Motivating Your Co-Developers?

3flp asks: "We've heard all about those coding projects where 90% of the code is done by one person. Unfortunately, on my current project it's me :-(. It's a comms DSP project with a lot of C & some assembly. My team of 4 will hopefully produce about 20k lines of code. Now comes the problem: we just got to our first small integration stage (we do try to do them early & often), and it turns out the other guys have got nothing. No code. I want to ask Slashdotters, people who have the experience with small software projects, how would you go about it? How to bring other less experienced coders up to your level and beyond? Or at least how to make them suck less, and if they get stuck on something, to just come and bloody ask for help?" This is something almost every developer has had to deal with. For those of you who have experienced this, what did you do about it and how did things turn out?

"Deadlines are super-tight (what else is new)... but all 'my' parts are ready on time, and I enjoy what I'm doing. After about a month of design and two weeks of coding, I've got about 50% of my software features. The others definitely do understand the requirements and the design, because we had plenty of discussions. 'All right, lets get what you've got so far, we'll just try the interfaces, even if your code doesn't do anything much yet.' 'I haven't tried to compile it yet.' Then I looked at the little code they've produced, and it's a disaster (abhorent coding style, serious logical mistakes, etc). Obviously, these guys understand the 'domain' problem (I would think that's the hard part), but suck at coding (which is apparently the really hard part for them).

Hiring new people this late in the project won't work, as anyone who has read 'The Mythical Man Month' knows. On this project, I have a de-facto role of a software team leader. Before, I've always been just a coder, not responsible for others. So okay, I'm doing fine with my part of coding, but that's no use. If others don't catch up quickly, we'll have serious problems delivering on time. I need to stop hacking on 'my' part of code, and help elsewhere. They definitely do understand the requirements and the design, because we had plenty of discussions. 'All right, lets get what you've got so far, we'll just try the interfaces, even if your code doesn't do anything much yet.' 'I haven't tried to compile it yet.' Then I looked at the little code they've produced, and it's a disaster (abhorent coding style, serious logical mistakes, etc). Obviously, these guys understand the 'domain' problem (I would think that's the hard part), but suck at coding (which is apparently the really hard part for them).

Obviously, I need to look into some way of helping or motivating, but without putting them off. I could just take over someone else's module and code it in no time. But if anyone did that to me... well that's out of the question."

Comments

The perfect motivator

[Tebriel]

Beer. Lots of beer.

You wanna do all the work?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm happy to let you, oh superior being.

You want some help? Then we need to agree on some API's and a schedule.

If your idea of a project is to just free associate and then get grumpy cause nobody else shares your 'vision' then you might as well right the whole thing and STFU.

Otherwise, do some engineering and some planning which involves the rest of your 'team'.

Can't you read?

[Anonymous Coward]

They definitely do understand the requirements and the design, because we had plenty of discussions. 'All right, lets get what you've got so far, we'll just try the interfaces, even if your code doesn't do anything much yet.' 'I haven't tried to compile it yet.' Then I looked at the little code they've produced, and it's a disaster (abhorent coding style, serious logical mistakes, etc). Obviously, these guys understand the 'domain' problem (I would think that's the hard part), but suck at coding (which is apparently the really hard part for them).

Would you care to post that a few more times?

Just Don't Let Them Get Involved With Open Source

[Anonymous Coward]

Slashdot admits the truth here.

As we already know open source programmers stink, both at their jobs, and in general. Take RMS for instance. He can't get a job as a real programmer so he starts the FSF. He also hasn't taken a bath or shower in over 20 years making him stink in general. Living in a dark cave doesn't help either. I don't want to know what is crawling around in his hair.

I'm sure there are people at your office who are just like RMS if they can hold their jobs. You know they are close because you can smell them. You are spending hours of overtime fixing their code.

For anyone reading this post none of this is a suprise. However, Slashdot is a bastion of open source programmers. That is why the code is so bad, and its the only website that you can smell over the internet because it reeks!!!!

What was suprising to me (and to you I'm sure) was that Slashdot admitted in the above linked article that open source programmers stink.

I commend Slashdot for admitting the brutal yet honest truth.

Re:AC's Rule BIOTCHES

[Anonymous Coward]

What, no response from the CLIT? I guess AC's really do RULE SLASHDORK!!!!!!!!