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PaperTrail
5y

Dev checked in code (I suspect purposely not inviting me on the code review invite) saying he "fixed" the authentication bug in the web service.

Um no, like I told you last week, the authentication error is because the load balancer wasn't passing the user's authentication to IIS.

If I didn't overhear him telling a user "Still getting the error? I don't know, we might have to re-write that service", he might have gotten away with it.

Me: "Wait, that doesn't sound right. If I hit the server directly, authentication works. Its an issue with the load balancer, not the service"
Dev: "Admin said the load balancer is fine and it has to be the service."
Me: "I don't buy it. IIS is returning the authentication error, not the service."
Dev: "I added exception handling and nothing is being logged. Must be something in the service configuration."
Me: "No, IIS performs the authentication, not the service. I explained that last week, remember?"
Dev: "Oh yea. What changes do we need to make to the service?"
<my blood pressure starts to spike>
Me: "None. Give me a sec.."
<we have other apps on the same server farm that work just fine, so I re-configure the service pool settings to match theirs>
Me: "See, now going through the load balancer, the service works fine. For some reason, the admin had our service set up differently."
Dev: "OK, I'll let the users know the service is fixed."
Me: "Service was never broke and I'm not leaving it in its current state. In the morning I'll talk to the admin and see what he can do to fix."

rant
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Comments
  • 5
    5y
    Sounds like the dev is purposely trying to give you a bad name.
    Watch your back.
  • 2
    5y
    @sodaTab he could keep a @PaperTrail
  • 5
    5y
    @sodaTab

    > Watch your back

    Nah, I think he was focused on a solution and not solving the problem (Solution finding vs. Problem solving). He's a big solution finder.

    He had in his mind doing X was a solution with no facts to back it up. Like with some individuals, even having the facts cannot deter them from their course of action.
  • 3
    5y
    @PaperTrail
    > He's a big solution finder.
    To me he actually sounded pretty clueless. What he did is called "shotgun debugging". It's the worst unproductive, unprofessional way one can make changes.

    > Like with some individuals, even having the facts cannot deter them from their course of action.
    "Computer science" actually has many parallels to other sciences. One of them is starting with a hypothesis or goal and working with facts. You're not just aimlessly flailing around in hope that magically the right thing happens.

    Off the top of my head, I can't even come up with *any* profession where that makes sense.
  • 0
    5y
    @VaderNT

    >To me he actually sounded pretty clueless

    Troubleshooting complex issues is not in everybody's tool chest.

    He has a Master's degree in software engineering, so he's not dim by any means. Makes me wonder if he lets his intellect get in the way. Ex. every complex problem requires an equal or even greater complex solution.
  • 1
    5y
    @PaperTrail
    > Troubleshooting complex issues is not in everybody's tool chest

    I agree, it certainly in mine wasn't when I was new. I learned to get help. He should try it, instead of flailing around aimlessly.

    I don't even understand why this is a thing. "It doesn't work, I don't get it. I did something. Now it appears to work, and I still don't get it" - how is that in any way satisfying? How can that *not* feel completely wrong?
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