• (cs)

    Not believable.

  • Thanatos Complex (unregistered)

    snoofle should have TDWTF-ified the story and added in a bunch of made-up dialog where the manager acted like a creep. Then when he said he had a "bad feeling" about the guy, everyone in the comments would agree with him instead of bashing on his instincts.

    He would have had to change the threat at the end from "You know, I can tell folks your real name..." to "Remember what I said about the president's sick daughter...", but I think it would have been worth it.

  • ¯\(°_o)/¯ I DUNNO LOL (unregistered) in reply to emaNrouY-Here
    emaNrouY-Here:
    The one thing I might have done differently is, instead of revealing myself at the interview, tell the agency you decline the offer and to notify the manager, "snoofle has declined the offer."
    I think it would have been interesting to see the manager's response if it was posed during the interview as:

    $MGR: If $FAMOUSGUY was here we'd hire him right now! $FG: But are you sure that $FAMOUSGUY would be willing to work for you? What about your company would attract or repel him?

    Because, after all, the interview isn't just about the the all-wise company being generous enough to throw a scrap and give a poor schmuck a job, it's just as much about the prospective hire finding out whether the place is worth working for.

    But the moment is gone, and that five-hours-later great idea doesn't help when you needed it five hours ago. I have plenty of those too-late ideas myself. All you can do is learn from them and hope that you can have the perfect (or at least a better) response the next time such a moment happens.

  • Steve (unregistered) in reply to ObiWayneKenobi
    ObiWayneKenobi:
    I'm in the .NET world so I'll use people from that as examples, but if you were interviewing somebody like Rob Conery or Scott Hanselman or Ayende Rahien, and they used some weird online handle

    You do realize Ayende is a weird online handle? :-)

  • (cs)

    "Curious Perversions" is actually the editing that the authors do with the articles on this site, not the original content...

  • SHA (unregistered) in reply to Anon
    Anon:
    I would side with snoofle on this one. Imagine you were in the interview, were not snoofle, and the interview proceeded identically up to logging in as him.

    You'd just have been told that if an internet "celebrity" were interested in the job you'd get passed over without a second thought, despite you having proved you were fit for the job and had a solid rapport with the tech team. And without ascertaining that 'snoofle' knew what he was talking about. Would you really want to work for a manager that is more interested in how popular a person is than in how well they fit?

    It's funny because in this instance he was the celebrity in question, but it would be worrisome if he wasn't. He should have kept his anonymity, though, instead of proving he was snoofle. There wasn't really much point to it other than basking in adulation.

    As for whether the story is true or not, does it really matter? Saying "the story is fake" kind of kills the conversation right there. Even if you don't believe the story, discussing what happens in it is better than trying to pin down where it breaks from reality.

    Hopefully, everyone realizes this, though I have my doubts. This is exactly what I thought. If I was just vetted, but was then told that if a "celeb" poster on TDWTF came in that they job would be offered without a technical interview, I'd turn down the job.

    However, that sorta happened at my current place of employment last week. A candidate was interviewed by my boss and without a technical interview he was hired. Not because he was a celeb, but my boss did know the guy before interviewing him. And my boss is not technical; I can only imagine how that conversation went. So, this should be a disaster.

  • (cs) in reply to ¯\(°_o)/¯ I DUNNO LOL
    ¯\(°_o)/¯ I DUNNO LOL:
    ...it would have been interesting to see the manager's response if it was posed during the interview as:

    $MGR: If $FAMOUSGUY was here we'd hire him right now! $FG: But are you sure that $FAMOUSGUY would be willing to work for you? What about your company would attract or repel him?

    That would have been awesome!

    bows

  • (cs)

    This falls into the category of "Be careful what you ask for, you may just get it!".

    In recent events, this relates to the celebrity saying "Do you know who I am?" in a reverse kinda way.

    Snoofle was just showing that "disclosure" is a two way street!

  • Kriis (unregistered) in reply to warlaan
    warlaan:
    Sorry, but this story sounds totally fishy to me. I am a programmer and I frequently read TDWTF, but I never even looked at the pseudonym of the author.

    And now there's a manager who reads TDWTF (strange but still believable), remembers the authors' pseudonyms and expects others to do so as well?

    Also: if anyone ever asked me about posts by "warlaan" I would be 90% sure that they already knew that that's my pseudonym. Snoofle on the other hand apparently did not suspect such a thing for even one second.

    As I said: sounds very fishy.

