Chapter 8. An Obsolete Culture

Programming is a somewhat alien activity, but it is emotionally very powerful. This power is what makes the job of programming into something more akin to a calling, its jargon more like a distinct language, and the brotherhood of software engineers into a cohesive culture. In this chapter, I will show how the culture of programming influences the nature of software-based products.

The Culture of Programming

I read an interesting story in a Sunday supplement about an American couple who retired to Mexico. They purchased a lot on the outskirts of a large city and hired an American architect to design their dream home. They then hired a Mexican building contractor and turned the blueprints over to him. As construction ...

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