Modern software development, at least for quite a few, is all about being agile. Being agile often means that you must be able to change your code at any given time for a number of reasons; fixing bugs, achieving a better API, achieving better readability and a whole bunch of other good reasons. In order to achieve this, we try to make our code as refactorable (is this a valid word? :)) as possible. Meaning that the code is easy to change.
In addition to this, more and more developers are trying to accomplish their work through the utilization of existing patterns, or taking known patterns and modify them, or maybe even create their own patterns.
At this point, you’re probably wondering; where am I going with this? Well. Its becoming more and more obvious to me; Women are the natural born developers. They have, for instance, refactoring built into their genetics. From a very early age they will try to take some that is already there and try to improve it. Often they start with themselves, trying on different clothes to make themselves look better. At a certain point they add makeup to the mix. Refactoring themselves to a better self, for improving their interface. They continue this refactoring and when a boyfriend is introduced into their life, they start refactoring him as well. Starting again with the subtle smaller things; the clothes, moving on to haircut and adding or removing facial hairs. In addition to this, they bring the refactoring into their homes and offices in the form of redecorating or refurnishing.
When it comes to patterns, they are all into patterns. Its called fashion. They look around their surroundings and study other women from catalogues, comercials, bilboards and what not, and figure out what patterns are hip at the given time and stribe to blend into the pattern jungle.
Why is it then that computer programming is still a male dominated occupation? And are we, in the lack of women as work-mates, stribing to become women? I mean, have we been so lonely all these years that we are mimicking the womens refactoring abilities and their taste for patterns/fashion?
I will leave these questions open, as I really don’t know the answers myself. 🙂
Haha, very thought provoking – great stuff 🙂
Thanks.. 🙂
My brain works in mysterious ways. After looking at my wife the last couple of weeks and her christmas preparations, my brain starting to see strange parallels.
The amount of refactoring shes done to the house is astonishing. I haven’t refactored my code that much during same period. It is very inspiring as well, looking at how she does things, I get inspired to write better code and keep refactoring and applying patterns for the code I write.
Thanks.. 🙂
My brain works in mysterious ways. After looking at my wife the last couple of weeks and her christmas preparations, my brain starting to see strange parallels.
The amount of refactoring shes done to the house is astonishing. I haven’t refactored my code that much during same period. It is very inspiring as well, looking at how she does things, I get inspired to write better code and keep refactoring and applying patterns for the code I write.
Hmm, weird and good idea..
I couldn’t get my fiancé to program if her life depended on it, yet she keeps washing the house like there was no tomorrow. I just can’t understand her priorities some times. 😉
Hmm, weird and good idea..
I couldn’t get my fiancé to program if her life depended on it, yet she keeps washing the house like there was no tomorrow. I just can’t understand her priorities some times. 😉
Exactly. And they (at least my wife..) can’t understand why it is so interesting sitting in front of the computer all the time..
If only we could find a way of luring them into computers and creating stuff!
"figure out what patterns are hip at the given time and stribe to blend into the pattern jungle."
… Shouldn’t a developer _not_ do that? Throwing in lots of patterns just because they are "in", that is :p But other than that, interesting thoughts… also they would be more and more perfect as we move in to the multithreaded world. Since their brain is more wired for multitasking than ours…
"figure out what patterns are hip at the given time and stribe to blend into the pattern jungle."
… Shouldn’t a developer _not_ do that? Throwing in lots of patterns just because they are "in", that is :p But other than that, interesting thoughts… also they would be more and more perfect as we move in to the multithreaded world. Since their brain is more wired for multitasking than ours…
Good point. 🙂
I guess great developers aren’t sitting at the Paris fashion shows looking for new patterns every week. Or whats hot for the spring lineup.