What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word: Software Engineer or a Developer?
A handsome geek typing on his keyboard with a steaming cup of coffee on his workstation.
No wonder, I am here to pop that bubble of yours with some reality check. But before that, you must know that the life of a developer is not easy. The rough and tough journey makes that dashing programmer turn into a monster in some situations, a 4 year kid in some and a frustrated engineer in most.
To live a life of a developer, you must know what are the worst things that can happen to you. After observing the developers around me closely, here is a list of worst nightmares of a developer.
Working on another developer’s code
One thing that freaks out any developer in this world is to work on some other developer’s code. Just like an artist, a developer also writes his entire program with patience and concentration. To work on somebody else’s code is like walking in somebody else’s shoes and going backwards to know where the journey began from. It is an extremely tiring job and I have seen developers around me go crazy under such circumstances.
Bugs at the oddest time
A developer has no personal life. Office calls are the scariest when they know that the project is under testing. And then shit happens when they get those bug calls just before leaving from office or on a date or right before going to the loo. Well, it ain’t easy being a developer and there is no way the code will be error-free in the first go.
Bugs that you fixed caused new ones
With the rolled up sleeves, he/she fixes the bugs and takes a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, the day is not yours and just when you click Run, there is a new series of bugs caused by the fix that you just made. The betrayed faces say it all and I can do nothing but feel sorry.
Unknown bug cause
The most frustrating situation is when a developer has put in all his efforts but the bug cause is too shy to show up. The thought is stuck in the mind and a developer thinks about it in the shower, at the dining table, in the bed and everywhere else.
Data lost and there is no back up
This is not specific to developers but every individual’s worst nightmare is losing data without having its back up. However, the counter effects are different in case of a developer. While you may do without that lost data, a developer would have to do everything from scratch. And it means a lot of sleepless nights and limitless caffeine intake.
Client asks for Internet Explorer 6 compatibility
For the sake of a few customers who still insist on using Internet Explorer, developers are often asked to make web solutions compatible with Internet Explorer 6. It may seem easy but it takes twice as long as it takes to build an entirely new Application.
Semicolon is missing
SEMICOLON drives all the programs. And in case it goes missing, well you will see the monster that I mentioned about in the earlier section. It changes the meaning of code with its presence and absence. You can know how much it is important in a developer’s life.
Slow Internet
While we are dependent on Internet for quite a lot of things, Google is our go-to solution for every query, personal or professional. For a developer, Google has the answer for every query and they just cannot do without internet.
Boss considers you an expert
As much as you feel proud when your boss trusts you completely with everything, you also have that pressure building on the inside.
(On the outside)
(On the inside)
There are many other situations that might bring the frustration out but I have mentioned a few that everybody can relate to. You can share your worst nightmares with us in comment section.
Special thanks to Zac Efron’s amazing expressions without which I would not have been able to bring out the emotions of a developer.
