The typical IT worker: info from the WSJ

[zahc]

The only C I've really written was on microcontrollers, where you usually change register values directly and it doesn't get much more global than that. I suppose I'm ruined now for "big iron".

[Tallpine]

The only C I've really written was on microcontrollers, where you usually change register values directly and it doesn't get much more global than that. I suppose I'm ruined now for "big iron".

Yeah, I worked on the cert for an O/S board support, trying to reverse engineer requirements.

Most of the functions wrote a series of values to the same register location, to program the I/O device.  So there was no way to test the software because there was no way to determine a single result value for a register. 

I think most of the registers returned to zero after accepting the input anyway 

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

Also means they can't be promoted or transferred.

I knew a contractor that pulled that game. He hardcoded EVERYTHING, and I believe he intentionally would strip comments before pushing to the server.

In some fields, you're more likely to be outsourced than promoted.

[Tallpine]

In some fields, you're more likely to be outsourced than promoted.

As a contractor, I'm lucky if I get called back to do the revision/update on it a few years later. 

If I'm really not lucky, I get called back to do the second revision/update on it after a bunch of fools have mucked it up on the first revision