Skip to main content

Warning signs of an IT jobs ad: Fast typist required

There are many reasons why this is bad.

First, the ability to type in a decent speed may be necessary to program fast (not necessarily to program well, mind you), at least in non-static type languages where IDE can't do autocomplete well. That means languages Java, VB, .NET (with compile time type checking) with extensive autocomplete support, doesn't need much typing speed because the autocomplete will do most of the fast typing for you.

Even then, you don't usually bottleneck your productivity at your typing speed unless you are writing a lot of linear non repeating code. But in any environment where such code is necessary, typing speed will be the least of your concern.

What's important is the ability to type without conscious effort so that your programming effort can be concentrated on actual programming.

Assumes existing programmers in that company are competent:
If typing speed limits the productivity of programmers, any framework the existing programmers works are based on must be bad, that is it doesn't help simplifying work. You may experience the same problem if you work there.

Assumes existing programmers in that company are incompetent:
That means their codes are so grossly inefficient their typing speed (or copy-pasting skill) is the limit to their productivity. You can't expect to grow yourself professionally in that kind of environment.

One thing for sure, any company who relies on typing speed as a criteria of acceptance should be avoided.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A quote from "Virgin": "Saya Masih Perawan".

The intended readers of this post are liberals. You have been warned. I had just turned on my tv and saw the last minutes of the movie "Virgin" (2004), made in Indonesia. It's the first time I see this movie. The movie title's alone is enough to cause controversy in Indonesia, a country with the largest moslem population in the world. The content is said to be even more controversial ( http://www.opensubscriber.com/message/buletin-studia@yahoogroups.com/293663.html) due to it's vulgar depiction of sex and ..cursing. Many groups deemed it immoral enough that it was pulled from circulation within 2 weeks (correct me if I'm wrong). Anyway, I'm particularly interested in the last scenes of this movie. A high school girl is standing on a platform talking about something (I didn't pay attention). Many people such as fellow students and some adults watch her. After she finish talking, she pause. But everybody seems waiting her to say something. Finally...

The boiling frog: Internet censorship (Fitna) in Indonesia.

Have you heard the story of boiling frog? Taken from wikipedia: "The boiling frog story states that a frog can be boiled alive if the water is heated slowly enough — it is said that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will never jump out." This blog told me about a decision of a major ISP in Indonesia to censor the controversial fitna film. Regardless of whether that movie deserved to be ban or not, I fear that this censorship is the beginning of boiling frog phenomenon. The justification for the next censorships will be more and more ridiculous that it won't take too long for Indonesia returning to a police state again.. And I do think that the censorship decision is ridiculous. Yes it is probably important to ban this movie in Europe where a majority or people in power are not moslem, because the hatred towards moslem induced by that film put many minority moslems in trouble. But in Ind...