    I frequent TDWTF, and normally read whats on the Sidebar. I've noted Snoofles name and generally enjoy his posts. I actually recognize the handle even if I don't recognize anything else

    The odds that someone would asks about TDWTF... then ask about Snoofle... then happen to be sitting across from Snoofle? I'd think hitting the lottery would be more likely - but you CAN win the lottery.

    I would think this is highly unlikely, but plausible. TDWTF is going to attract a subset of people, and the interviewer is likely to be in that subset.

    Odds are I'm not going to randomly meet Bill Gates. Odds are higher if I'm at a Tech Convention.

  • (cs) in reply to snoofle
    snoofle:
    ObiWayneKenobi:
    ...doubts...
    Or maybe I'd consider another job if it was "right". This guy tech'd me out. What bugged me was that he was willing to hire "snoofle" (when he didn't know it was me) without doing a tech out.
    At least it was snoofle. He could have been thinking of hiring Brillant Paula...
  • (cs) in reply to stew
    stew:
    And did you miss the part of the article where snoofle's instincts proved correct?

    Is it even there?

    There is no follow-up on this. The manager, I expect, was caught somewhat off-guard and had a momentary lapse (threatening to out). It could be that it would have been a good place to work. snoofle dodged the bullet? Maybe, he dodged something good.

    I would be very interested to read the manager's side.

    Sincerely,

    Gene Wirchenko

  • Rich (unregistered)

    I'm wondering whether this is true: I don't really believe anyone would remember the name of the author of Daily WTF articles, let alone ask an applicant about a specific Daily WTF author or consider that they have a way of dealing with issues in the workplace.

  • The Manager (unregistered) in reply to Gene Wirchenko
    Gene Wirchenko:
    I would be very interested to read the manager's side
    Our company is small and dynamic. We’re growing fast, because we employ only the best of Agile Programming. Our revolutionary flagship product is just a couple weeks away from shipping, and we're about to set a new bar for innovative software. I'm sure you want to be part of it...
  • (cs) in reply to Kriis
    Kriis:
    warlaan:
    Sorry, but this story sounds totally fishy to me. I am a programmer and I frequently read TDWTF, but I never even looked at the pseudonym of the author.

    And now there's a manager who reads TDWTF (strange but still believable), remembers the authors' pseudonyms and expects others to do so as well?

    Also: if anyone ever asked me about posts by "warlaan" I would be 90% sure that they already knew that that's my pseudonym. Snoofle on the other hand apparently did not suspect such a thing for even one second.

    As I said: sounds very fishy.

    I frequent TDWTF, and normally read whats on the Sidebar. I've noted Snoofles name and generally enjoy his posts. I actually recognize the handle even if I don't recognize anything else

    The odds that someone would asks about TDWTF... then ask about Snoofle... then happen to be sitting across from Snoofle? I'd think hitting the lottery would be more likely - but you CAN win the lottery.

    I would think this is highly unlikely, but plausible. TDWTF is going to attract a subset of people, and the interviewer is likely to be in that subset.

    Odds are I'm not going to randomly meet Bill Gates. Odds are higher if I'm at a Tech Convention.

    If I get to see Bill Gates in a convention, can I claim that made?

  • A Nerd With a View (unregistered)

    "We can tell people your real name..."

    One of the reasons that I don't say things anything online that I'm afraid to have associated with my real name.

    I figure that it wouldn't be difficult for someone to cross-reference my real name, real e-mail address, and my most often used handles.

    On the other hand, a business that is not afraid to try to extort someone like this? That definitely is not a place I'd want to work.

  • A Nerd With a View (unregistered) in reply to Gene Wirchenko
    Gene Wirchenko:
    The manager, I expect, was caught somewhat off-guard and had a momentary lapse (threatening to out).

    Those "momentary lapses" are usually when someone is being most honest.

    I would never work for that manager.

  • A Nerd With a View (unregistered) in reply to warlaan
    warlaan:
    Sorry, but this story sounds totally fishy to me. I am a programmer and I frequently read TDWTF, but I never even looked at the pseudonym of the author.

    Okay, there's no way that the author can write out the entirety of an hours-long conversation. Assume that he's summarizing.

    It could have started out as the manager saying something like, "Do you read the Daily WTF?" and then gone on to discussion about their favorite stories... at some point, the author may have caught on to the fact that the manager liked several of this guy's stories, then guided him to a point in the conversation where he pulled back the curtain and revealed his identity to the astonished manager.

    Remember that these stories are always heavily edited, partly to protect the anonymity of the contributors, but also to keep them brief enough for a blog posting.

