An example of technical debt and it's consequences.

Much has been written about "technical debt" and the need for regular refactoring. The concepts are well-enough known so I won't bother rehashing them. Unfortunate some organizations still seem quite ignorant of these concepts and pay the consequences. Here's a real-life example...

One former client runs a critical business system on a prototype that escaped into the wild. The main database table contains 90+ columns, resulting in large performance, scalability and integrity problems. Unfortunately, no one with authority would agreed to improving the architecture before the business was experiencing repeated outages and a massive crisis. These outages cost the company millions of dollars in lost revenue (no exaggeration) and led to scores of customer complaints. This situation could have provided an expensive lesson, but the IT executives didn't actually learn anything. Once the system was "stable", very few resources were allocated to improving the system's design or implementation.

Personally, I believe guerrilla refactoring is appropriate under such circumstances, but that's a story for another time.

Speaking of aesthetics...

Here is another old Java World interview that speaks to the importance of aesthetic judgment in design and development. I tend to agree. (link)

Managing senior developers is like managing a rock band...

I recently came across an old Java World interview with Jim Waldo, then the chief architect of Jini. The interview includes a nice metaphor which aligns with my philosophy for managing a team of senior-level professionals, as well as an insightful comment on the value of developers with a good sense of aesthetics. (link)

Recommended Motivational Posters

I highly recommend these Successories alternatives.

Teamwork == forced labor??

Let me preface this by saying: I am not making this up.

In the breakroom at my former place of work (a large tech company), hangs one of those "Successories" posters. I've always thought the Successories posters to be trite. Who doesn't? The funny thing is that this particular poster features the Great Wall of China with "Teamwork" inscribed across the top and the uplifting tagline: "Many Hands, Many Minds, One Goal".





For anyone that knows anything about the history of the Great Wall, to associate it with Teamwork in a corporate setting shows either:

1. Ignorance of Chinese history


2. A really twisted sense of humor

If your Chinese history is a little fuzzy, here a few tidbits that will let you in on the joke:

• The Great Wall was long viewed by the people of China as a symbol of tyrannical oppression.
• Ancient records report that at least one million slaves and prisoners of war were used to create the wall.
• Many laborers died from exhaustion and starvation while working on the wall, their bodies added to the rubble and masonry as the quickest means of disposal.

Personally, I'm really hoping that whoever ordered the poster was in on the joke.