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Automated Tests Are the Safety Net
From BLOG@CACM

Automated Tests Are the Safety Net

Automated testing in software development significantly diminishes routine work and saves time, allowing programmers to work more effectively.

Project Managers Shouldn't Trust Their Programmers. Do This Instead
From BLOG@CACM

Project Managers Shouldn't Trust Their Programmers. Do This Instead

Don't simply trust and pay your programmers. Why? Because you may end up losing. Instead, you need to validate and review the work performed. Doing so set you up...

The Year-Round Joys and Benefits of Open Source Software
From BLOG@CACM

The Year-Round Joys and Benefits of Open Source Software

One of the things that makes us programmers feel warm and fuzzy is open source software. Companies support open source too. Why give something away for free? A...

Why Great Programmers Pull Back the Curtain While Programming
From BLOG@CACM

Why Great Programmers Pull Back the Curtain While Programming

Want to be a great programmer? If so, you have to pull back the curtain and learn how software really works. A deeper understanding helps programmers further their...

Here's Why Resentment is the Key to Happiness
From BLOG@CACM

Here's Why Resentment is the Key to Happiness

Do you find happiness to be fleeting? That shiny new car or big job promotion makes you happy for a few weeks but quickly turns into the same old same old? Maybe...

Measuring Up: How to Properly Measure Your Programmers
From BLOG@CACM

Measuring Up: How to Properly Measure Your Programmers

To measure or to not measure, that is the question. Ask programmers and many will tell you that measurement is a fool’s folly. Measurement undermines the team spirit...

The Remote Revolution Has to be Driven by Output, Not Salaries
From BLOG@CACM

The Remote Revolution Has to be Driven by Output, Not Salaries

The unfolding COVID-19 pandemic has thrown us all for a loop and forced countless companies to shutter their offices, warehouses, and everything else.  Working...

Clean Code Isn't Enough; It Must Be Crystal Clear, Too
From BLOG@CACM

Clean Code Isn't Enough; It Must Be Crystal Clear, Too

Writing clean code is a great start, but for programmers who really want to master their craft, you have to go further. You need to write clear code that other...

Talented Programmers Don't Tolerate Chaos
From BLOG@CACM

Talented Programmers Don't Tolerate Chaos

Talented programmers will strive to structure chaos and write perfect code.

Not So Good After All? Don't Let 'Altruism' Kill Your Company
From BLOG@CACM

Not So Good After All? Don't Let 'Altruism' Kill Your Company

Altruism is often heralded as a panacea for management challenges, but it could actually be a death sentence for your team and projects. Here's why. 

Evolution Through Revolution: Getting Your Team to Embrace Change
From BLOG@CACM

Evolution Through Revolution: Getting Your Team to Embrace Change

Don't accept the status quo. Instead, build a team willing to fight for positive change.

Lazy Developers Are the Best Developers
From BLOG@CACM

Lazy Developers Are the Best Developers

Lazy developers stick to the project scope while forcing the project team to understand and fix their own code and issues.

Breaking the Chains of Freelance Slavery
From BLOG@CACM

Breaking the Chains of Freelance Slavery

The idea of working from home is no longer novel, and there are a number of drawbacks to consider.

­Using Independent Technical Reviews to Ensure Project Success
From BLOG@CACM

­Using Independent Technical Reviews to Ensure Project Success

By using independent technical reviews, management can have a third party audit software and ensure the dev team stays on track.

Discovering Bugs, or Ensuring Success?
From Communications of the ACM

Discovering Bugs, or Ensuring Success?

Finding errors is not the same as making certain a software product works correctly.

A Software Architect Is the Person You Blame
From BLOG@CACM

A Software Architect Is the Person You Blame

How efficient is your current software project, and could it potentially benefit from the addition of a software architect?

The Era of Hackers Is Over
From BLOG@CACM

The Era of Hackers Is Over

The ability to hack algorithms and make data structures optimal was a virtue of programmers a few decades ago. The current reality is much different, with the ability...
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