D&DI - Lead Developer needed.

[Oldtimer]

C# was first released in 2000, so I doubt anyone could have 10 years experience in c# development...

Actually it was only previewed in 2000, the beta was in 2001, and the release was in 2002 (with Visual Studio 2002).

Maybe they've tailored the ad for Anders Hejlsberg. He would probably be the only one with 10 years C# experience. I doubt they can match his current salary, though.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

My cynical guess would be that Radiant Machine has done a crappy job and is far, far behind their schedule. This is Plan B. Sniff, sniff... smells a lot like the etools fiasco.

Assuming they are the ones also doing Gleemax then bringing it in house can't make it any later or any worse.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Actually it was only previewed in 2000, the beta was in 2001, and the release was in 2002 (with Visual Studio 2002).

Maybe they've tailored the ad for Anders Hejlsberg. He would probably be the only one with 10 years C# experience. I doubt they can match his current salary, though.

True, I was thinking about when it was submitted as a standard in 2000.

Arguably if they are looking for Windows development experience the big issue I would expect to see noted would be the version of .Net framework they want people to have experience with, since using C# (or whatever) against .Net 1.1, .Net 2.0 or .Net 3.0/3.5 will result in very different implementations simply because of the capabilities of the framework.

I'm guessing that they are not using .Net 3+ because of the desire for DirectX experience, but considering that .Net 3.0 apps can run on WinXP sp2 and Vista PCs, that must cover pretty much all of their target (wintel) market... and I'd bet that they could do pretty much everything within XAML and .Net 3.0 that they think they need DirectX for.

Cheers

 

[rounser]

Well, to some extent. I mean, there's sort of the standard-issue modern OO language style, ala Java or C# or VB.NET. And any .NET language has the same libraries. But it's not like a typical business developer guy who's spent five years working in ASP.NET in C# can sit down and be productive in Smalltalk anytime soon.

I don't know Smalltalk. But I have flipped OO languages several times, and it never took more than about a week or two and a help file to come up to speed. Seriously, the ads are completely ridiculous and they overlook a tonne of experience and good people this way. I can only assume some HR guy set the precedent in the 80s or early 90s or something asking for "20 years FORTRAN experience" and they've been copying each other ever since, because these ads haven't changed since then.

It's kind of insulting that they ask for 10 years experience when they're not even willing to spend 5 minutes on the web to get their ad right.

And it's not as if every company adopts a language the moment it first comes out - there's a significant lag period while Microsoft or whoever works out the bugs. I think it was 2002 that myself and another developer started with C# for a project. We did run into a hurdle, and so looked at the database to find expertise elsewhere in Asia-Pacific (this was with one of the big international consulting firms). Someone a city away told us they had located two experts, so we were pleased...before we saw our own names come up on our screens.

 

[Ty]

Interesting. I could do it, but I don't fancy moving the family over to the USA and I'd be wary of becoming a focus of opprobrium for the DI on ENworld...

Some entertaining elements to the job advert though...

C## should be C#

UML isn't a markup language, it is language for modelling systems

C# was first released in 2000, so I doubt anyone could have 10 years experience in c# development...

It's HR. I wonder if they will screen out all applicants with less than 10 years of experience like many HR generalists do...

 

[Voss]

Ooo. Based on this I wouldn't expect to see DDI sooner than 2009. Company change and a new development head. Not good times for any piece of software.

But thats OK. I was hoping this gimmick would wouldn't take off, though in the long run, I think WotC would save money but canning it now.

 

[3catcircus]

Just *now* advertising for a lead?

My prediction: DDI will fail miserably and have to be bailed out with a too little, too late effort by some start-up (just like Code Monkey did with E-Tools).

 

[nerfherder]

Am I the only one cynical enough to read this as "we think people who are excited about D&D will work for us for way less than market rate!"?

Nope! And with the exchange rates the way they are, I don't expect they can offer me a salary that would be tempting.

 

[drothgery]

I don't know Smalltalk. But I have flipped OO languages several times, and it never took more than about a week or two and a help file to come up to speed.

Well, the mainstream OO languages are all pretty similar. But that doesn't mean all OO languages are. Heck, doing objects in JavaScript or Perl is strange enough that noone other than library building types really tries, and they're not that obscure, being vaguely C-family and pretty widely used.

 

[vic20]

I don't know Smalltalk. But I have flipped OO languages several times, and it never took more than about a week or two and a help file to come up to speed.

Too true. Once you've derived from one base class, you're good to go.

Seriously, the ads are completely ridiculous and they overlook a tonne of experience and good people this way. I can only assume some HR guy set the precedent in the 80s or early 90s or something asking for "20 years FORTRAN experience" and they've been copying each other ever since, because these ads haven't changed since then.

Yeah, that was the work of Owen Bautenaur, legendary Human Resources guru.

To play devil's advocate (FOR HR?!?! SHOOT ME!!!) it's always better to overstate. When I read "Must know X, Y, Z. Good to know 1, 2, 3", I know that this really means "Must know X, Y, or Z. If we're lucky, we can get somebody at least casually familiar with 1, 2, or 3!"

I've got 25 years programing experience, with 10 year professional dip into 4 languages. I've never interviewed for a position that wasn't going to be over my head in. Helps to be good at interviews and be a fast learner, but that's true for any job.