Exploring the human factors that make software engineering so unique, so difficult, so important and all consuming. Learning to work with the systems, not against them.
The Human DevOps - 15th July 2024 - Rain Clouds
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It has not by any means been a good summer in the Netherlands. It's been very wet and the last few days have also been extremely windy. At work, on the streets and on the roads, there is a tension. I try to take the time to go out for a lunchtime walk at least a couple of times a week and took this photo last week during a gap in the rain. And we head towards the summer break, make sure to take some time to relax before you face the serious business of relaxation. I'm taking a break for a few weeks myself and will be back again in September. Lots to look forward to then including the (for me) much awaited return of the Fast Flow Conference in London. Over a year has passed since the last Fast Flow Conference and in my mind a lot has changed. I no longer view the software world as problem that needs to be fixed, and don't believe that "Flow" is the answer. I believe we simply that we need to embrace the chaos a little bit more in a constructive and personal manner. More on that later in the year. In the meantime I wish you a peaceful summer and that you find the time to rest and recharge this summer. We Don’t Want Utopia: Just A Stress-free Day at WorkPublished on July 14, 2024 Following up on the ideas I talked about in Writing Software Is a Political Act, I discovered Andrew Harmel-Law’s math blog where I found this picture from XKCD. This made me chuckle but it also made me think – where does the software engineer end up in this picture of the universe? Are we looking… Read More »We Don’t Want Utopia: Just A Stress-free Day at Work
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The Human Engineer
Exploring the human factors that make software engineering so unique, so difficult, so important and all consuming. Learning to work with the systems, not against them.
REBRAND ALERT!! So it's been a while since I renamed this newsletter but I feel it's due a slight sidestep following the launch of my book. So welcome to episode 286 overall, but episode #1 of The Human Engineer. Despite me constantly rename this newsletter, over these years the subject has never really varied too much. I talk about software systems and how they relate to human systems. I find my work increasingly focusses on the human side of the this divide - because it is a divide right?...
Last couple of weeks, I've been rebuilding some Windows base images in order to comply with corporate patching policies. The new images are CIS hardened which means they follows guidelines set out by the Center for Internet Security benchmark. This ultimately means that the images are restricted in what they can do, what they can access, what is installed upon them by default. These security measures work in opposition to the automation we already have in place for our customers. This is the...
Aside from being a writer, I'm also an avid film and TV watcher. This week we were blessed by the arrival of Pluribus on AppleTV. It's a speculative science fiction series written by Vince Gilligan, co-creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. He's someone who knows what they are doing when it comes to writing, producing and directing these incredibly successful series. More than that though, he picks the best people and directs them with ease. Here's a bit on when Vince Gilligan knew...