After seeing the replies on this thread, I was forced to create an account and comment.
I heard about http://radar.techcabal.com a few months ago, when a friend recommended it, deeming it an online community where tech entrepreneurs in Nigeria discuss.
I visited this site and I was happy to find a gathering of like-minded people. I planned I would register.
But my interest dropped rapidly after several visits.
Normally I should visit this site regularly to see good collaborative and educative content.
But instead, I am forced to visit only once in a while, just to see if their are topics that are worth checking. Topics that don’t involve utter negativity or insults.
I did a quick search on @JohnEnoh, and came across his profile
Why should an experienced Senior Engineer like him, with many great skills, a present and future thought leader with years of experience, get responses like this???
What disparagement!!!
You know, there is a theory about opinions that I have.
That “human opinions influence human opinions”.
The first response to this job vacancy post was a negative one.
This response definitely influenced the second one. And the chain goes on.
The first few response having greater strength in the chain, as they appear first.
Sometimes, it is better to keep shut, than to say something stupid.
If you have nothing to bring to the table. You might as well just not go to the table.
Not everything is everyone’s concern.
Not everything is everyone’s business.
If many humans would simply mind their business. There would be many businesses in the world.
Like @Akinmail rightly said, “The requirements up there are not really out of place”.
Many of the skills are all related. A good software engineer focuses and becomes proficient in at least 1 programming language, but will have delved into some other languages or skills. Such person is also able to adapt easily when the need comes to learn or other languages or skills.
Some of the listed requirements are only concepts and API’s. And even if you don’t know them, you can learn about them in just few minutes/hours of reading. e.g. Aspect-oriented programming
You don’t have to me a master of a skill to use it. And you get to improve over time.
Being a good software engineer doesn’t just involve writing code. It also involves knowing programming concepts, paradigms and methodologies like some mentioned above. Social skills are also vital.
Like @JohnEnoh also rightly said. Fullstack is the current trend.
And I think a software engineer should at least have some knowledge of the mentioned skills.
For example, RESTful API / REST API listed is only an architectural style that is widely used.
And Spring is only a Java framework for creating applications and it has support for Aspect-oriented programming.
I think only a non-software engineer would see this list as long. Or perhaps a naive software engineer that doesn’t (want to) explore or know programming concepts. Its like saying you know how to drive a car, but you can only drive one particular car model or more like trying to fight a war in this present age, equipped only with a Sword.
Someone mentioned that the pay will be “N100k or even less”. How do you know?
And please understand that life is not all about money. There are more important things like being happy. Like being fulfilled.
And it is never about how much money you make. Its more about how happy you are.
If you spend all of your life making money. When will you live?
And how much money would you make that you would be satisfied with life?
If you have an answer to the latter question, then you are still drifting across the earth.
But if you don’t, then you have just/already conquered and discovered yourself. You now/already have a path to follow.
Being successful is not all about money. Its about being happy and living a fulfilled life.
I know software engineers in Nigeria who earn as much as N1.5 to N2.5 million naira per month.
And at all times, life treats you how you treat it. You get what you give.
Like @JohnEnoh said, he already has a few foreign developers. He is only trying to help his fellow country men and women.
And in this age, Remote opportunity is a great way to work.
You should ask yourself:
Do you feel fulfilled saying negative things to other people?
Do you feel happy saying negative things to other people??
what reward do you gain when you belittle another??
Would you be happy if someone did the same to you??
Religion speaks of evil spirits.
Evil spirit is not just a person possessed with Demons.
Evil spirit also refers to the little thoughts that come to your mind to make
you do bad acts e.g. Insulting someone you don’t even know or have sexual lust.
Evil spirit are the little things you do. The negative things you say.
Imaging adding up all the wasted time spent insulting and backlashing other people?
This time could and should be spent doing better productive things.
How else would the country not be in recession, when a great percentage of the people are focused on
activities that lead to recession?
And to be frank, there is no recession. Its is just the creation of the human mind.
Recession in the minds of those who are pessimistic. There are many living in bliss at this moment.