  • stew (unregistered) in reply to Gene Wirchenko
    Gene Wirchenko:
    There is no follow-up on this. The manager, I expect, was caught somewhat off-guard and had a momentary lapse (threatening to out). It could be that it would have been a good place to work. snoofle dodged the bullet? Maybe, he dodged something good.
    It's certainly possible that one might find a fluke roach in their dinner at a successful and renowned gourmet restaurant. It's also possible that one might consequently avoid the place despite it remaining successful and renowned and producing gourmet food without further incident. It's the unfortunate reality that we're fallible humans often making decisions based off limited information obtained from other fallible humans.

    Perhaps thats why the company should be putting its best foot forward no less than the candidate during "first impression" encounters like these. It is a two-way process, after all, even if the company does proceed from a position of advantage (many applicants, few openings, etc.).

  • cretin (unregistered)

    Not taking the job is probably the right thing to do after coming out of the server closet. Consider the options at hand if there's a serious WTF at the company (what place doesn't have them?). Probably you'd talk to the fanager and the problem would get resolved -> no story on the TDWTF. Or you wouldn't and it would be a great WTF with real identities being thrown all around the place -> end of job & anonymity. Unless it's all made up of course.

  • (cs) in reply to cretin
    cretin:
    Not taking the job is probably the right thing to do after coming out of the server closet. Consider the options at hand if there's a serious WTF at the company (what place doesn't have them?). Probably you'd talk to the fanager and the problem would get resolved -> no story on the TDWTF. Or you wouldn't and it would be a great WTF with real identities being thrown all around the place -> end of job & anonymity. Unless it's all made up of course.
    Snoofle could have taken the job and changed his handle. I wonder if the fanager would be wise to a WTF story that sounded like it came from his shop and was written by someone named "Sniffle."
  • swschrad (unregistered)

    too old and tired from living the real life to think of other possibilities, snoofie, let me just say they had you pegged and wanted to see how you slid out of being identified.

    I got tagged on a bull board discussing issues at my employer (specifically, the deadbutt CEO who is now serving 5 years in Club Fed for pump and dump), and the only logical response to "Are You (well, sonofagun!)" was, "So, are you bringing the beers over after work?"

    since there are lots of professional ID-finders out there pawing the social media, it isn't just GetFaced'Book you have to watch your language in. even if you're stocking at Penney's.

  • BillR (unregistered)

    I've been reading stories here for a long time now, and I had two thoughts when I read this one:

    1. Who or what is a "snoofle"?

    2. This story is a fabrication and never happened.

    I don't care about #1, but I think we need some sort of proof to satisfy #2. Else, we might as well just delete the submission (or perhaps save it for April 1st) and move on.

  • mendel (unregistered) in reply to Gene Wirchenko
    Gene Wirchenko:
    There is no follow-up on this. The manager, I expect, was caught somewhat off-guard and had a momentary lapse (threatening to out).
    I imagine that he had already bragged all around the office that he was going to get Snoofle on his team, and then had to face the humiliation of the job offer having been declined (and now the humiliation of being the Daily WTF).

    Props to him if he actually posts a follow-up here that shows some insight.

  • Not snoofle (unregistered)

    So... All I have to do is crack snoofle's password and I can get a job at that company? Awesome.

  • Also Not snoofle (unregistered)

    Or.. Just create a new account called SN00FLE.

  • (cs)

    Did you at least give him your autograph?

    "To my biggest fan Paul,

    You truly are TRWTF.

    Signed, snoofle"

  • (cs) in reply to BillR

    Clearly you don't read the sidebar and forums. Snoofle shines there, and several of his posts have been reused for the frontpage article.

  • (cs)
    • since there is nothing going on at work *

    Everyone else missed this. From what I've read in the past, Snoofle is single-handedly fixing everyone elses systems, and practically holding the company together. I really doubt that there is a moment in Snoofle's day where "nothing is happening".

    I'm surprised that you turned down this job. You could finally get out from under that gray cloud (but then, what would you have to post to TDWTF?)

  • (cs)

    Seis de Mayo, 2013. The day TDWTF became recursively self-referential.

  • (cs) in reply to DrPepper
    DrPepper:
    * since there is nothing going on at work *

    Everyone else missed this. From what I've read in the past, Snoofle is single-handedly fixing everyone elses systems, and practically holding the company together. I really doubt that there is a moment in Snoofle's day where "nothing is happening".

