Disclaimer: I am not a HR specialist, so please take everything I say as an opinion. I would normally refrain from commenting anything outside my domain of knowledge, but the situation in which you are has definitely rung a bell.
Two things I noticed from your presentation:
It is not just you, what you describe is a real issue that needs to be resolved.
This is a problem that you helped create.
I'd like to start by stating the obvious: social relationships in the work environment need to strike a balance between the personal and professional domains. It is important that you are able to identify what concerns belong to a particular domain and deal with them using the appropriate tools at your disposal.
Professional Concerns
I understand that you likely wanted to avoid a confrontation at the workplace, and that is a laudable attitude. However, handling professional matters privately with your co-worker via DMs, instead of using one of the various company-established channels for this purpose (PR reviews, meetings, job performance evaluations), created a personal issue for you from what should have been a management problem. Dealing with the situation in a strictly professional manner from now on will go a long way towards restoring the balance.
Personal Concerns
Empathy is a powerful tool available for both domains, but arguably it is also the least commonly used. From what you described, you could have rightfully elicited an empathic response from your co-worker by explaining how you felt about its behavior. You are supposed to act as a team within the company. By discarding your code without consulting you first and boasting about its improvements, it showed little regard for your work and set itself apart as an independent unit. You could likewise examine its response to your criticism, and show empathy where appropriate.
Final Word
Remember, anything you decide to do about this, do so always from a position of serenity, composure, and respect. It seems unlikely that you will be forced to make a hard decision, but if you do, it always helps to keep a cool head.
The above is nothing but observations from an outsider's perspective. I could very well be wrong or have missed the point completely. Please, take it as an honest attempt to help.
For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse
We're a place where coders share, stay up-to-date and grow their careers.
Disclaimer: I am not a HR specialist, so please take everything I say as an opinion. I would normally refrain from commenting anything outside my domain of knowledge, but the situation in which you are has definitely rung a bell.
Two things I noticed from your presentation:
I'd like to start by stating the obvious: social relationships in the work environment need to strike a balance between the personal and professional domains. It is important that you are able to identify what concerns belong to a particular domain and deal with them using the appropriate tools at your disposal.
Professional Concerns
I understand that you likely wanted to avoid a confrontation at the workplace, and that is a laudable attitude. However, handling professional matters privately with your co-worker via DMs, instead of using one of the various company-established channels for this purpose (PR reviews, meetings, job performance evaluations), created a personal issue for you from what should have been a management problem. Dealing with the situation in a strictly professional manner from now on will go a long way towards restoring the balance.
Personal Concerns
Empathy is a powerful tool available for both domains, but arguably it is also the least commonly used. From what you described, you could have rightfully elicited an empathic response from your co-worker by explaining how you felt about its behavior. You are supposed to act as a team within the company. By discarding your code without consulting you first and boasting about its improvements, it showed little regard for your work and set itself apart as an independent unit. You could likewise examine its response to your criticism, and show empathy where appropriate.
Final Word
Remember, anything you decide to do about this, do so always from a position of serenity, composure, and respect. It seems unlikely that you will be forced to make a hard decision, but if you do, it always helps to keep a cool head.
The above is nothing but observations from an outsider's perspective. I could very well be wrong or have missed the point completely. Please, take it as an honest attempt to help.