Hi, I'm Becky.

Inspired by other Developer READMEs, I decided to make my own. This document exists in the hopes of optimising how we work together, because I really do want to work with/for you in the best way for both of us. It should also give you a bit of insight about what makes me tick as a human.

How to work with Becky

My work hours:

I'm a morning person, for the most part.
I try to get into the office between 8-8.30am and will stick around til 4-5pm.
This is actually mostly to avoid busyness on the roads/darkness when I'm cycling or manic overcrowding public transport.
Outside of these times if you ask me a question on Slack, I will try and respond in a vaguely helpful way.

What’s the best way to communicate with me?

*Slack > in person > email > text

Generally, Slack is best. Don't be offended if I don't reply straight away - I'm probably in the middle of something.

I'm a big fan of face to face - it's generally quicker and less room for misunderstanding.
Even if you 'only have a quick question', I'd prefer it if you Slack me before coming over - this is especially true if I have headphones on. I get that you might need an answer asap but I might be just about to crack this coding problem, and it can be really hard to get my head back into that space.

If I don’t respond, try: Slacking me again - I probably got distracted and forgot to reply. Or, catch me in the kitchen.

I'd love to help you with...

Anything, really.

• If you have a logic problem, I'd like to talk it out with you.
• If you have a coding problem, I'm happy to take a look and see if we can figure it out together.
• If you have a bug you can't fix, I want to figure it out (it makes me feel like a detective).

What makes me grumpy?

• Wet shoes
• Being tired and hungry (I may not always realise this is the cause of my grumpiness)
• Tiny pockets in women's jeans
• Forgetting my headphones (especially on public transport)

How do I like to give feedback?

Depends on the feedback, but probably in person. Text communication gets misinterpreted.

How do I like to receive feedback?

Again, it depends, but usually in person - I have a tendency to overanalyse text.

What do I want from a code review?

I like code reviews. They're one of the main ways I find myself improving as a developer.
If you're code reviewing my work, please:

• Leave constructive criticism - if there's a better way of doing something, I want to know! Especially if it a nice ES6 solution I've overlooked.
• Be available for me to ask for clarification (either on github, in person or on slack)
• Tell me if you see something you particularly like - an ego boost never hurts!

One of my goals for the coming year:

• Work abroad (even if just for a couple of weeks)

Topics I’m always happy to talk about:

• Music. Any recommendations? What gigs have you been to recently?
• TV shows - from the ridiculously brilliant to the brilliantly ridiculous
• Invitations & recommendations of things to see and do in London
• The idiosyncrasies of the English language - why are you on a plane but in a taxi?
• Where I should go on my next adventure

Other things you might want to know:

• I bruise easily & I'm clumsy, you probably shouldn't be concerned if I look like I've been beaten up.
• My music taste is pretty eclectic, I can bounce from ukranian folk to 90s indie rock to Brazilian body percussian to acoustic covers of pop songs before breakfast.
• My face is sometimes more expressive than I realise, it can get me into trouble.
• I hit a drum fairly well in a Brighton based samba band, sometimes this involves wandering the streets in fantastic costumes and perplexing passers by.
• On a related note, I love any excuse for fancy dress.
• My birthday: 14th September.
• My coffee order: Decaf iced latte or decaf oat milk latte (decaf iced oat when I can accept how pretentious I sound).
• My hometown: Brighton. Some people think that explains a lot.
• Sports Musical loyalties: Iron & Wine, The Decemberists and The National.
• My favorite GIF: