Software Generalist

This is the notion of a collective applied to the realm of computation where a set of computation processes (and possibly hardware, people and other entities, forming a hybrid entity) share the common goal and use interface bonds (relations). Sometimes certain research needs to be done to identify hidden relations to draw or to rethink boundaries between a collective and its environment, as in a simple and low-level example of coupled processes or wait chains. Note that this is not the same and it is not used in the same sense as a computational collective intelligence although certain computational collectives can give that impression.

See also: interface relations

- Dmitry Vostokov @ SoftwareGeneralist.com -

Windows code, Unix code, MSDOS code, BeOS code, Cantor code, PDP code, x86 code, … Every such code has its distinct semantics and pragmatics, converging, evolving and coming to extinction, backed by economic, social and political forces, having its readers and writers. A few years ago I bought and started reading the book “Empires of the Word” by Nicholas Ostler and while thinking today whether I should buy its Folio edition I finally realised that there are also empires of the code intertwined with modern history. As usual, I reserve an ISBN number for this (978-1906717810) yet unwritten book and starting to think about collaborative writing.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ SoftwareGeneralist.com -

This is a new book planned by OpenTask with the some preliminary details:

Sociology of Software: An Anthology and A Dictionary (ISBN: 978-1906717636)

- Dmitry Vostokov @ SoftwareGeneralist.com -

This is a software meta-process when systems, subsystems, objects, components and interfaces adapt to: 1) differences in software entities and its users; 2) software tension and software conflict arising inside software; 3) tension and conflict between software, hardware and its users. At the same time underlying causes are not resolved and software inequality is not eliminated or not changed. Software accommodation process changes the structure and behaviour of software entities to fit the demands of software and hardware environments and their users.

See also: software entity; system accommodation; subsystem accommodation; component accommodation; interface accommodation; software assimilation; system assimilation; subsystem assimilation; component assimilation; interface assimilation; software racism; software acculturation; software meta-process; software inequality; software fitness; software environment

- Dmitry Vostokov @ SoftwareGeneralist.com -

The class struggle and alienation in software factories brought me to final conclusion that a software generalist is the future classless software creator. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Software Marxist advocating Software Marxism, Socialism or Communism. Believe me or not, Software Generalism is a much brighter future. More on this later.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ SoftwareGeneralist.com -

Here I provide sketches of parallels between Marx’s theory of alienation and software world. Obviously we have fine-grained classes of:

• engineers
• technical support
• IT stuff
• architects
• managers
• …

The notion of software factory also brings its share too. I guess the current software work place standards would be seen as nightmarish conditions to future generations of software engineers in 22nd century. 

To finish this topic with a joke: I remember one manager in one of my previous companies told me not to say “delete Manager [object]” during presentation of system architecture.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ SoftwareGeneralist.com -