Friday, May 29, 2009

Pants on Fire

Thing1: Have you ever done [some programmy thing that doesn't really matter and would just bore you]?

Me: Long time ago, in Disco ASP*, not in .NET

In my head: Started to last week but got busy with something else

Thing 1: If you think of way to do it can you tell me? Andy can you? Andy?

Me: Yup

In my head: Nope


Before you label me insensitive or a jerk, let me paint a picture for you.

Two mechanics are working at a garage, lets call them Bob and Tim. Tim says to Bob, "I've never replaced a head gasket before. Could you come over here and help me change this one?"

Now, I picked a head gasket because its a pretty time consuming operation, but not terribly difficult. You would expect a mechanic, someone whose occupation it is to work on vehicles, to be able to change one without much difficulty, and a mechanic who couldn't do such a task should probably find a new profession or be relegated to oil changing duty.

If Bob were to act as Tim's enabler, then Bob is accomplishing nothing. Not only is Bob's, and the company's time wasted, but Tim has not learned a thing. Also, after the successful completion of said job, Tim gets to take all the credit for the job well done and Bob looks like a boob in front of Jason, the boss, because his work isn't done on time.

*I don't know if I've ever mentioned in, on or around this blog, but I call Classic ASP, Disco ASP, because "classic" implies something good that you remember fondly and still enjoy on occasion.

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