Programmer fired after 6 years after forgetting how to code due to automation

[Misanthrope]

3 hours ago, Xsilent(X) said:

 

security checks, bug finders, update software and more

Don't forget data entry and data management that without macros it's a cruel, grueling job. 

[Unhelpful]

30 minutes ago, dalomo said:

 

There's no grey area. He hasn't done work for 6 years, he doesn't deserve his pay. It won't happen, not a chance in hell, but he sure deserves it. You get paid for doing work. He has not done work, regardless of whether or not the job is done.

[dalomo]

37 minutes ago, JoeyDM said:

There's no grey area. He hasn't done work for 6 years, he doesn't deserve his pay. It won't happen, not a chance in hell, but he sure deserves it. You get paid for doing work. He has not done work, regardless of whether or not the job is done.

The company pays you to do certain things they want done. He got those things done, he should get paid. Simple as that. It doesn't matter how hard you work on that, as long as it gets done.

[Unhelpful]

1 hour ago, dalomo said:

 

That isn't how any of that works. You clearly haven't worked, or have a very entitled attitude. Or both.  If you don't work, you don't get paid. If you don't work and the job is done, then the company just hasn't caught on, that doesn't mean you deserve pay.

[Misanthrope]

1 hour ago, dalomo said:

The company pays you to do certain things they want done. He got those things done, he should get paid. Simple as that. It doesn't matter how hard you work on that, as long as it gets done.

Companies are very specific on how the things should be done. The fact he kept quiet and was eventually fired means they obviously didn't know and didn't specifically approved of the practice. 

 

So,  you're pretty much wrong here. By your logic you could show up to work naked and drunk and as long as shit got done, no matter how sloppy or badly you get paid? No. 

[BOT Edward]

If you are playing LoL that much than you could use that money to get some serious mental health related help.

 

b8'd

[Trik'Stari]

7 hours ago, Thony said:

Good point but I guess if software can do it what's the point of paying him ? One off pay for the software, sure. But monthly payments don't make sense.

Gotta have someone to fix the automated machine, or design another machine to fix it, and a machine to fix that and...

[Alphabloom]

5 hours ago, brune67 said:

Huh. That headline got my attention pretty fast.

it's why I wrote it  

[Garfieldus]

This is posted on reddit, must be true!

[PurpleDido]

This is my favorite thing in all of existence. I want to be paid to play league.

[azraelkrieg]

Often hear about workers being made redundant because the company decides to become more automated but this is the first time I've heard about someone making their own job redundant.

[Misanthrope]

2 minutes ago, azraelkrieg said:

Often hear about workers being made redundant because the company decides to become more automated but this is the first time I've heard about someone making their own job redundant.

Actually at least in IT I thing that many large companies are opting for outsourcing, back office work and consulting firms for temporary positions like implementing new versions (or completely migrating) ERPs and such. One of my current co-workers has been basically implementing various ERPs (mainly SAP) steadily for like 12 years now with no end in sight.

[azraelkrieg]

1 minute ago, Misanthrope said:

Actually at least in IT I thing that many large companies are opting for outsourcing, back office work and consulting firms for temporary positions like implementing new versions (or completely migrating) ERPs and such. One of my current co-workers has been basically implementing various ERPs (mainly SAP) steadily for like 12 years now with no end in sight.

That I'm aware of since the company I'm working for is planning to do migrations for other companies. I just meant in this case that this guy developed code that made his job redundant and eventually got caught instead of the normal scenario of a manufacturing company, Foxconn for example, firing employees and filling their positions with automatic processes.

[Beskamir]

Not sure how you can "forget how to code" but otherwise I completely support this guy's actions. As a computer scientist that is interested in artificial intelligence this is the kind stuff that excites me the most.

[Misanthrope]

4 minutes ago, azraelkrieg said:

That I'm aware of since the company I'm working for is planning to do migrations for other companies. I just meant in this case that this guy developed code that made his job redundant and eventually got caught instead of the normal scenario of a manufacturing company, Foxconn for example, firing employees and filling their positions with automatic processes.

I actually have done enough macros for my MDM stuff that IF the end users or the functional overseer were reliably enough I could just basically create all necessary csv files and feed them through a BASH script and up they go to the oracle server without me even looking at it. But alas I actually have to double and triple check all information and I find errors and inconsistencies about 40% of the time (worst if I consider things that honestly get past me).

[Betabot]

While I don't agree that this was the right thing to do, it was the smartest thing to do from the programmer side.

