Software systems rule our world. My regular newsletter explores the human factors that make software engineering so unique, so difficult, so important and all consuming.
Human DevOps - Sunday 21st April - Staying Relevant and Respectful
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Is it just me, or is April turning out to be a complete stinker? The rain hasn't stopped, it's cold, and it feels more like October or November than it does at the start of spring. This feeling appears to be pervading work at the moment, too—I sense frustration bubbling under at every turn. We need some warm sunshine and a few days off before heading back to the grind. I have a short trip coming up and a few things to look forward to not least the just-announced Fast Flow Conference in London in September. As you might know, I'm not a big fan of conferences in general. I tend to love the idea more than I enjoy the outcomes. Last year, I spoke at a few, and I planned to speak at a lot more this year but I realised that the thought of speaking gave me a creeping dread. I did the "Would you do it tomorrow?" test on my speaking engagements. In other words, ask yourself if you would do the 'thing' tomorrow and gauge your body's reaction to thought. My stomach did a flip which led me to cancel all the engagements. The only emotion I felt at that decision was relief. On top of that, conferences are difficult to get right. In a white, middle-class, male-dominated industry, if I speak I'm just adding to the problem. We need to champion diversity and inclusion within our industry events in order for our growing communities to stay welcoming, neurologically diverse, and, most importantly, relevant. The cornerstone of humane software development has to be inclusivity, and this should be evident from the daily scrum right up to the conference level. Conferences are important opportunities to test our beliefs. Therefore whether you're attending or speaking, make sure you check out the DEI policies of the event and ensure that your talk is going to contribute to a discussion. One thing I've learned in the last few weeks, months and years is that sometimes it's better to spend a little longer thinking about something before opening your mouth. Have a great Sunday. -- Richard Missing The Social Cues – When The Tools Do The Talking Published on April 20, 2024 Tech people have a superpower. They can communicate without speaking, without being in the same room, or even via email or teams. They can communicate purely through their actions. But this is not telepathy, this is no telekenesis. I’m talking about PRs, infrastructure (as code) and tool configurations. Tools and processes have become silent battlegrounds… Read More »Missing The Social Cues – When The Tools Do The Talking
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The Human Software
Software systems rule our world. My regular newsletter explores the human factors that make software engineering so unique, so difficult, so important and all consuming.
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Over the last week, I drew a map of Kent reimagined as if the 1286/7 floods hadn't happened. According to the history books, those large storms and tidal events significantly changed the coastline of eastern England. The former Wantsum Channel became blocked with alluvial mud and sand, turning the once important seaport of Sandwich into a landlocked town too far away from the sea to accept large boats. Further afield Dunwich in Suffolk suffered a similar fate: In the Anglo-Saxon period,...
Three years ago, I started a podcast without much idea of its future. Before that, I'd started writing, wandering through automation, programming techniques, infrastructure, DevOps, and thoughts about management, leadership, and how companies are organised. Where was I going? While I'd read a few books, it was clear that I was searching for something. Was I just talking for the sake of it? It sometimes certainly seemed that way. And then, about eighteen months ago, I started writing a novel....