Thoughts on C#

[elixir]

Hey grillers,

I applied for a new job (software developer intern) recently and got an email saying they wanted to give me a phone interview. I have not had the phone interview yet, but I recently found out that they do most (or all) of their programming in C#. It is weird to think that I am uncomfortable with a programming language, but I cannot help to cringe knowing it is a programming language owned and developed by Microsoft. I know that all programming languages do the same thing, some are just optomized to perform certain tasks with ease.

My reasons for not liking Microsoft are my own, but I mainly do not like what they stand for. What are your opinions on C#? Have any of you ever developed in it before? Am I just being silly for being picky of a programming language?

Thank you all in advance.
Elixir

[machinebacon]

A: So we need a person who speaks - or is at least willing to learn - Portuguese.
B: I speak Spanish and Italian.
A: See, our clients are mostly in Brasil.
B: I cannot help to cringe knowing that Portuguese was spoken by exploiters.
A: But Spanish is spoken by exploiters, too.
B: So is it just me being picky?

:) I hope you know what I mean (no harm intended)

[elixir]

No harm taken. I thought it was silly of me. A programming language is simply a programming language, just as a language is a language. They all do the same thing.

There is quite a bit of my opinionated self that is easing up. It is just that when it is all said and done, GNU/Linux will always be my ideal work environment.

[machinebacon]

It's really just a mental thing. Accept the challenge, learning something new has never been a mistake. And as the Germanzzz say:

Wes Brot ich es, des Lied ich sing.
(He who pays the piper calls the tune)

[wuxmedia]

Yeah, I'd probably go for it if my brain could do programming.
just put a big GNU/penguin/bsd devil sticker on your company laptop :)

Nice analogy Bacon, especially as the Italians were Romans, who did quite well as 'exploiters' :)

[GekkoP]

Back in 2011, I did quit because they moved me from working with Java on an Ubuntu machine to working with ASP on a Windows machine. However, when I was 19 I started developing Java on Windows just for the sake of learning (and money).

So if you want my advice: it all depends on the range of choices you have. When I was young, I needed a job badly and I picked the first one I knew I can do something with. 10 years later, I could choose what to do with my life and so I valued my options in a different way. Think hard on your current situation and not, as the dreamer in me once thought, just your principles.

[dkeg]

If you like programming, you like programming. Whatever the language, it will improve your overall skills, thought patterns, enrich your experience and better equip you to progress in your career.

I did some C#. I liked it. It was before messing about with Linux though. You learn some good stuff. You'll probably also get to do some SQL, which is good, and also some MVC which would also be good.

Don't paint yourself into a corner. You don't want to be seen as a one trick pony. You want to be desirable in the market.

[rhowaldt]

when principles actively infringe on your enjoyment of life, do away with them. i still disagree with the idea of eating meat, yet i eat it happily, to give an example. it's all just thoughts and ideas, after all. you might feel you're making the world a better place, and perhaps (who knows!) you do, but in the end all you have is yourself, and if you're not happy, the world's not a happy place. so fuck it, to hell with principles, just do what you need to do :)

on top of that: just because Microsoft have made some shitty moves, doesn't mean they are incapable of doing good shit. they're still talented people, and the best you can do is learn from them.
on top of that: even if a programming language is shitty, you learn. that's all that counts. if you see a bad movie it reminds you of what a good movie looks like to you.
on top of that: nah, i'll shut up before i start talking about psychedelics and how reality is a mental construct etc etc.
on top of that: all the shit the others said.

just put a big GNU/penguin/bsd devil sticker on your company laptop :)

hahahaha, see, practical solutions to put your mind at ease :D

[franksinistra]

if you see a bad movie it reminds you of what a good movie looks like

this, and what others already said.

and IMO judgement (be the language is good or bad) should only be reserved to ones that already mastered/ knowledgeable / experienced in it.

[elixir]

Thank you for all for the relating life stories, you all have given me something good to think about.

just because Microsoft have made some shitty moves, doesn't mean they are incapable of doing good shit. they're still talented people, and the best you can do is learn from them.

That is an excellent point, rho. I may move forward with the phone interview, because I really just want to code. I will post back here if there is good news :)

[GekkoP]

If you just want to code, then the language choice makes no difference as dkeg pointed out.

You'll gain experience with C# and then you'll be able to judge by yourself if it is a language that suits your needs or if you want to learn something different.

[machinebacon]

BBQ Philosophy #348

Just because McDonald's makes some shitty burgers it doesn't mean that burgers in general are shitty :)

[pidsley]

I'd be more concerned about what the company actually does than what language they do it in.

[machinebacon]

BBQ Philosophy #349

Never ask what there actually is in meatballs.

[elixir]

@pidsley: Yes, I should be able to figure this out in the interview. I ultimately want to see what they do.

@bacon: BBQ logic is so pure, that it is infallible. :)

[pidsley]

Do some research -- you should be able to find out what they do before the interview. This is a good thing to know going in.

[simgin]

I'd utterly agree with the sentiments in this thread. I think you should go for it. Plus, language diversity always looks good on a CV :)

[beantaxi]

It's my primary language professionally, and I love it. I came to it from Java, and it's way better than Java. Way better. I actually took my first C# job with no C# experience, back when C# experience was hard to find, and it was a great decision.

As others have said a lot depends on the company itself. But C#'s a good language.