Self Selection
peopleSelection criteria. A buzzword shopping list of essential and desirable technologies, frameworks, languages, and more. Sometimes you have to wonder just how many people actually have this seemingly unique combination of buzzwords, or has the requisite number of years experience...
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You're a Worthless, Insignificant Peasant
peopleCondescension /ˌkɒndɪˈsɛnʃn/ An attitude of patronizing superiority; disdain. Being talked down to, completely ignored or having your contributions dismissed as if you are filthy scum and not worthy of recognition as a human being is not a pleasant experience. When...
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Step Away From the Kool Aid
peopleBootstrapping. Building a business from scratch without external funding. A praiseworthy pursuit for any budding entrepreneur. In fact, if you have the excitement and drive to see your mission through to successful business then you deserve all the kudos that...
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Asleep at the Wheel
craftHamster Wheel /ˈhamstə wiːl/ A monotonous, repetitive, unfulfilling activity, especially one in which no progress is achieved.1 Like other rodents, hamsters are highly motivated to run in wheels. Likewise, as a programmer in the early stages of your career you...
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Code Incomplete
craftHumility /hjʊˈmɪlɪti/ The quality of having a modest or low view of one’s importance. Humility is the single character trait above all others, that will ensure you evolve as a programmer (or developer, engineer, title du jour). It is this...
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Multithreaded Javascript using Nashorn
guideJavascript has no native threading of its own, but it is possible to craft performant multithreaded code using Java threads inside javascript, in fact this has been possible since Java 6 with the initial release of the javax.scripting.ScriptEngine supporting the...
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Scripted user interfaces with Nashorn and JavaFX
guideJava 8 has introduced a bunch of great features and one of the gems amongst those new features is Nashorn. Nashorn is the replacement for the Rhino Javascript engine and could turn out to be a serious competitor for Google's...
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Java Plugin Scripting Architecture
guidePlugins are a great way to allow extensions and customisation to be added to your application over time. There are many software use cases that can benefit from a plugin architecture, such as stream processing engines (e.g. new data sources,...
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The Open Plan Anti-pattern
peopleOpen plan work environments. Often touted as superior when compared to private work areas and offices not only because of the reduction in costs of accommodating staff, but also because of the open collaboration, communication, social interaction and team building...
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Invocation Matters
designInvocation /ˌɪnvə(ʊ)ˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ To activate. The action of invoking someone or something. From the Latin verb invocare "to call on, invoke, to give". Function invocation is such a fundamental exercise in our daily programming lives that we barely give it a...
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