    I'm surprised that you turned down this job. You could finally get out from under that gray cloud (but then, what would you have to post to TDWTF?)

    Actually, a couple of years of subtle pressure is starting to make a difference. The WTF managers that were allowing most (not all) of the stupidity have been promoted to Mega Corp, and new competent managers have been put in their place. The major problems are now being actively addressed, and our warnings/solutions being heeded/put into practice.

    It took a while, but we're finally making some real headway into fixing this place: upgrades to the part of the hardware that needs upgrading (e.g. more disks instead of cores), architectural reviews by experienced technologists (as opposed to BAs saying "it'll be fine"), code reviews, fewer fresh-outs and more mid-senior level developers being hired and (perhaps most importantly) fresh baked munchies once a week.

  • Romojo (unregistered) in reply to snoofle
    snoofle:
    Paddles:
    ...Where's the password manager?...
    Just curious: why is not using a password manager a wtf? (I don't happen to use one at all; I use various formulas (that mean something to me) to construct a password - at work they're lame and very easy to type; for bank accounts they're fairly secure). If it matters, there have been a few attempts to hack my (personal) stuff over the years, but none were successful.

    Actually they were, Snoof. I'm now living the life of luxury on a beach somewhere in the Bahamas, after spending your retirement fund on that, along with slow horses and fast women. And the rest I just wasted.

  • (cs) in reply to Not snoofle
    Not snoofle:
    So... All I have to do is crack snoofle's password and I can get a job at that company? Awesome.

    Please don't try!

    wink

  • Bill C. (unregistered) in reply to snoofle
    snoofle:
    The WTF managers that were allowing most (not all) of the stupidity have been promoted to Mega Corp,
    WTF FTW, as always.
    snoofle:
    (perhaps most importantly) fresh baked munchies once a week.
    WTF? I thought you worked in an industry where you're not allowed to inhale.
  • MrOli (unregistered) in reply to snoofle
    Or maybe I'd consider another job if it was "right". This guy tech'd me out. What bugged me was that he was willing to hire "snoofle" (when he didn't know it was me) without doing a tech out.

    Of course he did, he didn't know you.

    If you were an unknown physicist, would you be equally upset if an inverviewer wanted to test your knowledge, yet would be willing to give, say, Brian Cox a job without a tech test?

  • A Technical Manager (unregistered)

    So I've got two people who want to work on my team. One is John Doe, who was submitted by an agent and isn't known to anyone in my or my team's circle. The other is Bjarne Stroustrup.

    My initial reaction is that Bjarne might be overqualified for the role, but you guys would give him a C++ test?

  • (cs) in reply to MrOli
    MrOli:
    If you were an unknown physicist, would you be equally upset if an inverviewer wanted to test your knowledge, yet would be willing to give, say, Brian Cox a job without a tech test?
    We would, but that's because we've already got it formally on file that he's a professor of physics here. (Now you can figure out where I work — not that it was ever a secret TBH — though I'm not in that department.)
  • Ironside (unregistered)

    This exact same thing happened to me last week.

    I was blitzing the technical part of the interview and suddenly a bunch of suits came into the room and wanted to know if I had read the DailyWTF article about the president's sick daughter. Yes, I said, yes I have, and what's more I can prove it. They were so impressed they rang up the mayor who gave me the keys to the city.

  • George (unregistered)

    This WTF is what happens when unchecked ego meets an unhealthy inner fantasy world.

  • Krzysiek (unregistered) in reply to snoofle
    snoofle:
    ObiWayneKenobi:
    ...doubts...
    Or maybe I'd consider another job if it was "right". This guy tech'd me out. What bugged me was that he was willing to hire "snoofle" (when he didn't know it was me) without doing a tech out.

    You just got scared of the consequence of all your new co-workers knowing that you post regularly on TDWTF as snoofle ;-)

  • barabas (unregistered) in reply to George
    George:
    This WTF is what happens when unchecked ego meets an unhealthy inner fantasy world.

    my thoughts exactly. A guy that thinks he's so famous, employers ask about his username on TDWTF. Really...

  • Flaber Ghasted (unregistered)

    You guys are actual, real persons?

    I never even bothered looking at your by-lines; I always assumed this site was just that Alex Rastapopulous-or-what-ever hastily anonymising user-submitted WTF stories.

    Well, that's an eye-opener. I guess I'll be glancing at your names from time to time. That's recognition of sorts I guess. Keep up the good work!

    -FG

    P.s. "Papadimoulis". Got it.

