Post #1091663

2026-04-12 04:28 UTC

If all you do in your tech career is: 1. When something is slow, you look carefully at the output of a profiler or a query plan &amp; make measured suggestions about what to improve; 2. When something breaks badly, you gently but insistently ask what &amp; why until you truly know, then the next time similar work is needed you bring up how to avoid doing what broke last time; and 3. When someone lacks info, you make them feel good for learning instead of bad for not knowing; You will do good work.

Replies (12)

@gnomon@mastodon.social 2026-04-12 04:31

Of course you can aim higher. It doesn't feel like the glory days of early computerization where a week in the server closet can change the world, but there are still a million ways we can make things work better in the large and in the small. But you can do a lot of good by doing the basics really well. People will thank you for it, sincerely, because it's more than many folks contribute. You can set a good example, you can hold out a helping hand; you can prove it's not a zero-sum game.

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@kkarhan@jorts.horse 2026-04-12 11:09

@gnomon sadly all 3 are avtively discouraged in so many cases...

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@aimaz@mstdn.social 2026-04-12 11:16

@gnomon also, sometimes finding the answer to “how did this ever work?”

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@GlennMG@mas.to 2026-04-13 00:54

@gnomon Excellent lessons to take to heart in or out of tech.

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@scherzog@mastodon.gamedev.place 2026-04-13 13:25

@gnomon This is the kind of post that makes me wish I could star it more than once -.-

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@hoagie@jawns.club 2026-04-13 14:05

@gnomon #3 is something that I have been praised for in multiple annual reviews by many levels at the company

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@chrisamaphone@hci.social 2026-04-13 15:18

@gnomon strong agree ❤️. so, do you know of any companies that are prioritizing hiring and retaining people who are good at this?

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@stenpett@mstdn.games 2026-04-13 15:30

@gnomon I'm happy to say, all three are commonplace where I work. Especially number three

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@jmax@mastodon.social 2026-04-13 17:11

@gnomon - You ask a high standard. I will do my best.

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@b4ux1t3@hachyderm.io 2026-04-15 12:36

@gnomon see, I keep trying to do that and the CEO keeps foaming at the mouth and screaming “AI” like a pterodactyl.

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@justin@mastodon.tacoma.community 2026-04-15 18:12

@gnomon I especially love leaning into #3

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@ambientimpact@indieweb.social 2026-04-16 23:59

@gnomon This is delightfully validating and what I needed to see today. Thank you. Signed, a grumpy programmer of two decades.

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