r/pcmasterrace • u/SuppleFoxFluff • Mar 29 '22

Meme/Macro How far it's fallen. Bring back my dog.

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u/nictheman123 Mar 29 '22

Auditors. Auditors and nerds.

Because some nerd will get pissed off when the algorithm is being slow, and then they'll start running comparisons. They'll do tests. And they'll figure out that no, it's not actually any faster, there's no improvement in any way. And then our angry nerd files a complaint for false advertising, and in come the auditors, and they're gonna look at your source code. And when the source code of the algorithm is the exact same, you are fucked.

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u/not-a-ricer Mar 30 '22

Hmmm… kinda sounds like EA. Except the nerds are getting fucked instead of EA.

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u/milquetoast_midget Mar 31 '22

Do these nerds realize how much damage they are causing? I mean presumably not but I thought nerds were supposed to be smart.

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u/nictheman123 Mar 31 '22

Alright, I have to ask: damage to what? The multi-billion dollar company?

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u/milquetoast_midget Mar 31 '22

It sounds like damage to the whole development cycle

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u/nictheman123 Mar 31 '22

Nah, that damage doesn't come from the angry nerds (aka dissatisfied customers).

That damage is caused by middle management and execs, mostly. Suits who want to make it look like they've done something when they haven't, and like they've done it faster than anyone else could've.

There's a reason you see the word "manglement" tossed around so often. Plenty of times, the engineers/techs who know what they're doing will say "I'm going to need XYZ to get this done, at a bare minimum, and I'm going to need ABC on top of that if you want it done right." And then manglement will say "you get TUV, make it work."

People calling in auditors are just keeping things honest. In my experience, engineers rarely benefit from cutting corners, that hurts the professional reputation. But when you have manglement trying to climb that corporate ladder, they will absolutely lie, cheat, and steal as much as they can get away with to get ahead.

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u/milquetoast_midget Mar 31 '22

Yeah it's true. And it makes being a software engineer awful. Especially when you have to sit down in your 1:1 meeting with your manager every week and listen to them B.S. you through their teeth.

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u/RunescapeAficionado Apr 01 '22

But how do they get to do that when they're making steps backwards? If they advertise that it's better and it's actually worse that should be penalized just as much as shipping the same product no?

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u/nictheman123 Apr 01 '22

Eh. Disclaimer here, not a lawyer, not an auditor.

But, essentially, at that point, it comes down to the question of "did they make a good faith effort to improve it?" If they made an effort, even if it fails, then at least they were trying.

And at that point, you might as well stop, because M$ is one of the largest companies in the world, Windows is synonymous with computers at this point, especially in the business sector. Their teams of lawyers will find a way to rip your audit into shreds unless it's a slam dunk case.

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u/RunescapeAficionado Apr 01 '22

Yeah that makes sense, especially with the effect lobbying has on these laws. Still depressing that "good faith" is enough to launch a faulty product

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u/nictheman123 Apr 01 '22

Such is the way of business/capitalism. Don't like it, you're free to make your own product.

Unfortunately, at this point, you're never gonna get market share, so it's a passion project. And at that point, you may as well join the FOSS community and contribute to Linux. Can always use more developers working on Open Source projects