Please be careful what you say and how you act. Your past might come back to hunt you.
There are cases of prospective employees who get in trouble, simply based on their past naive social media posts.
A first time viewer, as is at the moment, would probably not even be encouraged to sign up to this website. This will be even more evident in young people, who want to pursue a tech/entrepreneurial career, and probably only visiting for some inspiration and direction in life.
Things need to change, considering the next generation of entrepreneurs.
I say this because this site will/is definitely affect(ing) the dreams and aspirations of the younger ones.
I saw a post that raised something similar before If Zuckerberg had dropped his idea on Radar .
And like this poster @ajibigad said regarding criticism, "the way it is done on radar doesn’t look nice."
And if you argue with someone, of which I recommend simply. discussing instead,
If you can successfully prove a valid point to a person, you have helped them and not yourself(contrary to the winning mentality).
I am sure their are many very intelligent people who wish to participate in this forum, but hardly ever want to be involved, due to the inherent negativity.
I don’t personally know any of the founders of this forum. But it is obvious is that @lordbanks and @seyitaylor are a persons of great positive attitude.
I only hope that this forum moves in the same direction as well.
There should be more interactive posts and feedbacks like this or this.
Take for an example, the recent visit of Mark Zuckerberg to Nigeria.
Do you know how powerful it is for the future of our next generation?
Do you know many kids will be inspired to change the world?
Do you know how many “Marks Zuckerbergs” will be created just by his visit??
Initiatives like http://relearn.ng/ , http://audax.com.ng/code-school/ and http://teencoders.com.ng/ will create great minds of tomorrow. And I am very happy about this for my country.
Please know that your actions influences you and those around you. I am very concerned about the young ones who need to be inspired.
@JohnEnoh please don’t be discouraged and take no offence in the what you have read.
As words are just symbols. Its only our interpretations that matter.
Its its only what you want to feel that truly matters, and you control this.
A majority of humans are on the wrong side.
And like Mark twain Said, “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect”.
There are many great talents in Nigeria. You just need to filter based on attitude. As attitude says it all.
And in everything you do ask:
Will this action add any good value to my life?
Will this action add any good value to any other person’s life?
Because most of these backlashes don’t add any good value to your life. Neither does it to that of the recipient.
The problem with bad behaviour is that if its done too much. It kind of seems to be the norm.
Perhaps this is not just a Nigerian problem. Its a human problem, where majority see negativity as the norm,
as this is what the mass media portrays. That is why I don’t even listen to the news or watch TV.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."
Its really up to you to decide where you want to find yourself in life.
But I never judge people though, for most times they might not know that they are wrong.
Some are even living their past experience. And you never know “why?”, until you ask.
As as side note, I also noticed that when you meet some people for the first time. Its all about competition.
Trying to place someone above you or below. We are all the same. We are all equal.
Life is not a competition. We will all die in the end.
Instead of competing against each other, we should compete with ourself to be a better versions of our previous self.
We should try not to focus on unimportant things like what a person looks like, what accent a person speaks with, how good a person’s grammar is, how well dressed a person is or how much money a person has etc.
The most important things is a person’s mind and what good you can learn from them and also what good you can give teach to them, be one it richer/poorer, younger/older, male/female etc.
For example, Why should speaking good English be a requirement in life? If a person is not educated, chances are their English wont be good. If a person speaks a language other than English, does it automatically mean they are stupid?
Intelligence/wisdom does not have a language.
And even a stupid person is stupid because that person is stupid. The best you can do is help a stupid person realise their stupidity, so they can start being smart. Not trying to make them more stupid, only because they are already stupid.
I Imagine @JohnEnoh becomes occupies a very high position or becomes a great billionaire in the near future. Some of these backlashers might even boast that they know him and used to chat with him on this forum.
I hope the focus will shift from negativity and insults, and instead lean towards positivity and constructive criticism in the form of feedback.
Positivity will lead you to greater heights. Negativity will lead you to nowhere.
We are the choices we make.
###Peace