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Corgibytes Blog
corgibytes.com · Company blog · on HN since 2016
Corgibytes, a software modernization consultancy, writes about legacy code, developer careers, aging in tech and refactoring.
What HN saysCommenters reference its posts on makers versus menders and getting older in tech, while one criticizes the company's posted salaries and pay policy.
15HN people shared it
7linked it in comments
11stories submitted
517story points
3 years agolast shared
2016people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1On Getting Older in Tech3 people · 499 points · first shared 2016 · 417 comments on HN
- 2Developer Differences: Makers vs Menders2 people · 2 points · first shared 2021 · discussion on HN
- 3Careers2 people · first shared 2016
- 4Starting a journey with Clojure and ClojureScript1 people · 5 points · first shared 2017 · discussion on HN
- 5Dude, Where's My Code?1 people · 2 points · first shared 2017 · discussion on HN
- 6Quest for mediocrity1 people · 2 points · first shared 2017 · discussion on HN
- 7MenderCon 2020 – a virtual conference focused on software modernization1 people · 2 points · first shared 2020 · 1 comments on HN
- 8Install Fonts on Your Mac from the Command Line with Homebrew1 people · 1 points · first shared 2022 · discussion on HN
- 9Empathy-Driven Development Defined1 people · 1 points · first shared 2021 · discussion on HN
- 10What can we learn from the Ship of Theseus about software development?1 people · 1 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 11Bridging the Technical/Non-Technical Divide1 people · 1 points · first shared 2016 · discussion on HN
- 12How Corgibytes uses journals to help developers communicate more effectively1 people · 1 points · first shared 2016 · discussion on HN
- 13Complicated vs complex1 people · first shared 2016
- 14Refactoring against the red bar1 people · first shared 2020
What HN people wrote when they linked it
pc86 · 2016-08-15
> We noticed that men constantly asked for WAY more than women when applying, so we decided to take the salary negotiations off the table to make it easier for everyone.[0]
So I'm being punished because some people don't ask for what they're worth? I would consider applying for the senior position but it's less than I make now. This policy means I have to either 1) take a pay cut; 2) punch above my weight and apply for the next rung up the ladder; 3) not apply.
I get what they're trying to do but this does not seem to be a way to go about it while continuing to get the best applicants possible.
[0] http://corgibytes.com/careers/
mooreds · 2016-08-15
It was interesting. Too bad the company profiled doesn't really value the developers--if you look at their careers page, they pay 110k for lead devs, and 90k for senior devs: http://corgibytes.com/careers/ . I respect them for stating it up front and I know they are 100% remote, but those salaries seem a bit low to me.
But that's just ad hominem. I think working code is almost never worth a rewrite. See "Things you should never do, part 1" for an old chestnut on the same topic: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000069.html
faitswulff · 2023-07-08
This article on makers versus menders highlights the differences between those who prefer greenfield and those who don’t pretty well: https://corgibytes.com/blog/2015/08/14/makers-vs-menders/
DylanSp · 2020-08-21
I do the same thing, either when refactoring test code or when I'm adding tests after writing the implementation. I've heard the manual approach referred to as "refactoring against the red bar"; see https://corgibytes.com/blog/2016/09/20/refactoring-against-the-red-bar…
dondenoncourt · 2017-04-24
I'm 57 and I "Can't Stop Coding" as I'm still having too much fun. Whenever I stop having fun... I change programming jobs. I wrote about this in a blog post (http://corgibytes.com/blog/2016/12/06/getting-old-er-in-tech/) that was widely read.
I will say, however, that I have seen a lot of developers become obsolete mostly because they stayed with the same company (and programming language) for too long or ignored opportunities to stay abreast of technology.
SyneRyder · 2017-01-31
> I reckon fitness could become a factor in interviews
Interesting. Another HN post a while ago mentioned they fought any ageism by being physically fitter than those younger than them - racing the younger ones up the stairs of the building without breaking a sweat.
Actually, here's the blog post, On Getting Old(er) In Tech by Don Denoncourt:
http://corgibytes.com/blog/2016/12/06/getting-old-er-in-tech/
"A year or so ago, I was attending a two-week training session with about a dozen 20- or 30-something developers. The training was on the 22nd floor and, every day after we came back from group lunches, I’d always take the stairs. The first day or two, one or two of the kids would join me, but I got no repeats. It’s pretty hard to be considered a has-been when they can’t keep up with you."
mscottford · 2016-08-15
One of the things that I like to anecdotally measure is how long a similarly complex change takes. Over time, if it takes longer, then you're likely suffering from tech debt issues. If you're able to turn things around so that it starts getting done faster, then it sounds like you're starting to turn things around.
On the missed deadlines issue, that reminds me of a blog we posted a while ago about why we stopped estimating ongoing development on these types of code bases[1].
I also like to use the metaphor of a car that's stuck in the mud (or snow). The wheels Are spinning really fast and the engine is working really hard, but the car isn't going anywhere. It's only when you start trying to dig it out that you start to see forward progress, and even then, the progress is slow at first.
[1]: http://corgibytes.com/blog/no-estimates/productivity/customer-service/…