How to avoid being "taken lightly" at work?
tjr: There was an episode of Happy Days in which Richie got into a little trouble, and Fonzie gave him advice on how to act tough and command respect. It didn't work for Richie. Fonzie then remembered the key component: it wasn't just acting tough; at some point in time, you had to have actually won a fight to prove it.Consider programmers that you respect; why do you respect them? Is it their in-depth knowledge? Interesting projects they've worked on? Publications they've written? Their ability to teach? I would venture to guess that most people don't just set out to be a respectable person in the abstract; they work to excel at particular things in their life.