I think it's a matter of what stage you're at, career-wise.
The longer you're in the game, the more "out there" something has to be to make an impression on you.
I'd guess that most people in the first couple years of programming experience (including university, for the people who come from that route), have not observed strong programmers in action, but they've been in it long enough that they can probably identify one for what they are.
I feel like role models are a critical ingredient in inspiring people to be better than they are, and the opportunity to watch role models of a certain caliber in action is rare outside of the few places where skilled programmers gather and work together.
It's with that perspective that I made my comment. It sounds like you might have a relatively high bar for programmer quality, which is great. :)
Also fwiw, I prefer reading most of the time too, although screensharing scratches a more "visceral" itch: you get a sense of what the person is thinking in the moment, which is unrefined in some ways but enlightening in others.
The longer you're in the game, the more "out there" something has to be to make an impression on you.
I'd guess that most people in the first couple years of programming experience (including university, for the people who come from that route), have not observed strong programmers in action, but they've been in it long enough that they can probably identify one for what they are.
I feel like role models are a critical ingredient in inspiring people to be better than they are, and the opportunity to watch role models of a certain caliber in action is rare outside of the few places where skilled programmers gather and work together.
It's with that perspective that I made my comment. It sounds like you might have a relatively high bar for programmer quality, which is great. :)
Also fwiw, I prefer reading most of the time too, although screensharing scratches a more "visceral" itch: you get a sense of what the person is thinking in the moment, which is unrefined in some ways but enlightening in others.