Software engineers - Konstantinos Grevenitis

Point of view*

Introduction

Christmas is always a period of retrospecting. So let’s retrospect software design and development. When it’s time to design a new software system, a lot of variables must be taken under consideration. One variable is the past also. In order to paint the future, you have to look what you or others did in the past, but also what didn’t happen and why. Especially the what didn’t happen part might give you more insights.

If you take a step back, and look at similar to yours products and services, you will understand more the progress that has taken place in the domain, the growth, the risks and the failures, if they exist. The software analysis, design, and development processes, principles and tools have changed a lot in the past fifty to seventy years. But one thing is still the same. And this is people’s point of view to the goal, no matter if they are the stakeholders, the developers, the users. And the goal is to be better, faster, stronger, more successful than the competitor and keep or increase the power and domination.

Could the goal be different? Well individually yes, but in a corporate world the aforementioned explanation of the goal, is what you will hear from most of the companies, unless companies have become socialistic structures and I don’t know about it!

*Fates Warning – Point Of View (OFFICIAL VIDEO) – YouTube

Who really appreciates software engineers?

Introduction

Computer science is a relatively young science compared to others, like math, physics, chemistry, medicine etc. Especially computer science, as we know it today, started its development since Alan Turing‘s era and work. And till today a lot of people do not understand, nor appreciate the work we do and the results we deliver.

Women as software developers

Introduction

Although I am trying to avoid commenting politics, I believe it’s better to talk rather than keep my mouth shut. Shutting my mouth is the easy task. The motive I am writing this piece, is Greta Thunberg, and the comments full of hate and sexism (unfortunately), I have been reading against her during her visit in the USA, and her presence at the 2019 UN climate action summit in New York. I will not comment on Greta’s actions on environmental awareness, or the hateful comments about her. The whole thing is just a strong motivation for me to express my thoughts on the “women as software developers” issue, that has been quite strong in the past few years.

Know thy domain!

Introduction

Let’s assume you are hired to develop a software system for a pharmaceutical company. Till that time, you knew nothing about that specific domain, no more than everybody knows about the pharmaceutical sector and medicines.And the knowledge you carry is from the side of the patient-client.

Explaining software to business people, and business to programmers

Introduction

Business people are completely different than us. Their point of view is sometimes so far away from ours, that in the end, there might be no overlap at all. Every domain has its own principles, its own constants, and that’s why we must setup a common ground, in order to achieve productive communication and it the end quality software.

English language and programmers

Introduction

For the past, almost, two years, I have been working in H2020 EU projects. In simple terms this means that I participate in consortiums with partners from all around the European Union, so I have to use my English language skills almost every day.

Do programmers suck?

Introduction

Programmers are people, not aliens. Well maybe not the most social ones, but still people. They carry their own personalities, emotions, culture, and set priorities based on their interests, as everybody else! Why programmers should be the exception? The reason is simple: Programmers work in teams by default, even if it seems otherwise!