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Why trust an employer who doesn't trust you?
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I have occasionally done contracting work outside my normal employment.
I would never accept any kind of work monitoring or screen recording software from a client. That tells me they're going to be a bastard about paying me, regardless of the quality or timeliness of the work I do.
Software Zen: delete this;
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If they want visual entertainment in addition to engineering work, charge an extra fee, per hour, paid in advance, for each hour they want that entertainment 
Jokes aside, I think other people hit the nail on the head. It indicates a lack of trust, probably obsessive micromanagement, and potentially future payment disputes (you aren't doing it like I think you should, despite me not knowing anything about software engineering).
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I very much agree with what everyone wrote and am glad to see that all is well at the moment. I guess I should have mentioned in the original question that I ponder about the near future as well.
During the googling that I mentioned, where queries were variations of "should remote coder accept screen recording", I managed to find only one hit with some sort of discussion about this practice applied on coders, multiple pages of remaining hits were exclusively advertisements for existing screen tracking solutions and articles about how to most efficiently track screens of your employees and contractors, only that one hit was about moral issues and anti productivity of this idea.
Looking back, when the business world adopts some unpopular and impractical method to the point that it becomes a norm (in most environments), you are not able to oppose by relying on statements such as "you must trust me", "I will never agree to this", "you are asking me to do it for your own amusement", "you are only looking for ways to pay me less", and "you are a control freak" or "you have mental problems". Not even the "I get less work done that way" would help to talk them into allowing you to breach the company's own policy. And the next thing you know, your only comfort is the assumption that your employer doesn't actually spend hours staring intensely into your screen. They don't really want to monitor you anyway, that screen recorder is just a necessary part of this hot new tool for developers that intends to really bring people closer together. At least the tool is a massive help when you code, can't live with it, can't live without it. And why would you worry if you have nothing to hide, right? So if such a hypothetical near future is possible, I guess we should be looking for the most solid arguments to prevent it from taking off.
Not to appear a hater, I do think that screen sharing could work well in a very limited number of cases, for example when a tiny team of equally dedicated developers wishes to create an atmosphere of everyone sitting in the same room, where they would be able to see each other's screens anyway and reap productivity benefits from that.
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Kr4ft3r wrote: for example when a tiny team of equally dedicated developers wishes to create an atmosphere of everyone sitting in the same room, where they would be able to see each other's screens anyway and reap productivity benefits from that.
That's the stupidest thing I've read in a long time.
I turned down a 6-figure job back in the 80's because all of the devs were in a big auditoruium sized room with 8 devs sitting around big round tables. The noise was deafening. I don't know any devs that would enjoy or feel like the would benefit from such an environment.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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Because you have read it in the stupidest way that you could imagine. But I guess I wasn't clear enough, that tiny team would be 2-4 developers who are equally dedicated to a single project and therefore wouldn't mind sharing a room/screens and would even have benefits from that since everyone would be busy with their own work and only look at screens of others when they need to. Not the chicken coop that you described.
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Kr4ft3r wrote: Looking back, when the business world adopts some unpopular and impractical method to the point that it becomes a norm (in most environments), you are not able to oppose by relying on statements such as "you must trust me", "I will never agree to this", "you are asking me to do it for your own amusement", "you are only looking for ways to pay me less", and "you are a control freak" or "you have mental problems". Not even the "I get less work done that way" would help to talk them into allowing you to breach the company's own policy.
It depends. If one is an employee then what you say is correct (although of course one can still withdraw one's labour and go elsewhere or never work there in the first place) but as a contractor it is different. A contractor has no requirement to adhere to "the company's own policy"; he or she has his or her own policies!
Also, even as an employee, it's not necessarily so clear cut. Companies cannot necessarily just do what they want. Whilst it might seem like it sometimes, not all companies just do whatever they want and ride roughshod over the feelings and thoughts of their employees; some actually do listen and do what works best for all.
And, of course, strikes sometimes happen over issues like this. I'm not in favour of strike action in general but if negotiation has been attempted and it was met with intransigence then temporary withdrawal of labour might be justified. (Although I expect I'd be resigning at that stage rather than going on strike).
Kr4ft3r wrote: I do think that screen sharing could work well in a very limited number of cases, for example when a tiny team of equally dedicated developers wishes to create an atmosphere of everyone sitting in the same room, where they would be able to see each other's screens anyway and reap productivity benefits from that.
Good grief, what benefits? Unless someone is walking around all the time looking at other people's screens (which means that he or she isn't doing their own coding work!) then they would not normally be able to see other people's screen anyway. I can see no benefits to be drawn from this scenario.
(Edited because I misread the initial message).
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markrlondon wrote: It depends. If one is an employee then what you say is correct (although of course one can still withdraw one's labour and go elsewhere or never work there in the first place) but as a contractor it is different. A contractor has no requirement to adhere to "the company's own policy"; he or she has his or her own policies!
Well yes, a contractor has his own policies, but one of those policies should be that he must adopt the policies (policies towards contractors) of a client company he agrees to work for, in order to get hired in the first place. Only by offering an amazing amount of value can one get their clients to give in. But there is no point in throwing exceptions into the equation, I am not worried about the 1% who are either extremely well recognized as experts or are extremely crafty in negotiations, but your average independent developer.
markrlondon wrote: Also, even as an employee, it's not necessarily so clear cut. Companies cannot necessarily just do what they want. Whilst it might seem like it sometimes, not all companies just do whatever they want and ride roughshod over the feelings and thoughts of their employees; some actually do listen and do what works best for all.
