“Code Craft”

That’s the title of Kevin Barnes’ weblog, found via lesscode.org. He writes frequently and he writes a lot, so I approached the weblog with some trepidation, but I have absolutely no regrets about subscribing: he argues a lot of points that are near and dear to my heart with the power of persuasion that comes with great experience. I like his writing, too; it may not be the tightest, but it’s light and engaging – a breeze to read, belying its length. If you need a sampling of great articles, have a look at these:

• Freedom languages: Freedom languages are those languages that put the individual programmer at the center of their philosophical world. They work hard to remove any language constructs that reduce programmer freedom, and add the most powerful constructs available. […] Safety languages think first about the creation of contracts between modules, objects and functions. They focus on teams rather than individuals. They remove language features that are confusing or frequently misused so that there are fewer opportunities to make mistakes and so there can be clear separation of concerns and maximum verifiability.

• Fire your experts: There is a strange phenomenon that often times the person perceived as the most valuable in a software group may be the one that needs fired the most. I’ve seen it more than once and this fictionalized conversation gives a sense for it.

• Fear of code: My hope is that you can take a look at yourself and your team and see what you’re scared of (maybe it’s requirements creep). Then, instead of being afraid or ignoring your fear, use your fear as a guide for change. Don’t be afraid of your answers.

• Myth of the bigger tool: If you think your simple solution will meet your need then the odds are it will meet someone else’s too. Leave world hunger to committees and feed your neighbor.