Disruptions - Thoughts of a technocritical technophile

Mastery is not a dirty word, but a social mechanism to counter the devastating consequences of the Dunning-Kruger effect 🇫🇷. The most dangerous person in any field is not the uncertain and humble novice, but the beginner, who does not yet know that he knows nothing, but knows enough to believe he knows. He has climbed the mountain of stupidity and must not be left alone with code.
Read more

Poor incentives create a game where players benefits from producing poor code. Over time, the game weeds out stubborn players, leaving only those who produce poor code. Is there no alternative? Not if one takes a strategic approach.
Read more

Lewis Mumford (1895-1990) The notion that industry is the necessary evolution of any craft is a platitude that is strongly anchored in the contemporary mind. In the second half of the twentieth century, a major trend originating with Lewis Mumford[i] swept through most of the disciplines that were taken for granted by industry: architecture, furniture and even agriculture. It is called the vernacular style[ii], from Latin vernaculam: homegrown, and seeks to reconcile science and tradition, productivity and beauty.
Read more

Our trade is wasting the potential of its juniors. Sold right out of school as turnkey products, they are a cheap and very malleable workforce for employers, middlemen tech companies in particular. Because of the enduring myth of the man/month, they are required to be as productive as seniors for the same tasks. This is neither a service to the juniors, nor to the company. So what are juniors good for anyway? This paper, which may read like a defense for my (former) students, tries to provide an answer.
Read more

In a company, one rarely choose their training courses. The anticipation of needs by the management often determines the schedule. For those who are self-employed, and even more so for craftsmen, training is a demanding task and a matter of personal discipline.
Read more