I think that fear is the wrong way of describing it. I might be frustrated or annoyed by undocumented spaghetti code, or be puzzled about some aspect of a project, but I wouldn't describe this in terms of fear. If software development made me frightened I would have given up with it at an early age.
What else would you call the emotion that paralizes you into inaction?
Because that's what we're talking about here. The developer is unable to get started or continue because they are unable to take the next step. They are afraid to get it wrong.
The usual solution to this that I've heard is Research. Learn more about what you are trying to do so that you can eliminate the fear.
The solution I used when I was learning to program was to just jump in and start trying things. It's very time-consuming and more than a little stressful, but it works.
At any rate, ANY action is better than inaction when faced with programmer fear.
Boredom? When I'm debugging someone else's spaghetti code it's not interesting or rewarding. It's mostly tedious bookkeeping that shouldn't even be necessary. It's the difference between compiling a custom linux kernel for yourself and removing malware for a friend. The former is intellectually engaging, rewarding, and fosters a sense of accomplishment in making something work. The latter is a tedious abomination that should have never happened.
The only times I enjoy spaghetti code is when I have to learn a tool or more about a language or library to debug or understand it. At least then I'm engaged and learning what to avoid and how to fix it.
Comments
I think that fear is the wrong way of describing it. I might be frustrated or annoyed by undocumented spaghetti code, or be puzzled about some aspect of a project, but I wouldn't describe this in terms of fear. If software development made me frightened I would have given up with it at an early age.
What else would you call the emotion that paralizes you into inaction?
Because that's what we're talking about here. The developer is unable to get started or continue because they are unable to take the next step. They are afraid to get it wrong.
The usual solution to this that I've heard is Research. Learn more about what you are trying to do so that you can eliminate the fear.
The solution I used when I was learning to program was to just jump in and start trying things. It's very time-consuming and more than a little stressful, but it works.
At any rate, ANY action is better than inaction when faced with programmer fear.
Boredom? When I'm debugging someone else's spaghetti code it's not interesting or rewarding. It's mostly tedious bookkeeping that shouldn't even be necessary. It's the difference between compiling a custom linux kernel for yourself and removing malware for a friend. The former is intellectually engaging, rewarding, and fosters a sense of accomplishment in making something work. The latter is a tedious abomination that should have never happened.
The only times I enjoy spaghetti code is when I have to learn a tool or more about a language or library to debug or understand it. At least then I'm engaged and learning what to avoid and how to fix it.
I'd call it lack of belief in success and lack of belief in value of success even if it is achieved.