Careless Code Monkeys
This wonderful Monday morning has been trashed by a particularly careless Code Monkey I work with. I know he probably meant well, but he checked in code - to master, that was then deployed to production, that broke production. Why? Simply because he didn't check.
I'm not perfect. I make a lot of mistakes. But this was one that I really got a little steamed about. I don't make mistakes like this - and even if I did, I'm here in the morning to clear them up! This is my real gripe.
It's one thing to be careless if you're the one cleaning up the mess. As I've said to my kids over and over again, I'll eat in the living room because I'm the one that cleans it up. They can't because they simply don't.
I want to just shame these Code Monkeys into taking a little more personal interest in their work. Take a little more time - check. Make sure. Don't just assume that because it's checked in and the CI build worked that everything is going to be OK. It might, but it might not. And it's those "might not" cases that really make or break your reputation.
The particular Code Monkey that broke production today is a nice guy. He's personable, likable, nice to talk to, and just a plain "good guy". But he's careless. He isn't a details person. He can write code, but it's a mess and it takes a lot longer than I'm used to - for a guy that's clearly well beyond the "junior" phase of his career. I don't want to yell at him, so I don't. But it's hard not to. He should know better, but I know this isn't going to be a lesson he learns this time - if ever.
He's just careless.