Programmers

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MSimon
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Programmers

Post by MSimon »

Every.single.place I have worked has allowed jeans & T-shirt for engineers (electronic, mech, etc) & programmers. Some people dressed up, most don't bother. I have yet to see *any* correlation between dress and quality of work. In fact one of the most productive programmers I've ever known usually came to work (at a Fortune 1000 company) dressed in a Grateful Dead T-Shirt, jeans, and a big belt with a Harley buckle (he rode the Harley to work when he didn't feel like driving the souped-up TransAm); add a beard/mustache and below shoulder length hair to the ensemble and you'll get the picture.

Oh, I'm wearing jeans, leather shoes & a silk shirt right now in case you cared :-)

farmboy Friday, October 06, 2006

http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/defau ... .399184.30
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.

DeltaV
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Re: Programmers

Post by DeltaV »

Neckties reduce oxygenation of the brain, leading to things like C++ getting out of the lab.

krenshala
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Re: Programmers

Post by krenshala »

Not to mention the safety hazard if you got the tie caught in the copier or under a desk (I work IT, so I end up checking cables under desks quite often).

Tom Ligon
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Re: Programmers

Post by Tom Ligon »

I used to know a machine shop manager who was expected to wear a tie. He wore a clip-on so if it got caught in a lathe it would just pull off.

I wore slacks, but I used them like jeans. They usually lost their crease and had grubby knees after a few months of use. I quit wearing dress shoes when I realized my aching feet were making me grumpy, when I switched to black leather New Balance walkers and mellowed out over night.

My consulting rates vary according to dress. They go up 50% if I have to wear dressy clothes. That's because it usually means I'm having to deal with lawyers.

Our young engineers at my last job were pretty consistently blue jeans and tee shirt types. I wore slacks and a nice shirt in the winter, but resorted to shorts in the summer, especially when my job had me outdoors.

ScottL
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Re: Programmers

Post by ScottL »

I work for an academic institution, but within their larger IT department as part of a large developer sub-group. Most days I'm in jeans and a polo shirt or t-shirt. I think the only time I step up my fashion game is when there's a large meeting or presentation with the potential for interaction with much higher-ups or clients. Being dressed nicely isn't a requirement for writing good code, but it leaves a good impression in the board/conference room.

D Tibbets
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Re: Programmers

Post by D Tibbets »

I disagree!

Neck ties promote non linear thinking, else why do lengths always seem to come out wrong. Manual dexterity is enhanced. Dealing with complex and confounding knotty situations is confronted. Good hygiene at lunch time is enhanced. Pattern recognition, or lack there of is demonstrated. Memory and searching skills are enhanced due to need for locating clips. Vocabulary is enhanced when said clips remain elusive. Challenges of gift shopping are alleviated. I am sure that there are multiple additional benefits to this device, such as when a Rambo moment is needed...

Dan Tibbets
To error is human... and I'm very human.

palladin9479
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Re: Programmers

Post by palladin9479 »

Work dress is usually business casual or semi-casual, meaning jeans are ok as long as they are in good taste. Shits need to have a collar, so mostly polo's and button ups. If wearing sneakers they need to be laced and kept presentable. The overall theme seems to be a clean presentable, professional appearance. The only time we gotta "dress up" is if corporate big wigs are doing the hand shake tour, or we need to give a presentation to some senior executive / official amongst our customers.

Tom Ligon
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Re: Programmers

Post by Tom Ligon »

D Tibbets wrote:I disagree!

Neck ties promote non linear thinking, else why do lengths always seem to come out wrong. Manual dexterity is enhanced. Dealing with complex and confounding knotty situations is confronted. Good hygiene at lunch time is enhanced. Pattern recognition, or lack there of is demonstrated. Memory and searching skills are enhanced due to need for locating clips. Vocabulary is enhanced when said clips remain elusive. Challenges of gift shopping are alleviated. I am sure that there are multiple additional benefits to this device, such as when a Rambo moment is needed...

Dan Tibbets

Advantage: Men get to wear a colorful piece of silk. Since the rest of our attire is typically pretty drab, that can be a treat. I don't mind putting on a tie for a public speaking engagement. My main complaint is if it means a day working with lawyers.

I'm having a flashback to high school, and a classmate who showed up in a stunning green silk Nehru jacket. For the youngsters, you might want to check out old Beatles pics. One stodgy old teacher told him to tuck in his shirt.

Skipjack
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Re: Programmers

Post by Skipjack »

I don't care what my programmers wear. They could be naked as long as they produce good code, quickly.
I myself also have to represent a business and so always am a bit less casual with a dress shirt and a suit jacket combined with jeans, all my clothes black (I only wear white shirts and a dark grey suit to formal occasions, when I also wear a tie).

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