Goodhart’s Law: When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.
For just one of many examples, code coverage statistics.
Quotes
On work becoming an identity and religion
The economists of the early 20th century did not foresee that work might evolve from a means of material production to a means of identity production. They failed to anticipate that, for the poor and middle class, work would remain a necessity; but for the college-educated elite, it would morph into a kind of religion, promising identity, transcendence, and community. Call it workism.
Source: The Religion of Workism Is Making Americans Miserable – The Atlantic
On debugging
Debugging is like an onion. There are multiple layers to it, and the more you peel them back, the more likely you’re going to start crying at inappropriate times.
Debugging is like an onion. There are multiple layers to it, and the more you peel them back, the more likely you're going to start crying at inappropriate times.
— I Am Devloper (@iamdevloper) February 15, 2019
On naming a company
Why did they call it “Airbnb” when they could have called it “localhost”?
On art of coding and pair programming
the best code is like a good piece of writing. It needs a carefully realized structure; every word should do work. Programming this way requires empathy with readers. It also means seeing code not just as a means to an end but as an artifact in itself.
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You need to find someone that you’re gonna pair-program with who’s compatible with your way of thinking, so that the two of you together are a complementary force.