I would like to thank Jim Bowyer, BizTalk guru extraordinaire, for bringing this to my attention.  I have forgotten about the bozo bit. 10 years ago, I read an excellent book by Jim McCarthy called, The Dynamics of Software Development.  Jim sent me an article called, Un-Dynamics of Software Development, or, Don't Bite the Flip Bozo by Paul Kimmel that references McCarthys book, specifically the bozo bit.

Flipping the bozo bit means to make a mental note that a particular person is a bozo and everything they say in the future should be ignored or looked upon as the meanderings of a slightly annoying, occasionally amusing child or a drunken uncle.

 

Paul then goes on to write about Software Development Truisms:

1. It is still the Wild, Wild West out here and anything goes.
2. When someone says the schedule is going to be missed, they are never lying.
3. Change is a constant, but people will seldom thank you for changing their code.
4. A lot of bad software is being written by people who don't read.
5. People believe too much of what they read.
6. Authors are not smarter than the rest of us; they just read more.
7. Managers should not make technical decisions, but do.
8. If a manager says I am not technical, be prepared to spend a lot of time explaining things to them so they can make decisions they shouldn't be making.
9. Managers hire experts and ignore them all the time.
10. Messengers get shot more often than not.
11. Leaders have to lead; sometimes you will look behind you and find that someone is actually following.
12. You are the best programmer.
13. Programmers hate to read another programmer's code; if they volunteer to review your code, it is not to do you a favor.
14. There really are programmers ten times faster than everyone else.
15. Every man is in some way my superior, as long as he doesn't keep reminding me.
16. Programmers are emotionally attached to their code, but never say this out loud.
17. Many programmers are intellectual bullies and egomaniacs.
18. Everyone talks about constructive tension but doesn't want you disagreeing with them.
19. Benevolent dictators build the best software.
20. Decisions are, more often than not, emotional.
21. The mean time between the time you start speaking and someone flipping the bozo bit on you is ten seconds.

 

Some of you may think this is funny in a Dilbert kind of way.  Others may think this is cynical.  After being in the industry 15 years, I can tell you it is all true.  I am especially fond of this quote from Pauls article, Ultimately, software engineers will have to be licensed, but I hope to be retired before that happens