  • (cs) in reply to snoofle
    snoofle:
    [Just curious: why is not using a password manager a wtf? (I don't happen to use one at all; I use various formulas (that mean something to me) to construct a password - at work they're lame and very easy to type; for bank accounts they're fairly secure). If it matters, there have been a few attempts to hack my (personal) stuff over the years, but none were successful.

    While algorithmic passwords are a much better idea than using the same password at multiple sites, they are vulnerable to both shoulder surfing and sites changing their names (not that that would ever happen, would it? :) - whereas password managers will remember your username as well and reduce vulnerability to keylogging too.

    Given that even the commercial products don't cost that much - less than the time and pain of a single successful hack, not having one seems like a WTF to me.

  • ZoomST (unregistered)

    Wait, wait!! The interviewer reads TDWTF, so he can read now you comments... who is he, the one that hides amog us?

  • Flaber Ghasted (unregistered) in reply to GoatCheez

    If this story is the literal truth, then the manager in question would certainly have thedailywtf.com at the forefront of his mind and a have taken particular notice of this "snoofle" character.

    Perhaps he is an active reader, then. In which case he is likely to notice that this known contributor has recently posted a story that involves HIM.

    So if you are reading this (and I can't see how you can both exist and NOT be reading this), mr. Manager, maybe you would like to post your side of the story? The comments seem to be open to everyone.

    -FB

  • GWO (unregistered)

    Even by TDWTF's standards of implausibility -- already somewhat below Penthouse Readers Letters -- that one seems totally made up.

  • JLH (unregistered)

    This story's been bugging me all day. I've been thinking about it and I can't seem to wrap my head around the reasoning behind rejecting the offer. Assuming A) This actually happened, and B) snoofle wasn't just trying to get an ego trip from epically rejecting a job offer, A few questions still hang on my mind.

    1. On the sidebar, snoofle chronicles problems he encounters at work, analyzes why they're awful, and gives us his own interpretation of what should be done. If this manager is a long-time reader of the sidebar (of all things), he's had more than his share of a technical interview. Why didn't snoofle acknowledge this?
    2. Why didn't snoofle ask "Why would you hire snoofle without an interview?" to at least get the guy's take on the issue? Seems like something simple enough. Chances are he probably would have verified the previous question.
    3. On this site, 95% of stories seem to take the format of:

    Smart guy: "Why are we doing things Way X when Way Y is better in every way and Way X is a travesty?" Idiot with power: "No, we MUST do it Way X, for stupid reason Z."

    Meaning, most WTFs seem to come from bosses who just don't listen to reason.

    If this guy was such a fan, you can probably assume he'd be willing to take seriously everything snoofle would suggest. So if snoofle spots a WTF, theoretically he could just bring it up and the problem could be fixed in a reasonable manner, something many people could only dream of.

    But at the end of the day, I'm assuming there were perhaps some small details that factored into the situation that didn't quite make it into the story. For instance, maybe there was something else about the guy that bothered snoofle and he ended up displacing the feeling onto "he trusted me too much and that's bad." Maybe he was just acting too creepy (which can easily be read into his dialogue), which is another red flag. So I trust that the proper judgment was made. Again, assuming it actually happened.

  • transverbero (unregistered)

    Thanks for the loan of your WTF account Snoofle. :)

  • Stuart (unregistered)

    I don't get why people find it so hard to believe that someone in a technical position would read this site and take note of what is going on.

    I don't even directly work in IT, and when I do it is nothing compared to what most here do, I don't even understand half of the CodeSOD articles. However, I know of snoofle from reading the sidebar, I don't take note of usernames particularly, there's a few I recognise\remember after hanging around for a few years. I don't really look to see who writes the articles, I just read the articles, I can often tell when it is one of snoofles.

    From the above I would say it is extremely likely that someone else other than me recognises snoofle. I would say it is even more likely that that someone could well be in a position of hiring someone like snoofle rather than someone who works at the corner shop.

    Whether it is true or not who knows, but just because you have never heard of snoofle doesn't mean it is beyond the realms of possibility that someone else on the planet has.

  • (cs)

    I do think it'd be hilarious to have an interviewer who reads TDWTF. At least you could hopefully be certain that they won't do half the stupid shit that articles are about.

  • Kasper (unregistered)

    I have interviewed many people in the past, and I have always respected their privacy. Until a candidate actually accepts the job, their identity should be treated as confidential and not be shared with anybody outside the company.

    Some candidates won't care, but other candidates may very well be in a position, where they don't want others to know, that they are interviewing for a new job.

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