Once in a while when I have an idea I look around to see if others have the same idea. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. Most of the time the majority opinion is almost the exact opposite. But every so often I’m vindicated Continue reading
Tag Archives: rant
software engineering dystopias
I think I’ve now been in enough places to be able to discern some common patterns across software engineering organizations. Unfortunately I have nothing good to report. Most of the patterns I’ve seen lead to misery for the humans and bit rot for the software. Continue reading
why does software suck?
Software is ubiquitous and yet it sucks. Linux and Windows crash every time the temperature fluctuates above or below some unknown range or if you just look at the screen the wrong way. Continue reading
infrastructure boilerplate
1 shell script
There is no automation other than automatically running this shell script whenever a commit is pushed to whatever branches are active. You don’t need to think very hard to see how this will break down at a certain point. Continue reading
autistic programming tools
Here’s something all statically typed languages miss out on. Continue reading
schizophrenic companies
I have finally figured out why all big companies are so schizophrenic. By schizophrenic I mean if you are at a certain level of the hierarchy then all the movements around you seem completely out of whack. You see different groups working against each other instead of cooperatively developing cool technologies and delivering value to the customer. The reason for all of it is what I’m calling the “portfolio theory of management”. Continue reading
haters gonna hate
Coders gonna code. Designers gonna design. Project managers gonna manage. Architects gonna architect. Vice presidents gonna vice preside, etc. The point is that if you have 10 designer, or 10 coders, or 10 project managers then they are all gonna do what you are paying them to do. None of them will stop and think for a minute that there isn’t work for 10 designers, 10 coders, or 10 project managers.
intelligence/productivity memes
Many programmers are obsessed with being seen as smart and productive. One of the reasons for this obsession is Continue reading
programmer types
There are many posts on programmer types but this one is mine.
Most programmers are individually smart but once you put them in a group they become dumb because all their smarts are diverted to figuring out how to show everyone else that they are smart. Once in a while though you come across programmers that are not just smart individually but also smart when you put them in a group. This is rare and I don’t know how it happens but such programmers are usually the easiest to work with and in general just get things done. If you want to advance your career then seek out the programmers that are not just smart individually but also smart in groups because those guys will have your back.