Re^2: what to do when you screw-up?

[Anonymous Monk]

Some people advocate always writing the best quality code you can, at all times: this is a nice goal, but sometimes management won't let you do it. You have to respect this; sometimes your perception of the long term business risk won't match your employer's;

If only it were that easy. This is complicated by the fact that your reputation is created from the code you write. Even if it's management specifically tells you not to spend any time commenting/documenting/simplifying your code, its your reputation that is on the line when another programmer comes along and sees your name attached to the code.

Your own minimum standard needs to be maintained, even when doing the work for others.

[Anonymous Monk]

Your own minimum standard needs to be maintained, even when doing the work for others.

That's not always legal; when hired to do a job, you're really only legally allowed do what your superiors tell you. It's their money and their company, not yours. Using it to advance your own personal goals is unethical at best, and even criminal at worst.

If you find it morally objectionable to do a certain task, you can always resign. I've done it ( in the middle of the .com bust, too). I didn't regret it, though money was tight for a while.

--
Ytrew

[Anonymous Monk]

Assuming your own minimum standard has some grounding in industry minimum standard, then it isn’t illegal or immoral. Obviously if your minimum standard is something that would be unexpected from a computer programmer, you would need to make sure the company is aware of it before they hire you.

The company doesn’t own you just because they pay your salary. If they hired you on as a computer programmer, then you aren’t being insubordinate when you insist on following standard practices of a computer programmer.

[Anonymous Monk]

Assuming your own minimum standard has some grounding in industry minimum standard, then it isn’t illegal or immoral.

Unless you work in an industry where there is a legislated "industry standard" (such as certain types of engineering), this doesn't apply.

The company doesn’t own you just because they pay your salary. If they hired you on as a computer programmer, then you aren’t being insubordinate when you insist on following standard practices of a computer programmer.

The typical contract reads: "you'll do what we ask of you", just in fancy language. There's almost always some innocuous looking little clause that reads: "and other duties as necessary". There's seldom, if ever, a clause that says: "You can spent our money doing work in the way that you like, but we've specifically told you that we don't".

So, unless there are a specific set of laws in your jurisdiction permitting you to disobey your employer's wishes regarding the assets they've paid for, you just... can't. It's simple contract and property law. --
Ytrew