
False fears - rohitarondekar
http://www.germanforblack.com/articles/false-fears
======
PedroCandeias
I'm gradually putting all my shit up on github, even the half-baked projects,
for this reason. Especially the half-baked projects. I wish more of them were
actual products with commercial viability, but they're not. By releasing them,
there's at least a modicum of a chance that someone may eek some use out of
them.

~~~
aangjie
Or more like a chance of you yourself make a product out of them, out of
shame.. I am doing this with my github account too. and see that having half-
baked stuff out there is quite a motivation for me to complete them...

~~~
PedroCandeias
Funny you should mention shame. I used to feel it about my code. Then I
realized everyone else's code was probably just as ugly from their own point
of view. We coders tend to be perfectionists. Then I met _why. Then I (almost)
stopped caring about code beauty and (completely) moved my focus to code that
just plain works. Funny thing is, my code is much better looking these days.
Mostly.

But you were probably mentioning shame in the context of not having the
projects finished. Felt that too. But that's the great thing about github;
it's completely natural for code hosted there to be works in progress.

All in all, what I'm saying is that making your code public just plain ends
the shame and the feelings of inadequacy, much like looking at spiders and
learning about them helps with arachnophobia. It's a shock therapy of sorts.

~~~
aangjie
//All in all, what I'm saying is that making your code public just plain ends
the shame and the feelings of inadequacy. Well i would say yes and no. I get
your point, in the sense that to me just getting something working(even one
line change) and committing to github is a sure serotonin releaser.

//But you were probably mentioning shame in the context of not having the
projects finished. Felt that too.

perhaps shame is too strong a word for this feeling, but it does give me a
reason to go back and complete the old projects, rather than reading around
here/ learning the current(popular) shiny new language(node/
coffescript/etc..)

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jmitcheson
Everyone feels like this. Starting projects is fun and easy. Actually
completing them is boring and hard, so most people don't bother.

I think part of it is we train our brains for quick bursts of things that
interest us, which we can discard when no longer amusing ( _cough_ HN _cough_
;) ). Willpower is a muscle, etc.

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rglover
This something I fight with all of the time. I have a folder of designs that
I'd love to build/share, but for this reason exactly, they never see the light
of day. I think the author makes a great point about getting over the idea of
failure and just putting your stuff out there. More often than not, there's
probably someone just like you doing the same thing but also fearful of the
"what if." Might as well take the chance and beat them to it. More than
anything, I think we should become less sensitive to the intimidation of those
who've already completed something and look at it as inspiration and not
fright.

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skrebbel
Kent Beck's more specific version of similar worries:
<http://www.threeriversinstitute.org/JustShip.html>

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iamclovin
I've been guilty of a few poor judgments and faux pas this week, this makes me
feel much better, thanks!

