Unfortunately working for and with one's bosom pals is not what the larger world of corporate productivity is all about & it is true that a large number of people working in this environment are not addressed by Mr. Greenspun's article (& there is no reason why it should). And that is what management is all about - bringing together people from diverse backgrounds, skills sets & levels of skills & aptitude to make them perform towards common goals. All this may not figure in the management of a company catering to a niche market, but a part and parcel of the reality that most corporations struggle with. Every management would love to assemble a slim and lean team of dedicated & mutually communicative professionals, if only they could !!! Nothing wrong with aspiring for this noble goal. But this commitment of mutual dedication does not hold once the size of the team reaches a certain critical mass. Enforcing 70 hour work weeks is not possible in an open society (which is what happens when you start employing from a wider group of applicants) - as opposed to say dragging them into 'cult programming'.
Ars Joe
Slashdot Mirror
Unfortunately working for and with one's bosom pals is not what the larger world of corporate productivity is all about & it is true that a large number of people working in this environment are not addressed by Mr. Greenspun's article (& there is no reason why it should). And that is what management is all about - bringing together people from diverse backgrounds, skills sets & levels of skills & aptitude to make them perform towards common goals. All this may not figure in the management of a company catering to a niche market, but a part and parcel of the reality that most corporations struggle with. Every management would love to assemble a slim and lean team of dedicated & mutually communicative professionals, if only they could !!! Nothing wrong with aspiring for this noble goal. But this commitment of mutual dedication does not hold once the size of the team reaches a certain critical mass. Enforcing 70 hour work weeks is not possible in an open society (which is what happens when you start employing from a wider group of applicants) - as opposed to say dragging them into 'cult programming'. Ars Joe