Yes, and the best examples are software development companies that are owned and managed by people who are coders themselves and who understand how developers should be treated. But these are not a majority nor do they have an infinite capacity to hire.
markrlondon wrote: Although I expect I'd be resigning at that stage rather than going on strike
But go where? To some guy who is looking to hire a freelancer and who has read in some blog article in 2023 that he shouldn't hire a coder who doesn't agree to have his screen monitored? Or wait out a few years until one of the good companies (that are becoming a minority in this scenario) decides that they should hire you out of all people? Again, I am assuming that this hypothetical coder I am talking about is not widely recognized as an exceptional talent who can make demands.
All I am implying is I believe in the future there may be an attempt to steer towards such direction, and we should come up with really good arguments against it, rather than just refuse out of principle.
markrlondon wrote: Good grief, what benefits?
I don't think it should be so hard to imagine cases where this could be productive, as few as there are. If you imagine some negative atmosphere then that is simply not an example of what I meant. Of course, not a single case involves a boss figure who has nothing better to do himself but to check up on everyone.
Some years ago I worked in the same room with two coders who were junior by comparison, and there was nothing but benefits from being able to see each other's screens since I could guide them, or correct them, or they could see some good example on my screen, all of which they enjoyed. Or just to cross-reference parts of how the system works without having to wait until the documentation is published/updated, hold meetings or write long letters to each other.
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There are cases when sharing a screen with another developer can be useful, but the choice should be the developer's. With the exception of presentations, I cannot think of a single case where sharing a screen with management is useful - for the developer or for the manager.
If the manager can't trust his/her developers, he/she shouldn't have hired them in the first place.
Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.
-- 6079 Smith W.
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Then you found an example of how "screen sharing could work well in a very limited number of cases". I just wanted to point out that my disagreement with having screen recorded by an employer/manager is not due to hating on the whole concept of screen sharing but that there is some proper reasoning behind this stand.
If at some point in future they manage to generalize the opponents to this idea as "haters of screen sharing" that's when they'll be able to slap this onto us as a norm.
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When applying for jobs, software developers often take great care to emphasize their technical skills. However, when it comes to actually landing the position, your “soft skills” (such as empathy and communication) can matter just as much, if not more. Fingers crossed that it's "belly". I'll be so employable!
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"Problem Solving", "Troubleshooting".....
Err.. these are not a "soft skills", they are the essence of what we do! 
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"Empathy"?
We don't do pshychology? Empathy? Seriously? I not even going to rediculize it.
And communication, isn't that some basic thing? We need a specialist for it?
How about a straight no?
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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Eddy Vluggen wrote: And communication, isn't that some basic thing? We need a specialist for it?
You'd think so, and apparently, many employers out there reckon we do.
To make an extreme example, if I were to tell someone in perfect English how a task failed or what needs to be achieved, that'd be fine.... unless of course they didn't speak English at all.
Commmunication is the art of transferring ideas from one mind to another. We're not like a lot of the other employees in an organization - much of that is why we're there. A good portion of the remainder is a hindrance they're (or at least, have been!) prepared to put up with.
Going into business for myself earlier this year has taught me far more than I could ever have imagined - none of which is the product of 'book-learning'. I'm terrified to consider how much more I'll learn along the way...  People are hard!
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enhzflep wrote: Commmunication is the art of transferring ideas from one mind to another.
That's what articles on CodeProject do. They transfer idea's, for free.
Not an "art" though.
enhzflep wrote: Going into business for myself earlier this year has taught me far more than I could ever have imagined
Good for you!
enhzflep wrote: People are hard!
Hahaha.
Yes, Sapiens Sapiens.
Bastard Programmer from Hell
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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Empathy helps you get along with your cow-orkers. That's an important ability, in my opinion.
The difficult we do right away...
...the impossible takes slightly longer.
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If they need empathy, go to the manager. That's what those are paid for. I was not ever selected for "empathy".
Bastard Programmer from Hell
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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That's quite obvious.
The difficult we do right away...
...the impossible takes slightly longer.
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important skills:
0) wear happy face
1) bend-over
2) take-the-knee
3) shut up
4) get back to work
«The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled» Plutarch
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Kent Sharkey wrote: Fingers crossed that it's "belly".
It's a not a belly. It's a Keg and it means you're over 25x as well off as someone who only has a 6 pack.
🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
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Scammers won't give up, no matter what year it is. My research confirms "No sunshine, Sherlock"
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There should be a prize like the anti-oscars for the ![Elephant | [mastadon]](https://codeproject.global.ssl.fastly.net/script/Forums/Images/elephant.gif) ing obvious and total waste of resources studies. 
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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The AI-driven structural predictions are being shared through a public database. Sure, let it know how we're composed. That will make disassembly easier later.
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Coming next...
Startup "Dr. Moureau" in the parents' garage or basement
M.D.V.
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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If your internet's acting up today, it's not you. It's the internet. Specifically, major content delivery network Akamai is having DNS trouble. "It's always DNS"
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