Top 9 Sentences You Shouldn't Say to a Developer

Over the years we have come to realize it's better to leave some things unsaid. However, these are not one of those things. Developers don't have to deal with just deadlines, working under pressure etc, they also have to deal with (most likely) good people who don't know the best way to explain the issue. We have all been there and that's why we present you with a list of top 10 sentences you shouldn't say to a developer.

Before we start, you should know that we divided these sentences into 2 groups - the ones that the Boss is saying and the ones that developers say to each other.

Sentences you shouldn't say to a developer if you are the Boss

This is a tricky situation because most of these sentences are the ones that are said to improve the developer's productivity. However, maybe Boss' approach is inadequate.

How much time do you think it will take you to...?

This is a common question and completely fine if it isn't related to something a developer sees for the first time. It is hard to estimate the time needed for learning a new language and putting it into practice.

Let's analyze why did it take so much time...

Bugs, God damn bugs! It took a lot of time for numerous reasons. Analyzing the time spent on a task is a great way of improving efficiency but can annoy the person in question.

Just these code lines? In how many days?

It's about quality, not quantity. Pushing a developer to write more code lines is like saying a turkey in the oven to roast itself faster. Mission impossible.

Why haven't you asked for help?

Probably what a developer should have done. Well, sometimes developers like to do things on their own because that is the best way they'll learn.

Did you Google that?

The answer is "definitely". Google is the developers' best friend! And if Google doesn't know, who does?

It needs to be done right now.

Some things can not be done immediately. In most cases, the Boss understands it cannot be done immediately but doesn't have the time to deal with it late.

Sentences you shouldn't say to a developer if you are another developer

The truth is no one can stab you in the back the way your mate can. Maybe that was a bit too harsh, but you'll read where we are getting at.

She/he will do it faster!

Nobody likes people who want to transfer responsibilities to another person. If you are in charge of the task, do it properly.

Did you do it in HTML5?

Do not be amazed if your colleague answers: "Yes, I have been living under a rock for the past 10 years and am not familiar with other programming languages."

My 15-year-old brother can do it better than you

This is just low. No explanation is needed.

To sum up

Developers are not all mighties. Some of these sentences can act like kryptonite for Superman. But, in most cases, they will just raise a developer's blood pressure and everything will be OK after a couple of minutes. :)

Are there any additional sentences we forgot to mention?