I’ve decided that I need to find a nemesis. It may sound ridiculous, but I’m actually completely honest.
Normally, you would find the term nemesis used in comic books and movies. It could be the evil super villian destroying the world or the grumpy dean putting your fraternity on double super secret uber probation. In any situation, a nemesis is somebody who tries to foil your plans, usually in unexpected ways.
It may sound like a horrible idea to want a nemesis, but for a programmer, a nemesis could be a catalyst to becoming better. Knowing that somebody is out there, ready to expose flaws in your code, submit dirty words into your forms or upload nude photos of Bea Arthur onto your server is a good motivation to make things right the first time. Each time you or your nemesis acheives victory, the losing side must plan more inventive and advanced strategies to win the next battle.
The nemesis relationship is a sybiotic one where both parties grow and become stronger. The being said, here are a few nemesis ground rules I would reccomend.
- Attacks against your nemesis should be such that they expose flaws or weakness, but avoid causing damage. Just like comic books, nobody every really dies, they skulk away to comeback another day.
- You should avoid getting your nemesis fired or divorced.
- No firearms.
- No felonies.
If you’re interested in being my Nemesis. Let me know. Here are the general job responsibilities:
- Expose problems with my apps
- Counter points I make on my blog and/or Twitter
- Ask heckling questions at my presentations
- Generally foil my plans for world domination
- (Suggested by GrimDaddy) Point out my bad taste in music.
Anybody interested should let me know.
Ian,
Why do we need a nemesis to push ourselves to be the very best at what we do every day? Maybe just the thought of a nemesis - a “Placebo Nemesis” if you will - should be all the nucleus that you need to achieve better.
Or maybe you could hire some black-hat Ukranian hackers to follow you around teh internets?
Who said it should be internet only? It would be great to be speaking at an event and have a crazed Ukranian start yelling broken english insults at me!
I am a full-time nemesis to many. But I like to play the field and can't settle down with just one arch enemy :)
I think it's valuable to have someone in charge of trying to break your crap, though, because (at least for me) it's tough to be a black hat with the stuff you've made yourself. There will always be assumptions if you're in charge of *everything*.
If you go to Kiev for a round of interviews, Ian, I want to see video.
best nemesis song/video ever from Disney’s Phineas and Ferb (best show on TV).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g9OBVL3A5s
My neme, neme, oooo… my neme, neme, neme.
My neme, neme, oooo… my neme, neme, neme.
I used to sit alone doin’ evil all day,
But now I think there’s someone gonna get on my way, yeah,
There’s someone in my life that does’nt want me to exist,
My neme, neme, oooo… my neme, neme, neme
And I feel fine cause I’ve got a nemesis.
My neme, neme, oooo… my neme, neme, neme(x2)
And I hate him, and he hates me,
What a wonderful animosities,
Besides his hat he wears no clothes,
Now I have someone to opose…
Cause I’ve got a nemesis!
does it have to be an actual programmer person who finds the flaws? or can you make do with a user type person who will actually enter letters into numeric fields?