At least Satanists have more moral dignity than her, McConnell and the other Christian fundamentalists we have in our government.

In a stunning moment of no self-awareness whatsoever, Clarence "Uncle Ruckus" Thomas warned that the SC and other courts have become "the most dangerous branch of government".

Sorry, I just got a little too worked up. I just feel pissed at the idea that I will have to live with that hag in the news for possibly the rest of my life.

Edited by clemont107 on Sep 17th 2021 at 3:46:08 PM

I fail to see how that first part is related to politics.

I mean, there are plenty of perfectly good reasons to not want to become a Christian, but don't let the SCOTUS stop you, y'know.

And we can discuss them all in the thread here about religion.

France is recalling its ambassadors to the US and Australia because they're pissed at the submarine deal between the latter two.

What's the deal with that? Did France start hating Australia while I wasn't looking?

I haven't followed but my understanding is the US spannered a deal France was negotiating with Australia.

Edited by sgamer82 on Sep 17th 2021 at 12:56:28 PM

France just lost a contract deal and they are being pissy over it.

The French were selling them Diesel powered submarines

lawl

Edited by Ultimatum on Sep 17th 2021 at 8:11:47 AM

Interesting update on the California recall: While the polls did indicate that Newsom was going to win, they were around a +15 point margin. While the official ballot counting won't be finished for another few decades weeks, right now it looks like he won with a +25 point margin.

Like I said before, the tried and trued tactic of withdrawing your ambassadors to show that You Disapprove. Bad US, bad Australia. They'll be back within the month, I'm sure.

Couldn't they have simply send a text saying "Dude, uncool" and be done with it? Why all the theatre?

theatre gets them attention and notoriety,and sympathy from their supposed supporters allies

Former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp now lobbies for tax loophole she called “one of the biggest scams”. This is one article on one topoc but there has been some complaining about the role of her (Heidi Heitkamp) in lobbying for pro-wealthy policies that are not only questionable on their merits but are likely to be electoral liabilities b/c they are the only policies that you can run in a moderate district.