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 Software 282 - IT Failures Cost Lives
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The Horizon Post Office Scandal is one of the biggest IT failures in recent times, directly responsible for thirteen of the wrongly accused taking their own lives after prosecutions were brought against them. There is a highly technical deep dive into the findings made by Computer Weekly in this incredible Corecursive podcast episode. It is worth a detailed listen if you want to understand how this could come about and what systemic failings caused it to be covered up for so long. Software systems are not just hard to build, but also tough on the individuals who have to run and maintain them. While many firms are now rolling back "working from home" directives and forcing engineers back into the office, we have to ask ourselves if we want to be an industry where we continue to allow ourselves to be cajoled into funnelling our passions into working long hours supporting flaky, potentially critical systems. If an accounting system like Horizon could misfire so badly and cause such a tragedy, surely any system we work on has the potential to cause loss of life. Should there be a call to slow down the headlong rush towards more and more automation? And now that LLMs and AI can write applications for us, who is responsible when something goes wrong? Would an AI (or the creators of a Large Language Model) ever be taken to court for unintended effects of faulty code? Probably its only a matter of time before we see this type of narrative playing out. I'm just wrapping up a wonderful week in the UK and heading home to Amsterdam. After being at Fast Flow conference, and having a launch event in London on Wednesday, I'm pretty tired but very happy with how things are going with Human Software. If you have read it and would like to leave a review that would really help me out! Here's an Amazon review link that might work for you, or log on to your Amazon account and review the purchase. You can also leave a review on Goodreads. I'm leaving a few signed copies behind at Hope and Lane Coffee Shop in Deal. Get 'em while they are hot. Have a great Sunday! |
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.
Working in software you get to see some pretty stupid stuff. And I mean crazy, stupid stuff. Decisions that float down from on high from multiple disparate spheres of influence - sales teams, other business units or just vice-presidents with a Great New Idea[tm] or a pet project. The narrative goes a little like this - the important people get to make choices and us techies have to live with consequences them. Sometimes these decisions are on a whim, an industry hype, a desperate attempt to...
If you happen to be in London next week then I'll be having a little launch party on Wednesday October 15th. It's not just any pub as well, it's the pub that I used to go to when I was working in my first job in software development thirty years ago in 1995. The famous "Wheatsheaf" just off Oxford Street in London. This was the pub where many conversations got technical and many times got heated. I feel that Peter and Dominic would approve of the location. If you're in the area, please drop...
When I first started working in software, I discovered that were some battles you could win and some you couldn't. There were some decisions that no matter how logically you argued against you them, would occur anyway because that's just the way it is. Some people think this is a naive way of being; arguing against the status quo. I believe it's hopeful and humanistic to question our environment. Naivety in the form of hope lasts throughout life. I believe ultimately that people want to do...