I don't read docs and don't know how to use Google. What does the print function do?

[Chris Angelico]

On Tue, Nov 11, 2014 at 10:21 AM, Clayton Kirkwood <crk at godblessthe.us> wrote:
> Uh, how are you going to maintain a programming job if you don't know how to
> program? I don't want to act but I know Brad Pitt makes lots of money doing
> it, so I want to be Brad Pitt. Not! Not going to happen. Although I suspect
> for a price you could bring all of your professional programming jobs to
> somebody here, but I think you would pay out more than you would make.
>

I'm not entirely sure how it works, but it does happen. I've been
writing code for over two decades, and trying to earn a living at it
for one and a bit, and in all that time, I have *never even once*
found a job by applying in the classic way and sending in a resume.
There are blog posts out there about how large proportions of
applicants can't even write simple code on command... and I've taken
the questions and shown them to my siblings (who protest that they're
definitely not programmers), proving that a basic smattering of
mathematical nous puts you above people who are trying to earn money
from coding.

It's like a carpenter, looking for a skilled assistant, and getting
people who don't know which end of a saw to hold.

It's like a prospective accountant not knowing the words "credit" and "debit".

It's like someone trying to rule a country just on the basis of
looking good on television... okay, so maybe there's one other
"industry" where the incompetent have a shot at it.

But fortunately, it's not everyone. There are the "bad eggs" who waste
everyone's time, but there are plenty of truly competent people too.
It's just a matter of figuring out which are the "will-be-competent"
and which are the "totally lazy and not going anywhere", and there's
not always a lot to distinguish them by.

ChrisA