The article critiques the common practice among amateur developers of breaking functions into smaller parts based solely on their line count, arguing that this approach overlooks deeper issues such as cognitive complexity and loca...
The post discusses the complexities and philosophical aspects of software development, contrasting it with civil engineering. It critiques the rigid adherence to programming paradigms and best practices, emphasizing the need for c...
The article outlines twelve tactics for engaging in bad faith arguments during online debates. The author reflects on their frustrations with common debate behaviors and proposes a satirical guide to understanding and employing th...
The author expresses disappointment in Uncle Bob's second edition of 'Clean Code,' noting that while some principles have been modernized and updated with contemporary programming practices, many of the same flawed code examples f...
The article critiques Kent Beck's book on Test Driven Development (TDD), highlighting the ambiguity in the practice and the lack of clear definitions. It discusses the theoretical framework of TDD, its purported benefits, and the ...
The author reviews 'A Philosophy of Software Design' by John Ousterhout, arguing it should be essential reading for software engineers. The book discusses complexity, modularity, and critiques popular software trends like OOP and ...
Mastering critical thinking involves examining assumptions, avoiding identity politics, and preparing for counterarguments to achieve a balanced worldview.
The blog post discusses the dynamics of interruptions in debates, particularly focusing on the concept of 'bad faith debate' where participants may not prioritize truth. The author reflects on personal observations from debates in...
Caleb publishes his pull request at the last minute, employing tactics learned from his colleague Steve to manipulate perceptions of his code quality. He uses formatting changes and complex logic to obscure the true nature of his ...
Caleb, recently fired from his job, struggles with feelings of inadequacy and confusion after receiving an unexpected job offer from his former company. The offer comes after a leadership change, which he learns was influenced by ...
The text discusses the circularity of meritocracy and how it is hypocritical in various domains such as schools, company leadership, and content creation. It highlights the discrepancy between reward-worthy skills and the skills t...
Caleb is learning about user privileges in the PostgreSQL database from Steve. He is shown a table with 200 columns and a single row, each column containing a concatenation of user id, permission type, and permission indicator. St...
Caleb's senior engineer coworker, Greg, gave his standup update. The new grad engineer, Todd, went next. Now came Caleb’s turn. His manager stared him down, reading Caleb’s face for any sign of uncertainty, before letting up. The ...
Caleb is struggling with his work and is about to fail his task. He receives a message from Steve offering help, but with a warning that he will be laid off soon. Caleb reluctantly agrees to receive guidance from Steve.
The text discusses 5 communication skills that are lacking in remote work, including the need for more comprehensive communication, avoiding unnecessary back-and-forth, and the misuse of communication mediums.
0Caleb Tries Legacy Coding (Part 1)
2025-02-13 • software development
Caleb, a developer with no experience in legacy coding, is tasked with implementing a new feature in a legacy codebase written in Rust. He is under pressure to deliver the feature by the end of the sprint, despite the lack of docu...
0Don’t Be Like Devon
2025-01-17 •
The text describes a typical workday of Devon, a backend software developer who specializes in Java. It highlights his reluctance to work outside of his comfort zone and his struggle to solve a technical issue, ultimately leading ...
0What TDD is ACTUALLY Good For
2024-12-09 •
The article discusses the benefits of Test-Driven Development (TDD) and provides a more balanced view of the practice, highlighting its advantages and drawbacks. It emphasizes that TDD encourages writing tests for edge cases, can ...
0“Stop Killing Games” Needs a Makeover
2024-08-13 •
The article discusses the 'Stop Killing Games' movement, highlighting the need for a more balanced perspective and consideration of the less-discussed aspects of the issue. It addresses the challenges of government intervention in...
0It’s YOUR FAULT People Don’t Like TDD
2024-08-09 •
The text discusses the flaws in the arguments for Test-Driven Development (TDD) and criticizes the lack of open-mindedness in both its advocates and naysayers. The author points out the misconceptions and weaknesses in the common ...
0My Review of “Vicious” by V.E. Schwab
2024-07-29 •
The text is a review of the book 'Vicious' by V.E. Schwab. The author expresses disappointment with the characters, plot, and writing style of the book, comparing it to 'Death Note' and highlighting the lack of depth and likabilit...
The text discusses the issue of online debates turning into personal attacks and the disproportionate hostility in response to someone's opinion. The author emphasizes the need to not take disagreement personally and to differenti...
The text discusses various tricks used in debates, such as countering generalizations with extreme examples, only responding to points that can be countered, and falling for trap questions. It emphasizes the importance of reading ...
The text discusses the proper way to call out fallacies in online debates, focusing on the ad-hominem, strawman, and shifting the burden of proof fallacies. It provides examples and explanations of each fallacy and how to properly...