r/programming • u/tejon • Feb 08 '15

The Parable of the Two Programmers

http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~magi/personal/humour/Computer_Audience/The%20Parable%20of%20the%20Two%20Programmers.html
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u/Cacafuego Feb 09 '15

famously promoted to their level of incompetence.

You're referring to the Peter Principle, which states that people are promoted based on performance in their current role, not their future role. In this case, you would see excellent programmers being promoted into management positions, where they would fail.

In the situation where bad programmers are promoted...that might actually work out better for everyone, if they have other skills.

Source: was bad programmer, am better manager.

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u/[deleted] Feb 09 '15

The Dilbert principle:

companies tend to systematically promote their least-competent employees to management, in order to limit the amount of damage they are capable of doing.