Damon/IEC - Tag - In a past life…

State-of-the-Art Computer Folklore (part 3)

J. Timothy King — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:00:35 +0000

This is part 3 in my series of how the Mac reminded me why I fell in love with software development, and why it still matters.

While reading Andy Hertzfeld’s anecdotes (and those of his colleagues) of designing the original Macintosh computer, I was inspired, inspired to take account of my own passions, the passions that these stories reminded me of. Today, I continue that list:

“The Team Pair-programming”
Photo © 2005 Michael Caroe Andersen CC BY-NC 2.0

I love to create new patterns. I love solving problems through discovery, inventing that which has never existed before. (From part 1.)
I love applying principles in new ways. I love working with abstractions, and turning them into concrete expression. I love challenging the status quo, breaking through the limits of what everyone else says is “possible.” (From part 2.)
I love achieving status through collaboration, which is compassionate conflict. I am not a baboon. I do not achieve a sense of status by beating up (literally or figuratively) on my colleagues and friends. But I do expect to be recognized for the ideas I bring to the table, and I want to be taken seriously.

State-of-the-Art Computer Folklore

J. Timothy King — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:00:26 +0000

1984 Macintosh
© 2011 Steve Garfield CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

A couple weeks ago, I was reading through Andy Hertzfeld’s anecdotes at FolkLore.org, about how he and his colleagues developed the original Macintosh. These stories brought me back, first to nostalgic times, then to a nostalgic purpose. I remembered all the reasons I first fell in love with software development, many of which are also true of my writing, and I finally understood what I would need in order to rediscover that lost love.

(He’s also collected these stories in paperback: Revolution in The Valley: The Insanely Great Story of How the Mac Was Made.)

The Macintosh was originally a tiny research project tucked away in a corner of Apple, still riding off the success of the Apple II home computer. The project was always up for being canceled, but the people working on it believed in it, and believed that it would change the world. They were bringing features years ahead of their time to a “low end,” common man’s computer, inventing new technology in the process.

I started a list:

Why I No Longer Belong in a Dilbert Cube

J. Timothy King — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:46:53 +0000

The biggest block of time in my software-development career I spent working in an extraordinary job, a very special place to work, with a very special group of people, for 14 years. Throughout the dot-com boom, I stayed there, ignoring the promises of exciting work and increased salary.

But before I worked there, I tried to work at a supermarket, like my very first job.

Too Late, the Code Is Already Written

J. Timothy King — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:00:57 +0000

One way to deal with poor communication on a software project is simply to ignore the people around you and do what you wanted to do anyhow. Of course, this strategy can backfire, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. But in that case, you probably won’t know enough to notice it backfiring, so it will all work out in the end.

That’s what I did at my first job.