I had an encounter this week that made me pause and re-evaluate things.
I have never been a person who thinks it is my way or the highway, but I will admit that I have strong opinions. These opinions are forged from my experiences and I expect others to bring theirs to the table too.
I am not afraid to admit wrongness or even failure, I truly think you can learn and never arrive. Just because we disagree on the path does not mean we cannot desire the same destination.
Back to my encounter…
I found it strange that someone I did not know would be offended by my opinion and preference without engaging in the how’s and why’s.
Sure it could just be internet trolling and I need to have thicker skin but I felt compelled to ask this question: “Where did we go wrong when someone having an opinion was a bad thing?”
Having an opinion as a Developer does not mean you are a rockstar, stuck up or bad person and it certainly does not mean you are an immovable object when it comes to building great software.
At the same time, I really enjoy when someone brings a wealth of opinions to the table. It means they have fought battles and won wars (not actual ones) which brings a wealth of experience with it.
So here’s a disclaimer I will toss out: my opinions may be strong but they are weakly held. If there’s a better way to do _____ then let’s explore it.