Hiring Decisions
tom_b: Perhaps you should start by altering your definitions - to be a great programmer or hacker requires the ability to work with others and explain yourself coherently.  So candidate A is not really a great programmer.I think you have to keep looking for candidates or assess why you haven't had better candidates apply.  Hackers should be hired based on examples of previous accomplishments that they can explain to you.I'll spare everybody the long rant I originally had planned . . . maybe I'll follow up sometime with my own Ask HN if my thoughts come together.