programming languages
My all-time favorite programming quote has to be this Nathaniel Borenstein bon mot: It should be noted that no ethically-trained software engineer would ever consent to write a DestroyBaghdad procedure. Basic professional ethics would instead require him to write a DestroyCity procedure, to which Baghdad could be given as a
programming languages
In my previous post, I urged developers to learn a mainstream graphics editing program. This is purely a mechanical skill, so it seemed reasonable for developers to give it a shot. If we can absorb extremely complex development environments, compilers, and databases, why not a graphics editor? But as a
programming languages
One lesson I took from MIX is that software development and graphic design are increasingly interrelated disciplines. Although they are very different skillsets, its important for developers to have some rudimentary design skills, and vice-versa. There’s a lot of useful cross-pollination going on between developers and designers. You can’
software development
If I told you to choose between two technical books, one by renowned Windows author Charles Petzold, and another by some guy you’ve probably never heard of, which one would you pick? That’s what I thought too. Until I sat down to read both of them. Take a
programming languages
The dot-com bubble was a watershed event for software developers. You simply couldn’t work in the field without having something miraculous or catastrophic happen to you. Or both at once. The “dot-com bubble” was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995 — 2001 during which stock markets in Western nations saw
programming languages
I ran across this blog entry while researching Microsoft’s new Silverlight Flash competitor. It makes some disturbing complaints about the limitations of Silverlight, in bold all-caps to boot: This is where I threw my hands up in disgust. What in the holy name of Scooby-Doo are those people thinking?
security
I picked up a free copy of 19 Deadly Sins of Software Security at a conference last year. I didn’t expect the book to be good because it was a free giveaway item from one of the the vendor booths. But I paged through it on the flight home,
lisp
My previous entry, Twitter: Service vs. Platform, was widely misunderstood. I suppose I only have myself to blame, so I’ll try to clarify with another example. Consider Reddit. The Reddit development team switched from Lisp to Python late in 2005: If Lisp is so great, why did we stop
programming languages
A reddit user recently invoked link necromancy on a 1994 Donald Knuth letter to the U.S. Patent Office: When I think of the computer programs I require daily to get my own work done, I cannot help but realize that none of them would exist today if software patents
software development
Electronic Arts is a lumbering corporate megalith today, pumping out yearly game franchise after yearly game franchise. It’s easy to forget that EA was present at the very beginning of the computer game industry, innovating and blazing a trail for everyone to follow. Gamasutra’s article We See Farther:
programming languages
If you accept the premise that software development is a cooperative game, then you might wonder: what kind of game is it? Alistair Cockburn believes the closest analog to a software project is the cooperative game of rock climbing: * Technical. The novice can only approach simple climbs. With practice, the
programming languages
I occasionally get emails from people asking how to prepare for a career in software development. Some are students wondering what classes they should take; others have been bitten by the programming bug and are considering their next steps. I always answer with the same advice. There’s no substitute