Linus Torvalds’s Lessons on Software Development Management

While I am waiting for enough time to devote to learning more
Smalltalk/Squeak/Pharo, I came across this article [1] which reflected
upon recent discussion on Fuel version format compatibility, as well as
on other projects.  Perhaps it is that it is such a great environment
for experimenting with ideas that it encourages developers to do so, but
it seems that functionality often becomes orphaned as the trunk
progresses.  I see some efforts provide a more professional platform,
and understand that involves 'some' ripping/replacement of
unmaintainable code, but which contradicts the philosophy of  'no
regressions' mentioned in the article - which in practice I imagine a
hard line to walk.
Linux is the poster child of open source development success, and while
it is more mature that Pharo such that the presented philosophy might
not fit exactly, perhaps something can be learned.   I hope you find
parts of it interesting.

cheers, Ben

[1]
http://h30565.www3.hp.com/t5/Feature-Articles/Linus-Torvalds-s-Lessons-on-Software-Development-Management/ba-p/440

“The first thing is thinking that you can throw things out there and ask people to help,” when it comes to open-source software development, he says. “That's not how it works. You make it public, and then you assume that you'll have to do all the work, and ask people to come up with suggestions of what you should do, not what they should do. Maybe they'll start helping eventually, but you should start off with the assumption that you're going to be the one maintaining it and ready to do all the work.”

so true :)

“The other thing—and it's kind of related—that people seem to get wrong is to think that the code they write is what matters,” says Torvalds. Most software development managers have seen this one. “No, even if you wrote 100% of the code, and even if you are the best programmer in the world and will never need any help with the project at all, the thing that really matters is the users of the code. The code itself is unimportant; the project is only as useful as people actually find it.”


Thanks for sharing that interview with us



On Oct 17, 2011, at 3:38 PM, Ben Coman wrote:

> While I am waiting for enough time to devote to learning more Smalltalk/Squeak/Pharo, I came across this article [1] which reflected upon recent discussion on Fuel version format compatibility, as well as on other projects.  Perhaps it is that it is such a great environment for experimenting with ideas that it encourages developers to do so, but it seems that functionality often becomes orphaned as the trunk progresses.  I see some efforts provide a more professional platform, and understand that involves 'some' ripping/replacement of unmaintainable code, but which contradicts the philosophy of  'no regressions' mentioned in the article - which in practice I imagine a hard line to walk.
> Linux is the poster child of open source development success, and while it is more mature that Pharo such that the presented philosophy might not fit exactly, perhaps something can be learned.   I hope you find parts of it interesting.
>
> cheers, Ben
>
> [1] http://h30565.www3.hp.com/t5/Feature-Articles/Linus-Torvalds-s-Lessons-on-Software-Development-Management/ba-p/440
>

Stef,

Pharo is *very* useful, and getting more so with time.  Now if YOU could just fix... :)

Bill


________________________________________
From: [hidden email] [[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Stéphane Ducasse [[hidden email]]
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2011 1:10 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Pharo-project] Linus Torvalds’s Lessons on Software Development Management

“The first thing is thinking that you can throw things out there and ask people to help,” when it comes to open-source software development, he says. “That's not how it works. You make it public, and then you assume that you'll have to do all the work, and ask people to come up with suggestions of what you should do, not what they should do. Maybe they'll start helping eventually, but you should start off with the assumption that you're going to be the one maintaining it and ready to do all the work.”

so true :)

“The other thing—and it's kind of related—that people seem to get wrong is to think that the code they write is what matters,” says Torvalds. Most software development managers have seen this one. “No, even if you wrote 100% of the code, and even if you are the best programmer in the world and will never need any help with the project at all, the thing that really matters is the users of the code. The code itself is unimportant; the project is only as useful as people actually find it.”


Thanks for sharing that interview with us



On Oct 17, 2011, at 3:38 PM, Ben Coman wrote:

> While I am waiting for enough time to devote to learning more Smalltalk/Squeak/Pharo, I came across this article [1] which reflected upon recent discussion on Fuel version format compatibility, as well as on other projects.  Perhaps it is that it is such a great environment for experimenting with ideas that it encourages developers to do so, but it seems that functionality often becomes orphaned as the trunk progresses.  I see some efforts provide a more professional platform, and understand that involves 'some' ripping/replacement of unmaintainable code, but which contradicts the philosophy of  'no regressions' mentioned in the article - which in practice I imagine a hard line to walk.
> Linux is the poster child of open source development success, and while it is more mature that Pharo such that the presented philosophy might not fit exactly, perhaps something can be learned.   I hope you find parts of it interesting.
>
> cheers, Ben
>
> [1] http://h30565.www3.hp.com/t5/Feature-Articles/Linus-Torvalds-s-Lessons-on-Software-Development-Management/ba-p/440
>