Visibility and Obscurity

Several years ago, when I first started at PayPal, the front-end development environment was still fairly young. As a result, tools that might have existed in other environments were missing.

As a veteran coder, I quickly grew tired of repetitive tasks - I wanted to be writing code - and set about writing scripts that developed into a significant tool suite. I shared that tool suite with both front-end and back-end developers (there were no full-stack developers in those days) and the use of those tools spread throughout the company, across the globe.

Out of that activity, there were two different experiences that bear examination. I'll address the later of the two experiences first.

In later years, as the development environment matured, another engineer - one responsible for establishing a standard development environment - took control of the tool suite (totally understandable) and put his name on my work (not understandable). The tools I had birthed and nurtured through numerous changes in the development environment, and continually promoted so they would be visible to all engineers - were adopted and their new foster father promoted himself as their creator when they became visible to upper management.

This is not an unusual situation. It happens all too often - much more frequently to women, of course - that someone other than the individual who has done the work takes credit, especially as the work becomes more visible.

That experience taught me two lessons. First, how you handle it says volumes to those who see the situation. Second, obscurity can be moments away, behind someone else's shadow, even when you think the visibility you've worked to cultivate over years is secure.

The second experience was much more pleasant. On a regular visit to a development office, I was introduced to an engineer who had recently joined the company. The engineer and I exchanged pleasantries - the normal "nice to meet you" bit - and then the engineer who introduced us told her my username (which was explicitly tied to the aforementioned tool suite)...and her expression and demeanor shifted dramatically. As someone who's never been in the "popular" club (yes, I've been a nerd and geek since before secondary school), that reception was quite an ego boost.

I had no real expectation of receiving such a reception - none of my long-time friends who'd seen me develop the tools reacted in the same manner - and it caught me by surprise. That reception also taught me a lesson - there will be some ways in which you're always more visible than you believe you are.

History is eager to write out of the picture those who have struggled to build great things - whether it's a woman who's made a significant contribution to our community (like Nicole Sullivan, the creator of OOCSS) or a man who is more interested in the work than the credit (like Nikola Tesla).

When you find yourself in these situations - situations of visibility and/or obscurity - how you navigate those shoals says volumes about your ambition, your drive, your values - such as integrity and trust, and what you know to be true about yourself. In those situations, may you have fair winds and running seas.

Happy coding.