Coder Classes: The Cleric
17-Mar-08
Some folks at Thoughtbot suggested that there are three classic types of coders: the warrior, the wizard and the rogue. Good breakdown, but something is clearly missing.
The Cleric
You’re here to keep everyone else alive. When a Wizard’s design blows up in his face, your patches quickly put him back together. When the gnarled codebase ensnares the Rogue, your refactoring gives her room to breathe. When there’s work to be done, your tools and scripts provide the key buffs for the Fighter. Whenever a teammate is flagging and fatigued, you jump in to heal an ailing project. You might not slay a dragon on your own, but you can make sure everyone gets out in one piece.
…Suffice to say, I often try to be the team’s Cleric. That’s not my only role - I’ve pulled off some Wizardly design and Fighter-esque precision - but I’m happiest when I can keep everyone on my team fighting on against the Infernal Bugs and Treacherous Deadlines.
(Image credit: link.)
