How to Help a Colleague Who Frequently Makes Typos in Technical Work
By
tornadofart
Hand-rolled, kettle-boiled, baked to perfection. Worth every minute at the bakery.
Summary
A Hacker News user asks for advice on how to help a colleague who frequently introduces typos in their work, particularly in config files and shell scripts where automated tools don't catch errors. The colleague is described as having a strong work ethic, being a fast learner, and making net-positive contributions, but their high typo rate is causing problems. The poster suspects undiagnosed dyslexia may be the cause and seeks constructive ways to address the issue without damaging the working relationship.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledHis typo rate is quite high. I suspect an undiagnosed dyslexia.
My colleague has a strong work ethic, works hard, learns fast, goes out of his way to increase test coverage etc.
I would say his contribution is net-positive but some of his work causes problems, especially when it comes to config files, shell scripting etc.
Mistakes are often caught only after deployment or during code review, causing delays and frustration.
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