A Worker and Their Tools

I am starting a new job in a few weeks, having been made redundant in a round of “big tech layoffs.” My old job, while occasionally requiring trips to the office, was mostly conducted from my home office, a space tailored to my liking. In my new role, I anticipate spending more time in the company office, necessitating the adaptation of a generic space to meet my needs as much as possible. One way I achieve this is by bringing my own keyboard and mouse.

There is a saying: “A bad worker blames their tools.” It implies that someone can’t take responsibility for poor work and, consequently, won’t improve because they won’t reflect on the true source of the problem. Another interpretation might be that a good worker should be able to create something good even with bad tools. I’m confident that Gordon Ramsay could prepare a much better meal on a camping stove with utensils salvaged from a bin, than I could in a state-of-the-art kitchen.

There is a third interpretation: A good worker wouldn’t use bad tools. Going back to my cooking example, I doubt Gordon Ramsay is outfitting his own kitchen with the cheapest pans from Ikea and supermarket own-brand knives. A skilled professional recognizes the value of good tools and understands that they will pay for themselves many times over.

“Every programmer shall have their choice of mouse and keyboard” is one of the rights outlined in Jeff Atwood’s brilliant Programmers Bill of Rights. In it, he shares an anecdote about working as a painter, where everyone had to buy their own brushes. I had a similar experience years ago that had a lasting impact on me.

Mechanic Mike

When I was in year 10 at school (14-15 for those not familiar with the English school system), we each had to do a two-week work experience placement. I worked in a car garage, which turned out to be much more enjoyable than most of my friends’ experiences of sitting behind a counter in a shop or getting coffee for people in an office. I actually got to do real work on real cars! Taking off wheels, changing brake pads, changing tires, and rebalancing wheels; all under the supervision of an experienced mechanic named Derek.

Day to day, I used socket wrenches, screwdrivers, spanners, etc. These came out of the “shop tools,” an old tool chest filled with discarded tools that weren’t well looked after. If I needed a tool that wasn’t in there, I had to ask Derek for something from his personal tool chest. He would watch me closely as I used it, making sure it was returned as soon as I was done.

I found this a bit strange, so I asked why there was so much fuss over tools, in the way only a kid who had never bought anything more expensive than Pokémon cards could. Derek explained that mechanics have their own personal tools, which only they use. Everything is organized exactly how they like it; they buy the brands they like and trust. It isn’t cheap buying quality tools, so they look after them carefully, and anyone else using them better treat them with the utmost respect! Having high-quality tools instils a sense of pride in the work you do, and in the case of mechanics, reminds you of the importance of the work.

This is my keyboard, there are many like it, but this one is mine

Aside from the screen, a keyboard and mouse are the two parts of a computer a developer likely interacts with the most. Colleagues would often be bemused seeing me pull a full 104-key mechanical keyboard out of my bag each morning I arrived at the office. I’m sure they were forming judgments, perhaps about how pedantic I am.

Sure, the $20 keyboard IT leaves on every desk is functional; it types the letters as you press them. But is it a good typing experience? Most people likely don’t know any better, but once you use a nice mechanical keyboard, membrane keyboards feel like mushy garbage. (Aside, I’m writing this in the café of a climbing gym. I didn’t bring a keyboard because the table size tends to prevent it. So here I am, sadly using a mushy laptop keyboard). Optical mice are similarly functional; the cursor moves as you move the mouse around. However, their ergonomics often leave a lot to be desired, and I personally couldn’t go back to not having mechanically assisted scrolling found on most high-end Logitech mice, especially when you open up some legacy code file and discover 20k lines of code waiting for you!

Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter. There are developers out there using utterly inferior equipment who are changing the world more than I ever will, writing flawless code I could never hope to match. That’s not the point, though. All else being equal, I have always enjoyed working with curious people who won’t accept the status quo. The people who will try new things to see if there is something better out there. The people who demand the best stuff because otherwise, how can they be expected to create the best stuff. Someone being particular about what tools they use is one of those little indicators I look out for, that shows they care about the little details.

So, if this blog post is boring and poorly written, it’s because of the bad keyboard I wrote it with, definitely not because I suck at writing!

• Software Development