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Ask HN: Typist helper for programmers?

2 points by hyung ↗ HN
Does anyone have experience working with a typist or junior programmer, so that you could code by dictation?

Outside of the benefits for coders with wrist injuries, I often find myself unmotivated when facing a lot of code changes that are relatively simple.

4 comments

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michael_dorfman
If the code changes are relatively simple, shouldn't the junior programmer be able to do them without dictation?

And, if you have a large number of routine and repetitive code changes to make, doesn't that point to a bigger problem in your code in the first place?

Finally: wouldn't it be more productive to address your motivation problems head-on?

hyung
I should clarify. After some more thought, what I really mean to ask is:

Would a senior and junior programmers' combined productivity be significantly higher if they were paired up instead of working separately?

Assuming, for the sake of discussion, that the senior programmer has 15+ years of experience and the junior has <1 year.

michael_dorfman
Well, without a doubt the junior programmer's productivity would improve by working closely with a senior programmer.

As for the senior programmer's productivity, that depends: if he is currently working near peak efficiency, having a junior programmer in his way will slow him down; if he is having motivational problems (as you implied in the earlier phrasing), having a junior programmer around may help him focus his attention, and achieve more.

hyung
Disregard the motivation problems, that's just bad phrasing.

I'm wondering how well it would work for the senior programmer to explain a very small, 5-minute task to the junior, then work on something else while the junior guy finishes the task, then check the work, and repeat.

I'm more interested to hear if anyone has ever actually tried this, and if there were any surprises or if it didn't work, why didn't it work?