I want to be like Andy dufresne

I work in a computing environment ( developing ERP), where the only thing that matters is patience and perseverence, not brilliance. The entire code (written in another country) is so bad that it would probably take 10 years to clean up. And the company is not interested because it "works".

Now, i consider myself as a very competent programmer. But just looking at the code makes me puke and lose all interest in the program. You need terrific amount of patience and perseverence to set something like that right.

So i want to be like Andy Dufresne in the classic "Shawshank Redemption" movie.

Is there anyone who has seen the movie aand believed that it was not the greatest piece of film making?

If you have not seen it, i implore you, beg you to see it. It will be the greatest 2 hours you have spent all your life.

After seeing the movie, i am actually thinking of ways to set the code right.


 

anon
Friday, December 26, 2003

Read the book (it's Stephen King's).

Although the movie is great, the book is an order of magnitude better.

Eli Bendersky
Friday, December 26, 2003

Watch Terminator 1-3. That will give you a few ideas about what to do with crappy code. Yes, SR is a good movie, but from there to be the greatest movie ever... you need to go more to the movies.

uncronopio
Friday, December 26, 2003

You want to be convicted for a murder you didn't commit, given two life sentences, imprisoned, anally raped, beaten, and then forced to live out the rest of your life as a fugitive in another country?  It's one of my favorite movies, but I wouldn't go so far as to say I want to be like Andy Dufresne.

I'm also, frankly, having a hard time seeing the connection to programming.

Kevin
Friday, December 26, 2003

I think the point is that Mr.Andy never gave up hope, and created himself a solution by patience, persistence... a microt at a time.

Much like the programming mess the poster he inherited.

Shodan
Friday, December 26, 2003

"Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'"

Mike
Friday, December 26, 2003

I've seen/heard the "yeah it's crap... but it works" argument once too many times also.

Maybe he/she has a point?  I mean it "works" (or to the best of his/her knowledge) doesn't it?

I mean who cares that nobody (including the original programmer) knows how it works anymore,  it's impossible to add new features, and debugging is next to impossible.

KISS is my motto when it comes to programming.  Make it no more complicated than it has to be.    Programming Pearls is my guide...

FredSavage
Friday, December 26, 2003

Anon,

Why are you being so 'obtuse' :)

Cletus
Friday, December 26, 2003

"I'm also, frankly, having a hard time seeing the connection to programming."

I think the connection is that patient perserverance can get you through some of the crappy situations in life that you can't easily get out of...bad job, bad relationship, wrongful imprisonment etc etc...

Anon, you may also want to consider the Book of Job for inspiration:

http://cspar181.uah.edu/RbS/JOB/job.html
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/kjv/job.htm

Cletus
Friday, December 26, 2003

'obtuse'?  I'll show you obtuse!!

evil warden
Friday, December 26, 2003

>>I'm also, frankly, having a hard time seeing the connection to programming.


Well, he spent the final haul of his "project" neck deep in a river of shit.

Who here hasn't done that ?

Damian
Friday, December 26, 2003

For what it's worth, it's ranked #2 on the IMDB "Best Movie" rankings (beaten only by "The Godfather").

http://www.imdb.com/top_250_films

Dennis Forbes
Saturday, December 27, 2003

That list is crap if it puts The Maltese Falcon and Bridge over the River Kwai at 49 and 52 and The Usual Suspects at 18. I mean, the Usual Supects is a good movie, but that much better than these? The Two Towers as the fifth best movie ever? Did they do a poll on Slashdot or what?

pdq
Saturday, December 27, 2003

I don't think you'll ever find any sort of common agreement on any sort of "top" listings that are based on subjective measures rather than empirical metrics. Personally I find "Star Wars" at number 11 to be absurd, as to me that was a B-grade, boring and drawn out waste of time.

Dennis Forbes
Sunday, December 28, 2003

I just saw LOTR Return of the King yesterday. While I enjoyed the movie, I don't think it was the best one I've seen this year, much less #4 of all time. (Mystic River was better, i think)

pdq
Tuesday, December 30, 2003

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