AdamAug 15, 2024
Sammy Arson, flirting with the hard left :3

Casual reminder that working with technology (be that programming, sysadmin-ing or any of the myriad ways we can Touch Computers™) is pretty damn difficult and if you're struggling, you are not "stupid".

We do a difficult job, cut yourself some slack 💜

Aug 14, 2024 at 7:38pmWeb
Show threadMarkAssPandiAug 14, 2024
@theresnotime I'm guilty of comparing myself to others A LOT
So yeah maybe I should give myself a bit more credit lol
Show threadgayassAug 14, 2024
@theresnotime really? ​​
Show threadStardust, Akkoma Flavor (backup/old)Aug 14, 2024
@theresnotime tbh I needed to hear this after spending all day struggling with what should’ve been a fairly straightforward task ;-;
Show threadNeoAug 14, 2024
@theresnotime thanks I needed that Q_Q. I am junior developer for almost a year and there is this creeping thought in the back of my mind that I am not learning fast enough and maybe I should be already more knowledgeable since it‘s almost been a year since I started in this language (which to be fair was entirely new to me before).
Show threadkira :3Aug 14, 2024
@theresnotime 
Show threadThe DoctorAug 15, 2024
@theresnotime I definitely needed to hear this today after fighting with AWS accounts for a week.
Show threadNetuxAug 15, 2024
@theresnotime we balance it out by being the smartest being in the universe when we figure out what the dumb thing we were doing was .
Show threadJamie JAug 15, 2024

@theresnotime I am also stupid tbf

I am extremely comfortable with it tho

Show threadTicalAug 15, 2024

@theresnotime I would also implore anyone reading this to not succumb to the ppl who gatekeep. There are 100% people who dont do work and curry favor with higher ups so that all the work gets put on your shoulders.

Only speaking on this b/c this is what happened to me at my last job.

Show threadAnkeAug 15, 2024
@theresnotime Honestly, reading that these days Javascript developers have to specialise made me feel better about not picking up everything tech related easily
Show thread24😷-185Aug 15, 2024
@theresnotime Wish I had read this sooner when I had to train by myself on Microsoft Azure without the help of my company.
Show threadstwalkersterAug 15, 2024

@theresnotime Also a reminder that even when you get good at one very specific area of computers, there's hundreds of different areas that you'll still struggle with - AND THAT'S OKAY!

Computers are not a single field of study - don't judge yourself for being OK at web dev but terrible at kernel memory management dev or k8s admin or distributed computing or whatever

Show threadClaire :verifiedbi::verifiedtrans:Aug 15, 2024
@stwalkerster @theresnotime yep! to quote liveoverflow in his video on how to get into the security field (an interesting watch even as someone not really into security), computers are "a web of interconnected topics, layers and dependencies and you are free to walk and jump between stuff however you want"

i have experience with programming backend stuff, writing vanilla javascript, and scraping websites (amongst other things). however, i will absolutely blunder with hardware, reverse enginerring binaries, writing a modern web app, and more
The Secret step-by-step Guide to learn Hacking

YouTube
Show threadHannah CloverAug 16, 2024
@stwalkerster @theresnotime idk if it'll help but know that being good at even one area of computers is still vastly impressive to a huge chunk of the population 😅
Show threadlocnarAug 15, 2024
@theresnotime Indeed, if it were easy, we would have been automated out of it completely years ago. Funny thing, even after all theses years, AI is still pretty stupid once you get outside of its obnoxiously small computational envelope.
Show threadjade "officially problematic™" arson.Aug 15, 2024
@theresnotime I feel like I'm genuinely stupid though when touching computers lmao
Show threadjade "officially problematic™" arson.Aug 15, 2024
@theresnotime (says the one who administered its server for over 3 years with no major hurdles, is fairly good at throwing websites together and also is now handling a fedi instance for a few months already (and is willing to experiment around with it))
Show threadCrispyAug 15, 2024
@theresnotime also reminder that it's actually not your fault that the giant pile of garbage that is your companys legacy code is incomprehensible to you. You are rightfully annoyed at *why the hell did they build it like this, it's so hard to use*
Show threadSuperIluAug 15, 2024
@theresnotime tell that our C-level.
They dream of replacing us with untrained people using AI.
Show threadGeneric Firedemon's Project RepositoryAug 15, 2024
@theresnotime it's a practice that demands constant refactoring and checking small, seemingly pointless details to make sure nothing is breaking. It makes you question your sanity
Show threadlux 🦊ΘΔSep 15, 2024

@theresnotime i hate that i have to agree

maybe kernel dev is not easy and i should be more lenient with myself… a bit

Show threadSnowDec 31, 2024
@theresnotime Honestly I have no idea how I got into my position without any qualifications lmao
Show threadJamesDec 31, 2024

@theresnotime

I don't know how many programming languages and software tools I've used over time, but every one of them has had a learning curve.

"Oh, this uses AutoCad language format . . . no, it has these weird commands that differ."

"We use OOP, and see our webpage for some brief, unhelpful, examples of our code." So, print works on object:sheet and object:block, but not on object:page or object:worksheet?

I love this XKCD comment on programming and technology:
https://xkcd.com/1988/

Containers

xkcd
Show threadCuteroll, autistic transgender otterJan 10, 2025
@theresnotime no i am stupid
Show threadIzzy Apr 7, 2025
@theresnotime everyone that works in IT is very smart except me
Show threadMilesApr 7, 2025
@theresnotime But but I'm "good with computers", it should be easy :(

Also! Don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help. There's probably a slack or discord where you can say "yo, this thing. I've read the manual and it isn't clicking. Please help?"

And don't be afraid to open a ticket with vendors. That's why they get paid the big bucks.
Show threadRemiberryMay 12, 2025
@theresnotime thanks, I needed this
burnout sucks
Show threadSebastian May 12, 2025

@theresnotime There is no stupid in IT. I’ve “inherited” a 20 years old, constantly upgraded, 100 sites Active Directory infrastructure in over 100 years old company after a myriad of teams mangling it up before me.

Took me years to “fix” it so there is no major failure every week and I’ve gained tons of experience. Despite that experience, there’s plenty of stuff I don’t know and ever more ways it can go south. That’s part of the fun!🫣

Show threadenderMay 12, 2025
@theresnotime neverrrrrr 
Show threadNyx RaccoonMay 25, 2025
@theresnotime  
Show threademily 🌸Jul 18, 2025
@theresnotime im trying
Show threadkira for scaleAug 2, 2025
@theresnotime weh 
Show threadKlaus FrankAug 2, 2025

@theresnotime

Dunning–Kruger effect all the way through. And as our jobs are so "pretty damn difficult" everything to the left of the turning point in this chart basically doesn't exist.

(attaching two charts, one is the scientific one out used in psychology and the other one is more from a meme but it is more relatable; It got kinda misused over the years, originally the axis on the bottom referred to absolute knowledge, aka the very right is Omniscience)

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning-Kruger-Effekt

Show threadSaphira Lohikäärmekettunen Oct 27
@theresnotime did cut myself some slack, now I have 16 unread chats