Yes, there are a lot of terrible programmers out there. Training classes, college, etc. are supposed to take care of the standards, but many people just somehow fall into programming. Some are better "self-taught" programmers than others. Some get into it then refuse to learn much more. I know that I'm a good programmer, yet I also know that some of the OO purists would find fault with at least some of the things I do. And they'd be right in some cases where I need to touch up and improve my framework, but in other places I might argue they were taking things too far. And then the n-tier people would tell me how wrong I am to not being doing everything n-tier. And though I do web apps, the web app purists would ask why I do anything new as a desktop/LAN-based app. It's easier to set some minimums, but once you get to a certain level of competence and quality, the arguments about technique and style can be a bit maddening and pointless.


>>You said "If the stupid refuse to take good advice they should be left to die." You lumped him in with "the stupid."
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>Oh well. I was stupid to do that. :) Got his attention though, didn't it? We really need engineering standards. I swear some of the stuff people try to do is like trying to build a bridge and use bubble gum to stick the steel girders together. It is well established that there are just some things one MUST NOT DO, but only (it seems) in other industries.
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> Perhaps you didn't mean to, but it came across that way. And you don't have to tell me that smart people do stupid things, because I remind myself of that too often. <g>
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>>>>But I'm not sure how calling the guy stupid helps out . . .
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>>>Russell. Smart people do stupid stuff all the time. I did not call the guy stupid. I pointed out that you can't stop someone from doing stupid things if they don't think it's stupid.
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>>>>>This is the age old case of - walking along the railroad track and telling yourself and others that there is no danger because there is no train. It's jaywalking because you've done it all your life. It's smoking at the gas station because you always smoke everywhere.
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>>>>>An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - a saying that came about because some smart person saw some stupid person doing something stupid.
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>>>>>If the stupid refuse to take good advice they should be left to die.