Story: Software That Doesn't Suck With Jim Blandy

Story: Software That Doesn't Suck With Jim Blandy

Author: Adam Gordon Bell - Software Developer July 1, 2020 Duration: 37:17

Building Subversion

Software is just the tool and it should get out of your way. In this episode, we will discuss Jim Blandy's insights on how to build and recognize improvements for a great developer tool and find out how he approached the question: "What's the worst software that you use every day?"

"Everybody likes imaginary code because imaginary code is always perfect." -Jim Blandy

"You don't want to maximize engagement with your version control system. You just want it to do its job and get out of the way. And so basically if somebody says, you know, this doesn't suck. That's actually pretty much exactly the right thing." - Jim Blandy

"If you're making a series of small incremental changes to a large data structure, then the way that the persistent data structures are trying really hard to share as much data as possible really works in your favor." -Jim Blandy

Episode Page

Episode Transcript

Links:


In CoRecursive: Coding Stories, host Adam Gordon Bell sits down with software developers to explore the human narratives woven into the technology we build. This isn't a technical interview focused on syntax or best practices, but a deeper dive into the pivotal moments, creative struggles, and personal insights that shape how code comes to life. Each conversation reveals the context behind decisions, the stories of failure and breakthrough, and the often-overlooked human elements that define our craft. As a software developer himself, Adam guides these discussions with genuine curiosity, pulling out anecdotes and reflections you won't hear anywhere else. The podcast lives in the intersection of News, Education, and How-To, but through the lens of lived experience. You'll hear about the origins of influential projects, the rationale behind unconventional solutions, and the personal journeys that lead developers to their philosophies. Listening feels like pulling up a chair with thoughtful peers, offering a richer understanding of the profession that goes far beyond the screen. This is where the abstract becomes concrete, through the stories and people behind the code.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

CoRecursive: Coding Stories
Podcast Episodes
Story: Krystal's Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:20
Chasing Your Curiosity and Continuous Learning Things are easier to learn when you are passionate about something. A lot of great careers are built on curiosity and obsession including Krystal Maughan our guest for today…
Story: Learning a new language with Bruce Tate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:38
There's joy that can be found in language learning and pain as well. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, there are still some things you can only discover by picking up a new language. Bruce Tate will tell us how lea…
Story: Portal Abstractions with Sam Ritchie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:11
Buckle up, on today's episode Adam interviews Sam about how the abstract algebra and probabilistic data structures helped solve fast versus big data issues that many are struggling with. Sam Ritchie is a machine learning…
Chat: Loving Legacy Code with Jonathan Boccara [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:51
Legacy code is everywhere. I don't think I've met anyone who doesn't have to deal with legacy code in the substantial portion of his work. Our guest, Jonathan Boccara is a French C++ developer and the author of The Legac…
Tech Talk: Karl L Hughes on  Speaking and Conference Talks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:31
Tech Talks are in-depth technical discussions. Adam talks to Karl Hughes about his path to becoming a conference speaker and the work he has done to make it easier for others to follow in his footsteps. "I didn't start t…
Chat: Don and Adam discuss folds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:17
Today we try a different format. Adam invites his neighbour, Don McKay, over to ask him questions. An interesting discussion on recursion, corecursion and the naming of the podcast unfolds. "John was saying, we conclude…
Story: David Heinemeier Hansson, Software Contrarian [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:09
David Heinemeier Hansson talks to Adam about being avoiding a software monoculture. He explains why we should find a programming language that speaks to us, why ergonomics matter and why single page apps and microservice…
Tech Talk: The Business Of Developer Tools With Lee Edwards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:39
How do you build a business around tools for software engineers? Adam talks to Lee Edwards, a VC who spends a lot of time thinking about this question. "When I think about is this a good business, I think about is there…
Tech Talk: Software in Context with Zach Tellman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:27
Tech Talks are in-depth technical discussions. Adam talks to Author and Clojure advocate Zach Tellman about how great software is built. "If we say something is over-engineered, what we mean is it's too complex or it's t…