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.
The Human Software 276 - Dotting the 'i's, Crossing the 't's
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We're in to the last days of summer here in Amsterdam. This morning, out on the Amstel, there were plenty of joggers, cyclists and rowers taking full advantage of it. And just like them, next week I'll be busy starting the promotion for "Human Software: A Life in I.T." I've had to make a slight change to the publication date due to some extra changes needed on the layout, but I hope you'll agree it'll be worth the wait. I was fortunate enough to receive lovely reviews this week and I'm looking forward to sharing them with you! This coming week I'll be out and about in Amsterdam at the Fall Writer's Night at the American Book Centre talking to publishers, authors and industry experts and next month I'll be attending to Fast Flow Conference in London to again talk with some of people are firmly in my target demographic - techies, consultants and managers! Despite my best intentions, it behooves me to at least try to have a profile on some of the more popular social media! If you haven't already please like my new Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram to keep up with the latest updates and I'll be running a competition over the next few weeks too. Also, please follow me or connect on LinkedIn and I'm quite active in the writers community on Bluesky. Here are some bookmarks I've had made - what do you think of them?! That's it for the moment. I hope the sun is shining wherever you are today. Below you'll find links to a couple of blog posts, one giving an excerpt from the book chapter "The Consultants" and another explaining how I created the cover art and map for the book. Until next time, have a great Sunday! Book Excerpt: The ConsultantsPublished on September 13, 2025 “Way back when I started out, there were a couple of new products coming online, and they had hired our team in to take on specific responsibilities. The team I worked on was a blend of ages and experiences. Some of the old timers…” He chuckles to himself. “They were probably in their late thirties… Read More »Book Excerpt: The Consultants The post Book Excerpt: The Consultants appeared first on HUMAN SOFTWARE: A Life in I.T.. Using AI in Combination With Drawing to Make Book IllustrationsPublished on September 2, 2025 Human Software is a book about the importance of people working together to overcome the machinations of evil corporations. It’s a story about how humans are blamed for mistakes that computers make. A human story set in the modern world of software development, where engineers and managers are often pulled in competing directions simultaneously. For… Read More »Using AI in Combination With Drawing to Make Book Illustrations The post Using AI in Combination With Drawing to Make Book Illustrations appeared first on HUMAN SOFTWARE: A Life in I.T.. |
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.
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...
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...