Category Archives: Uncategorized
Top Eight Reasons to Abandon SourceSafe
How many of us work in Microsoft shops? I’m ashamed to admit that I do. When I took the job, I thought the benefits of working in a new domain with new technologies would outweigh the fact that I had … Continue reading
When the Best Tool Isn’t, and Why a Growing Team Doesn’t Care
Kathy Sierra excellent post on When the “best tool for the job”… isn’t misses an important point. It’s not that she missed the point so much as she just didn’t go into it. But I think it deserves going into. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Alistair Cockburn, Crystal Clear, Kathy Sierra, process, tools
8 Comments
Five Things Software Teams Can Learn From Build-A-Bear Workshop About Customer Relations
I never would have bought this book for myself. I won it in a drawing at InBubbleWrap.com. I’m not sure what made me enter the drawing. Maybe it was, Eh, it sounds moderately interesting, and it’s free. Or maybe it’s … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged entrepreneurship, marketing, Maxine Clark, The Bear Necessities of Business
5 Comments
How DeMarco, Lister, and Cockburn Helped Me Find a Better Job (Part 2)
How DeMarco, Lister, and Cockburn Helped Me Find a Better Job (Part 2) (Part 1 was posted yesterday.) After four months of teamicide, Peopleware-style, I was ready to die. And when HR or my manager asked me, I told them … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Alistair Cockburn, Crystal Clear, job-seeking, Peopleware, Tim Lister, Tom DeMarco
3 Comments
How DeMarco, Lister, and Cockburn Helped Me Find a Better Job (Part 1)
Two years ago, I was enthusiastic, energized, and about to plunge into depression. I was enthusiastic and energized because I had started a new job two months before, and I was in a position where I could make choices, and … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Alistair Cockburn, Crystal Clear, job-seeking, Peopleware, Tim Lister, Tom DeMarco
4 Comments
Twelve Benefits of Writing Unit Tests First
Why do programmers hate writing unit tests? Why do they hate even more writing unit tests before coding? You don’t have to answer. I’ve already heard the excuses. These are rhetorical questions. I have a theory, however, what the real … Continue reading
Thirty Days to Better Software
Reflective Improvement is number 2 of Alistair Cockburns 7 properties of successful teams. Of these 7, Alistair says the top 3 are core properties for success. Reflective Improvement is so important, because it gives such a big bang for the … Continue reading
Best Job in America: Software Engineer
According to MONEY Magazine and Salary.com, the best thing to be in America is a software engineer. What’s so great about being a software engineer? It’s the second-fastest growing job title. It’s a highly creative position. It involves cool, cutting-edge … Continue reading
