Comments on: 5 Dysfunctional Attributes of Good Engineers http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:43:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jeff’s 5 Dysfunctional Attributes of Good Engineers « Tony Tam | Cate Tam http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-86275 Jeff’s 5 Dysfunctional Attributes of Good Engineers « Tony Tam | Cate Tam Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:51:36 +0000 http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/#comment-86275 [...] Jeff, my manager posted 5 Dysfunctional Attributes of Good Engineers [...] [...] Jeff, my manager posted 5 Dysfunctional Attributes of Good Engineers [...]

]]> By: Good DEP Engineer http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-86242 Good DEP Engineer Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:14:03 +0000 http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/#comment-86242 I am a good Engineer who follow my leader's opinions. I eat 2 sandwiches per day as not to loose time heating my food. I eat while working, work 15 hours per day, and do not accept large amounts of money, because i accept the fact that i am constantly learning and improving. Long live DEP, Long live KAG :) I am a good Engineer who follow my leader’s opinions. I eat 2 sandwiches per day as not to loose time heating my food. I eat while working, work 15 hours per day, and do not accept large amounts of money, because i accept the fact that i am constantly learning and improving.

Long live DEP, Long live KAG :)

]]> By: steeez http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-56426 steeez Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:49:03 +0000 http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/#comment-56426 i'm nearly everything that you say and i may be the worst software engineer on earth i need an article about dysfunctional attributes of useless thinkers :D i’m nearly everything that you say

and i may be the worst software engineer on earth

i need an article about dysfunctional attributes of useless thinkers :D

]]> By: pellet face http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-13980 pellet face Sat, 17 Mar 2007 00:14:57 +0000 http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/#comment-13980 the job is insecure thats the nature of new technology remember betamax) !but in the end you get paid well for something you love doing. the job is insecure thats the nature of new technology remember betamax)

!but in the end you get paid well for something you love doing.

]]> By: Joel D http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-11760 Joel D Sat, 17 Feb 2007 07:10:26 +0000 http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/#comment-11760 So this post has stuck in my head for a while and now I realize I missed the point on Jeff's "Good engineers are insecure." point. I think it's because I find the word "insecure" to have negative connotations and that doesn't jive with my brain. Perhaps I would restate it as "Good engineers have humility". I think humility is a much more positive term to attribute to someone who has managed to detach their ego from their work, accepting and learning from all forms of criticism without ego resistance. It's hard to empty your cup of knowledge and make room for more if you lack humility. So this post has stuck in my head for a while and now I realize I missed the point on Jeff’s “Good engineers are insecure.” point. I think it’s because I find the word “insecure” to have negative connotations and that doesn’t jive with my brain. Perhaps I would restate it as “Good engineers have humility”. I think humility is a much more positive term to attribute to someone who has managed to detach their ego from their work, accepting and learning from all forms of criticism without ego resistance. It’s hard to empty your cup of knowledge and make room for more if you lack humility.

]]> By: Philipp Lenssen http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-11531 Philipp Lenssen Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:00:21 +0000 http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/#comment-11531 > Good engineers are lazy. > Good engineers are ignorant. Heh. I came to the same conclusion: Why Good Programmers Are Lazy and Dumb http://blog.outer-court.com/archive/2005-08-24-n14.html > Good engineers are lazy.
> Good engineers are ignorant.

Heh. I came to the same conclusion:

Why Good Programmers Are Lazy and Dumb
http://blog.outer-court.com/archive/2005-08-24-n14.html

]]> By: Tony http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-11503 Tony Mon, 12 Feb 2007 05:44:37 +0000 http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/#comment-11503 lazy: check I'm hugely lazy, rather not do the work, but if I have to, I'll find the minimal selfish: check It's all about me ignorant: check but not ignorant enough paranoid: check I don't trust anyone, even myself insecure: check I think I will get fired for incompetence every year lazy: check I’m hugely lazy, rather not do the work, but if I have to, I’ll find the minimal
selfish: check It’s all about me
ignorant: check but not ignorant enough
paranoid: check I don’t trust anyone, even myself
insecure: check I think I will get fired for incompetence every year

]]> By: Charles http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-11489 Charles Mon, 12 Feb 2007 02:49:52 +0000 http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/#comment-11489 All progress is due to laziness. Only a lazy man would spend an hour thinking up a way to do a 30 minute job in 15 minutes. All progress is due to laziness. Only a lazy man would spend an hour thinking up a way to do a 30 minute job in 15 minutes.

]]> By: Joel D http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/comment-page-1/#comment-11429 Joel D Sun, 11 Feb 2007 07:27:03 +0000 http://boulter.com/blog/2007/02/10/5-dysfunctional-attributes-of-good-engineers/#comment-11429 Jeff, I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head here and I'm impressed with your intuition on the matter. However, I would like to offer a few tweaks to your descriptions. I would change the point labeled "Good engineers are ignorant." to "Good engineers have brazen optimism.". Speaking as one of the very engineers that you describe in your post, it's not that we are totally unaware of the potential pitfalls, it's just that they are not afraid of them, and are confident in our ability to innovate around the obstacles. I would also change the point titled "Good engineers are insecure." to "Good engineers are hungry.". This all goes back to the famous line that his Steveness quoted in his commencement speech to the graduating class at Stanford in 2005, "Stay hungry, stay foolish.", and that's what we types are all about. Staying hungry for growth, knowledge, and innovation and being foolish enough to chase it wherever it is without fear of being judged or decried. By the way, I love the Don Knuth quote, he's one of my heroes. Jeff,
I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head here and I’m impressed with your intuition on the matter. However, I would like to offer a few tweaks to your descriptions. I would change the point labeled “Good engineers are ignorant.” to “Good engineers have brazen optimism.”. Speaking as one of the very engineers that you describe in your post, it’s not that we are totally unaware of the potential pitfalls, it’s just that they are not afraid of them, and are confident in our ability to innovate around the obstacles. I would also change the point titled “Good engineers are insecure.” to “Good engineers are hungry.”. This all goes back to the famous line that his Steveness quoted in his commencement speech to the graduating class at Stanford in 2005, “Stay hungry, stay foolish.”, and that’s what we types are all about. Staying hungry for growth, knowledge, and innovation and being foolish enough to chase it wherever it is without fear of being judged or decried. By the way, I love the Don Knuth quote, he’s one of my heroes.

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