 

As most of you seem to forgetting a major point. If he programmed in within working hours on a work computer, it's almost 100% likely that the company would be able to claim it as their property and not pay for it. Which would either result in them either kicking him off his job, or maybe giving him another job, but that's a risk. Also if he did develop it on his own machine and own time, then it comes into the territory of the company legal right's in their data and processes.

[matrix07012]

Man, I am almost like him. It is a bit too scary.

[Ashaira]

16 hours ago, DocSwag said:

Interesting that he created code to autonomize his job though.... I'm sure he could learn how to code again, since it sounds like he was a pretty good programmer.

automated tests for software is more hard on the design part that actually programming them.

[Ashaira]

I would also like to remind people that microsoft fired barnacles who did most of the automated tests for their entire software suit and much of windows. If the guys job was to test the software and he did it right and there were no problems he did nothing wrong. Sure accuse him of not having a goal or whatnot but he did his job better than 90% of the people here could claim to do.

[patrickjp93]

19 hours ago, Thony said:

Good point but I guess if software can do it what's the point of paying him ? One off pay for the software, sure. But monthly payments don't make sense.

Royalties

[dalomo]

14 hours ago, JoeyDM said:

That isn't how any of that works. You clearly haven't worked, or have a very entitled attitude. Or both.  If you don't work, you don't get paid. If you don't work and the job is done, then the company just hasn't caught on, that doesn't mean you deserve pay.

No I work, and I'm not entitled. I just have a different opinion. No need to bring personal character into a internet debate buddy. The company isn't paying him just because they want a guy in an office doing "work" they pay him because he filled a need. Sure, I have no problems with him getting fired, because he deserved it, it wasn't in line with what the company expected, but at the same time, they didn't catch on for years which means the quality of his work was acceptable. He was smart (for a while at least) and got paid for it, so he deserves those years of pay because he wasn't a detriment to the company, he did the job they wanted done.

[dalomo]

14 hours ago, Misanthrope said:

So,  you're pretty much wrong here. By your logic you could show up to work naked and drunk and as long as shit got done, no matter how sloppy or badly you get paid? No. 

Holy shit that's some good mental gymnastics. Automating your job and doing something illegal are two different things. Plus I never said if he does a shitty job he deserves pay, you made that up too. I never said he didn't deserve to be fired, if he broke company rules, sure fire the fuck out of him. But people are talking about redacting pay and stuff. He did his job, didn't break any laws, just company rules.

[Misanthrope]

36 minutes ago, dalomo said:

Holy shit that's some good mental gymnastics. Automating your job and doing something illegal are two different things. Plus I never said if he does a shitty job he deserves pay, you made that up too. I never said he didn't deserve to be fired, if he broke company rules, sure fire the fuck out of him. But people are talking about redacting pay and stuff. He did his job, didn't break any laws, just company rules.

I never said illegal I said "borderline" and such. At most it's a breach of contract but I doubt it was specific enough to have a smartass coder provision. So he shouldn't have gotten paid, that doesn't in any way imply that he should pay the money back: the company was not Smart enough to caught him on time and terminate him it's too bad, they're quite stupidly run tbh. 

 

In any case I'm done burning your straw man. 

 

 

[Misanthrope]

7 hours ago, Betabot said:

While I don't agree that this was the right thing to do, it was the smartest thing to do from the programmer side.

 

As most of you seem to forgetting a major point. If he programmed in within working hours on a work computer, it's almost 100% likely that the company would be able to claim it as their property and not pay for it. Which would either result in them either kicking him off his job, or maybe giving him another job, but that's a risk. Also if he did develop it on his own machine and own time, then it comes into the territory of the company legal right's in their data and processes.

Actually you can be smart about it too: code just enough to make it painfully easy but don't code the full automation and require a human being to click on the "click here" button or handle off the sequence manually etc.

 

Even so it seems unnecessary I've gotten things to that point and companies I've worked for are receptive to feedback and proposals I often say "It's done but we can implement this other tool to make it better, give you more details, etc." 

[dalomo]

57 minutes ago, Misanthrope said:

I never said illegal I said "borderline" and such. At most it's a breach of contract but I doubt it was specific enough to have a smartass coder provision. So he shouldn't have gotten paid, that doesn't in any way imply that he should pay the money back: the company was not Smart enough to caught him on time and terminate him it's too bad, they're quite stupidly run tbh.

I was referring to showing up naked and drunk being illegal.

 

And we seem to be close to the same page, he deserves to be fired. But still deserves the money they paid him before they got off their own equally lazy asses and realized what he was doing and fired him.