Something that took me years to realize is:

Half of all programmers are below average.
And the average ones aren't that great, either.

If you're fortunate enough to work for a small company in a hot area, this can mean that you get only above-average programmers. But as the company size grows, or if you're in a not-so-hot area, you have to deal with the best of what you can find.

All isn't lost, though. You have to realize that people stick to what they know because they feel reasonably competent with it (whether or not they are). No one wants to feel incompetent. The fear of looking stupid keeps many people from trying new things.

If you can share ideas with your coworkers in a non-threatening environment, it's best. Code reviews can be threatening, because you're "judging" someone else's work product -- exactly what they're being paid to produce.

If you can find another venue to share information, it's better. The suggestions above for conferences and tutorials are good, though many people don't seem to get much out of them after a few weeks.

Perhaps you can make some other event at work: a "show and tell" where everyone has to present something they've learned to everyone else will allow everyone to feel like an expert for a few minutes, and will give you a place that you can guide the others.

Just try not to threaten them, and it'll go smoother.

It's hard to underestimate the amount of human behavior that is caused by fear...

In reply to Re: New stuff to learn by bikeNomad
in thread New stuff to learn by toadi

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