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The Weird and The Wonderful

   

The Weird and The Wonderful forum is a place to post Coding Horrors, Worst Practices, and the occasional flash of brilliance.

We all come across code that simply boggles the mind. Lazy kludges, embarrassing mistakes, horrid workarounds and developers just not quite getting it. And then somedays we come across - or write - the truly sublime.

Post your Best, your worst, and your most interesting. But please - no programming questions . This forum is purely for amusement and discussions on code snippets. All actual programming questions will be removed.

 
GeneralRe: New record... Pin
Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter21-Dec-14 11:27
professionalKornfeld Eliyahu Peter21-Dec-14 11:27 
GeneralRe: New record... Pin
Sander Rossel21-Dec-14 11:35
professionalSander Rossel21-Dec-14 11:35 
GeneralRe: New record... Pin
Deflinek22-Dec-14 2:35
Deflinek22-Dec-14 2:35 
GeneralRe: New record... Pin
PIEBALDconsult21-Dec-14 12:17
mvePIEBALDconsult21-Dec-14 12:17 
GeneralRe: New record... Pin
_Maxxx_21-Dec-14 14:32
professional_Maxxx_21-Dec-14 14:32 
GeneralRe: New record... Pin
OriginalGriff22-Dec-14 4:34
mveOriginalGriff22-Dec-14 4:34 
GeneralRe: New record... Pin
Thanks787224-Dec-14 3:02
professionalThanks787224-Dec-14 3:02 
GeneralWeb/Java Application Developer Cover Letter PinPopular
Member 1132376319-Dec-14 10:19
Member 1132376319-Dec-14 10:19 
This is an actual Cover Letter I received in response to a job posting for an experienced Web/Java Application Developer position...

Should I hire this guy to see how quickly he gets "quite fatigued by the repitition of coding exercises"?



Recruiting or Hiring Official:


Let me start off by saying that my degree in English can be a bit misleading. I imagine that it suggests that my writing skills are more than acceptable for most tasks; in that regard, it gives the correct impression. I also imagine that it suggests that I also have a high familiarity with various forms of literature; in that regard, it’s a bit less meaningful. Certainly, I have read a good deal of literature, but I have no particular specialization on the subject, and it’s definitely not why I ended up with a degree in English.

Instead, the aspects of my degree that are more relevant are those that require close attention to detail, analytical thinking, and cohesive argument-building using logic and organization. In fact, I started off my college career as a Computer Science major before realizing (quite belatedly after two years) that a number of factors made the major a poor fit. So instead of resigning myself to a career in programming — that I eventually learned “Computer Science” was an analogy for; that I had been studying since I was a high school freshman; that I was slowly being driven mad by debugging sessions; and that I was becoming quite fatigued by the repetition of coding exercises — I decided to fall back on my naturally strong aptitude for written language.

In hindsight, it might have been better to transition over to something still in the realm of information technology and services, but that didn’t occur to me at the time. I think my existing frustrations with the Computer Science program discouraged me from putting myself in a potentially similar scenario. That’s a bit of a shame, since I wonder how I would have fared in a more hardware-oriented learning environment or an environment related to software application but not design. For example, I’m still very quick about picking up software-usage skills (I’m working on practicing some SQL at the moment; it seems a competency in high demand among employers), and have built and maintained multiple computers on a home network (that’s what happens when you’re the most tech-savvy person around; I suspect my knowledge of hardware roughly equates to A+ certification, but I’ve never had a reason to be tested and maintain certification).

So at this point, I have a skill set very much in search of a purpose. I’ve never really had a specific career in mind, which is why I’m flexible about the specifics of the work I do — though I would prefer to put some of my particular competencies to good use, even if it is my more abstract abilities (critical thinking, problem solving, effective written communication, etc.) To that end, I try to be understanding about the hiring process from an employer’s point of view, and open-minded and flexible about potential hiring necessities (probationary periods, contract work, and potential temp-to-hire opportunities) to offset any perceived risk as the result of my admittedly somewhat limited employment history. I have complete confidence that, if given the opportunity, any investment a company or agency makes in me will result in exceptional returns with regards to performance.

Thank you for your time,
GeneralRe: Web/Java Application Developer Cover Letter Pin
dexterama19-Dec-14 10:26
professionaldexterama19-Dec-14 10:26 
GeneralRe: Web/Java Application Developer Cover Letter Pin
Jörgen Andersson19-Dec-14 10:41
professionalJörgen Andersson19-Dec-14 10:41 
GeneralRe: Web/Java Application Developer Cover Letter Pin
newton.saber19-Dec-14 11:07
newton.saber19-Dec-14 11:07 
GeneralRe: Web/Java Application Developer Cover Letter Pin
Brisingr Aerowing19-Dec-14 13:54
professionalBrisingr Aerowing19-Dec-14 13:54 
JokeRe: Web/Java Application Developer Cover Letter Pin
Sander Rossel19-Dec-14 23:39
professionalSander Rossel19-Dec-14 23:39 
GeneralRe: Web/Java Application Developer Cover Letter Pin
BillWoodruff20-Dec-14 18:53
professionalBillWoodruff20-Dec-14 18:53 
GeneralRe: Web/Java Application Developer Cover Letter Pin
Dominic Burford30-Dec-14 22:29
professionalDominic Burford30-Dec-14 22:29 
GeneralRe: Web/Java Application Developer Cover Letter Pin
GuyThiebaut6-Jan-15 2:00
professionalGuyThiebaut6-Jan-15 2:00 
GeneralRe: Web/Java Application Developer Cover Letter Pin
loctrice4-Feb-15 2:53
professionalloctrice4-Feb-15 2:53 
General10600 lines PinPopular
CDP180210-Dec-14 10:33
CDP180210-Dec-14 10:33 
GeneralRe: 10600 lines PinPopular
DaveX8610-Dec-14 10:52
DaveX8610-Dec-14 10:52 
GeneralRe: 10600 lines Pin
CDP180211-Dec-14 13:29
CDP180211-Dec-14 13:29 
GeneralRe: 10600 lines Pin
DaveX8611-Dec-14 13:44
DaveX8611-Dec-14 13:44 
GeneralRe: 10600 lines Pin
virang_2110-Dec-14 13:24
virang_2110-Dec-14 13:24 
GeneralRe: 10600 lines Pin
ZurdoDev11-Dec-14 8:08
professionalZurdoDev11-Dec-14 8:08 
GeneralRe: 10600 lines PinPopular
OriginalGriff11-Dec-14 8:31
mveOriginalGriff11-Dec-14 8:31 
JokeRe: 10600 lines Pin
Richard Deeming11-Dec-14 10:37
mveRichard Deeming11-Dec-14 10:37 

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