Category Archives: Texts

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Karl

The famous quoted passage from John Donne below has been brought up a few times the past few weeks. Here is the whole: “Meditation 17″: No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the … Continue reading →

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Favorite blog of the moment: Letters of Note

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Karl

Every few days there is a post here that makes me take a moment and pause and it is so worth it: Letters of Note

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Steve Jobs on Computer Science: perspectives on compsci

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Karl

“Quotes from Steve Jobs Lost Interview”: “Learning to program teaches you how to think. Computer science is a liberal art.” NPR.org: “Steve Jobs: ‘Computer Science Is A Liberal Art’”: “In my perspective … science and computer science is a liberal … Continue reading →

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Dizzying but invisible depth: on complexity

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Karl

Jean-Baptiste Queru, on his Google+ profile, posts a poetic and doozy of a post, “Dizzying but invisible depth”: Today’s computers are so complex that they can only be designed and manufactured with slightly less complex computers. In turn the computers … Continue reading →

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Impermanence and Software Design: on systems

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Karl

When you’re building software, it is probably best to look at things half-Buddhist. Kent Beck writes about building software that won’t be around longer than him in a recent Facebook note: …nothing I am doing now with software will remain … Continue reading →

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On People, Process, and Passion and Persistence

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Karl

My boss back at Bell Atlantic, who became my friend and mentor, Pat Trongo, had the following quote from Peter Senge’s “The Fifth Discipline” on his cube wall in big bold letters. I found it inspirational back then. But now … Continue reading →

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On ever growing complexity in programming: on systems

Posted on October 2, 2011 by Karl

Edsger W. Dijkstra gave a lecture, in 1972, that has since been come to be called “The Humble Programmer”. It’s a short piece that explains why software development, why programming, was growing more, not less complex over time, and some … Continue reading →

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On Making and Working Towards Big Things: on innovation

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Karl

Wondering why we’re living in an age of ever increasing decreased expectations? You are not alone. Author Neal Stephenson wrote a thought provoking must read for World Policy Institute titled, “Innovation Starvation”: The imperative to develop new technologies and implement … Continue reading →

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A Mathematician’s Lament: on education

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Karl

Paul Lockhart wrote an accessible read on what is wrong with math education and the popular perception of math that is reinforced in culture that has been shared on the Web in quite a few corners. It deserves a wider … Continue reading →

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Understanding the Maker Movement

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Karl

YouTube: Maker Faire: “The Long Slow Make: Understanding the Maker Movement”: “Anil Dash shares his observations and insights into the development of the Maker movement He sees it as a kind of political movement that is apolitical in nature but … Continue reading →

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