Comments on: “How exactly do you make your paints?”; What if Google hired artists? http://almaer.com/blog/how-exactly-do-you-make-your-paints-what-if-google-hired-artists blogging about life, the universe, and everything tech Sat, 08 Sep 2012 07:06:53 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: scott http://almaer.com/blog/how-exactly-do-you-make-your-paints-what-if-google-hired-artists/comment-page-1#comment-46822 scott Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:04:46 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=2622#comment-46822 There's a big difference with a programming portfolio, in that very often the portfolio belongs to an employer, who would be justifiably horrified if a programmer showed it to another company during an interview. It would be nice if we all worked professionally on open-source projects or public websites, but it's certainly not the case for programming in general. There are many programmers with valid portfolios that are veiled in secrecy and are unverifiable. There’s a big difference with a programming portfolio, in that very often the portfolio belongs to an employer, who would be justifiably horrified if a programmer showed it to another company during an interview.

It would be nice if we all worked professionally on open-source projects or public websites, but it’s certainly not the case for programming in general.

There are many programmers with valid portfolios that are veiled in secrecy and are unverifiable.

]]> By: Jeff Hoffman http://almaer.com/blog/how-exactly-do-you-make-your-paints-what-if-google-hired-artists/comment-page-1#comment-46210 Jeff Hoffman Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:33:29 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=2622#comment-46210 Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings are amazing works of art, but are typically very expensive to maintain -- he definitely stretched the ability of the materials he had to work with... So I imagine he would never have been asked to build a Google facility :-) Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings are amazing works of art, but are typically very expensive to maintain — he definitely stretched the ability of the materials he had to work with… So I imagine he would never have been asked to build a Google facility :-)

]]> By: Matt McKnight http://almaer.com/blog/how-exactly-do-you-make-your-paints-what-if-google-hired-artists/comment-page-1#comment-46193 Matt McKnight Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:38:58 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=2622#comment-46193 Unfortunately, software development is generally a team sport. While people can point to projects that they have been on, it is not always easy to point to significant examples that they can claim as their own, or even feel responsible for failures where they were but a cog in a runaway train. Unfortunately, software development is generally a team sport. While people can point to projects that they have been on, it is not always easy to point to significant examples that they can claim as their own, or even feel responsible for failures where they were but a cog in a runaway train.

]]> By: Josh Marinacci http://almaer.com/blog/how-exactly-do-you-make-your-paints-what-if-google-hired-artists/comment-page-1#comment-46189 Josh Marinacci Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:06:24 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=2622#comment-46189 Funny you mentioned a portfolio. At the last minute I was inspired to make one for my Palm interview. I think it worked out much better than my pure resume. Funny you mentioned a portfolio. At the last minute I was inspired to make one for my Palm interview. I think it worked out much better than my pure resume.

]]> By: Bill Mill http://almaer.com/blog/how-exactly-do-you-make-your-paints-what-if-google-hired-artists/comment-page-1#comment-46188 Bill Mill Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:33:34 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=2622#comment-46188 I think you picked a poor example to demonstrate the silliness of some interview processes, because Michelangelo would have known exactly where his paints came from, how they were made, and what dyes were used. It was very important at the time to be on the leading edge of that technology. Quoting a random dude on the internet: "They actually went into detail about this in the book I just read 'Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling'. He special ordered specific colors from specific places, and was very picky about it. The book is by Ross King, and was published in 2003. If you can get hold of a copy, just look the word pigment up in the index. It is mentioned on roughly 20 separate pages, and exactly where and how he got specific colors is explained in detail." I think you picked a poor example to demonstrate the silliness of some interview processes, because Michelangelo would have known exactly where his paints came from, how they were made, and what dyes were used. It was very important at the time to be on the leading edge of that technology.

Quoting a random dude on the internet:

“They actually went into detail about this in the book I just read ‘Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling’.

He special ordered specific colors from specific places, and was very picky about it.

The book is by Ross King, and was published in 2003. If you can get hold of a copy, just look the word pigment up in the index. It is mentioned on roughly 20 separate pages, and exactly where and how he got specific colors is explained in detail.”

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