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not sure if counts as a compliment, but the follwing exchange with my team lead programmer felt pretty good:

"... wait, where did you find this function you're using here?"

"i didn't, it was missing so i wrote it."

"but... oh, i didn't realize you're gonna need it, if i had, i'd have given you a different task... noooo, that's internal framework functionality, i write that stuff for you guys so that you can just use it, cause it's complicated... oh, god, no, where did you put, how did you imple... (right clicks, go to definiton)... oh, it's exactly where it's supposed to be... (skims the code)... and is written exactly as if i had written it.
(looks at me and smiles, then turns to the rest of the team), guys, that component i told you to wait with making because i first need to write that complicated utility function that you'll need to use? you can start working on it now, Midnight wrote that function for me. (turns back to me) Nice, quick learner. But next time, at least let me know first, yeah?"

(that was third day in a new job, corporate-sized system. the rest of the team had been working there on that system for the past 2 years.

(probably not a good form, kinda going over team lead's head, but tbh i didn't realize i'm not supposed to touch that code because "it's complicated", while doing my task i just realized i need a function similar to a family of already implemented ones, so i just followed their convention amd added it.)

tl;dr - best programming compliment is people being surprised/confused that i did something which they thought as a normal thing that they will have to do for me, because it's in their job description to be doing it for people on my position/with my job description)

Comments
  • 14
    oh, and this guy was basically the best or second best team lead and programmer i've ever met: he was writing the cleanest, best organised, most pleasantly readable code i've ever seen. his function names were short and descriptive and clear, literally all the names he chose were each in its context as explanatory as a proper documentation while never longer than two words, you could use his API for the first time in your life, blindfolded, and you'd know exactly what it contains and where, just by deduction, and you'd actually find it there, and using all of it was like being gently led by your hand through a blooming meadow by your first love =D
  • 4
    Ouch, just a single person who writes that part of the code? What happens when he gets in a traffic accident or heart attack?

    These things need to be collaborated and peer reviewed.
  • 6
    @Midnigh-shcode I love it when code goes in the right place and is architected correctly. Gives me the feel goods.
  • 3
    @Midnigh-shcode had mini orgasm reading this
  • 4
    It's always easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. Go ahead. If I need somthing, implement it. I have often be told: Don't refactor. Don't implement that.

    Sometimes, you really need to refactor. Sometimes, you really need to implement a function.

    In most cases it will be fine. If it isn't, you want to work somewhere else.
  • 1
    @Codex404 "what happens if he gets into traffic accident?"

    probably someone else would have to take over, it would take them about an hour to get up to speed with that whole codebase, and then it would probably take them about 2 lines of code to start ruining it.

    but i get your point.
  • 2
    Competence is rare these days.

    When you encounter someone as competent as yourself it might surprise you too.
  • 1
    @Wisecrack that sounds pretty bigheaded, but (at the risk of sounding bigheaded as well) i know what you mean. i'm looking forward to that day, though.
  • 2
    @Midnigh-shcode

    No, it's the exact opposite of big headed.

    I'm always going on raving about my own incompetence. Self awareness is about the only thing I AM competent at.

    I'm just saying, from their perspective, they know what they are doing, and it must be nice to encounter someone on their own level.

    Industries full of semi-competent glue huffers like me bro. We're like cockroaches, we're everywhere, we cant be stopped, and no matter how many of us you (kill with) fire, we always come back in numbers.
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