#CalgaryBarCamp was swell. It was refreshing to meet such a diverse group of like minded people that all essentially do the same thing (create software), but do it in different ways using different tools, platforms, and languages. The ad-hoc discussions both in the bar and between sessions were my highlight. A reoccurring theme in our conversations was that technology, tools, and platforms don't matter that much.
What really matters is: people, communication, ideas, taking risks, and motivation. The topic of our discussions reminded me of something David Heinemeier Hansson said when talking about software development:
"You don't need to be a f***ing genius to make any of this stuff work, it's not rocket surgery!" - David Heinemeier Hansson at Startup School 08
DeMarco and Lister also echoed this outlook back in the 80's, and publicized: the High-Tech Illusion:
the High-Tech Illusion: [is] the widely held conviction among people who deal with any aspect of new technology ... that they are in ... high-tech business. [These people] are indulging in this illusion whenever they find themselves explaining at a ... party, say, that that they are "in computers" ... The implication is that they are part of the high-tech world. [These people] usually aren't. The researchers who made the fundamental breakthroughs in those areas are in the high-tech business. The rest of us are appliers of their work. - Peopleware : Productive Projects and Teams
If we
were in the High-Tech business, then we'd be the bottom feeders
(the parasites, the grunts), because our daily activities revolve around consuming other peoples research and work
(programming languages, platforms, frameworks and the like).
We are
consumers, we're not on the cutting edge nor are we in the high-tech world.Perhaps building software could be much like outfitting yourself for a day in the snow. You head off to the local shopping mall, you acquire the
functional items to keep yourself warm, but brands and store choice don't really matter. Whether we're
buying winter boots or choosing a programming language, technology doesn't really matter. There are an infinite
number of ways to solve any problem, as well as an infinite number of
technical permutations to form a solution. If we can solve the problem
within the constraints of our problem domain then we've succeeded.
The High-Tech Illusion often permeates my world - I work as a Web Developer in the Microsoft realm. I continually see the High-Tech Illusion manifests itself in these situations:
- Colleagues talking in vague opaque high-level metaphors that patronizingly shield you from the inter working of what they assume is beyond your comprehension
- Fixations on specific tools, hardware, platforms, and methodologies while the problem that needs to be solved is diluted and any combination of these items could solve the problem
- Colleagues that assume superiority and can't acknowledge that knowledge is acquired through research and a continual efforts to improve
Pretentiousness in the software realm (in teams, organization, and so on) is usually the byproduct of someone that's living the High-Tech Illusion.
I've been guilty of subscribing to the High-Tech Illusion. How does the High-Tech Illusion permeate your world? How can we get back to reality?