SaraMGJun 12, 2023

Hiring a software engineer in their late 40s:

Pros:
* Understands your stack better than you do after glancing through the repo for five minutes.
* Will rewrite said stack 2x as fast, and half as buggy if you let them.

Cons:
* Gives zero fucks.
* Knows we're not *really* like family here.
* No, seriously, absolutely zero fucks given.

Do not cite the deep magic to me, product manager, I was there when it was written.

Show threadSam J SharpeJun 12, 2023
@saramg are these firm reqs? I'm only in my early to mid 40s.
Show threadSaraMGJun 12, 2023
@SamJSharpe More like guidelines... ;)
Show threadRussell GarnerJun 13, 2023
@saramg @SamJSharpe early 50s. This was definitely me. Have I mellowed? Have I f—
Show threadJson DohJun 13, 2023
@rgarner @saramg @SamJSharpe
Over 50s - won't rewrite the mentioned stack because truly zero fucks is given. Instead, (pros) no complaints about your coding style.
Show threadSaraMGJun 13, 2023
@jdoe @rgarner @SamJSharpe You're not the first to say this and it gives me hope that there are valuable lessons left to be learned and even fewer fucks to give.
Show threadischrisJun 14, 2023
@saramg @jdoe @rgarner @SamJSharpe you can always give one less fuck.
Show threadRussell GarnerJun 14, 2023
@ischris @saramg @jdoe @SamJSharpe what does negative fucks look like? I've been thinking about it all morning.
Show threadSam J SharpeJun 14, 2023
@rgarner @ischris @saramg @jdoe I don't know, I've never run into negative fucks. I built a service about a decade ago to top them up as needed. https://github.com/samjsharpe/fgaas
GitHub - samjsharpe/fgaas: disclaimer: has some swearing

disclaimer: has some swearing. Contribute to samjsharpe/fgaas development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub
Show threadJson DohAug 11, 2025
@SamJSharpe @rgarner @ischris @saramg What's going on? Why am I getting notifications on this years old post? Did one of you try and succeed to give negative number of fucks and inadvertently has opened a portal to a necroposting narnia?
Show threadRussell GarnerAug 11, 2025
@jdoe @SamJSharpe @ischris @saramg I'm afraid I did. I can't move my neck properly any more and I'm haunted by an extremely cynical ghost. Don't give negative fucks, kids, it's not worth it.
Show threadSam J Sharpe

@rgarner @jdoe @ischris @saramg

*bump*

Mar 18 at 9:38amWeb