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Michael Feathers will be giving the opening keynote this year at Rocky Mountain Ruby. Michael is well known in the software community for his work with XP/Agile, improving software development and working on large legacy codebases. Don't miss his opening remarks which will definitely be thought provoking.
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The keynote presented by Michael Feathers at the Rocky Mountain Ruby 2011 conference addresses the concept of 'code blindness,' a phenomenon that he argues is prevalent in the software industry, leading to disconnection between software developers and business stakeholders. Feathers explores how this gap affects software development and offers insights on improving communication and understanding within organizations. Key Points Discussed: - **Code Blindness Definition**: Feathers introduces 'code blindness' as a lack of comprehension about the intricacies of software development among non-technical stakeholders, leading to poor decision-making. - **Industry Experiences**: He shares personal experiences from his career, including his time in the biomedical industry where software was often an afterthought, and in telecom, where management did not understand software challenges. - **The Disconnect in Organizations**: He highlights the persistent disconnection between software developers and upper management, citing how many bosses rarely review code and how software is undervalued compared to hardware. - **Agile Methodologies**: Feathers reflects on the introduction of Agile methodologies aimed at enhancing communication between business and developers. Despite some success, he believes the true depth of these practices has yet to be explored. - **Qualitative Assessment of Code**: He advocates for the use of qualitative assessments and visual representations of code to improve understanding among non-technical stakeholders, emphasizing that software quality must be integrated into business decisions. - **Technical Debt and Software Lifecycle**: He touches upon the concept of technical debt and suggests treating software as a living entity that requires ongoing maintenance and strategic decision-making regarding its evolution. - **Conway’s Law**: Feathers introduces Conway’s Law, emphasizing that the structure of software parallels organizational communication structures, reinforcing the need for alignment. Conclusions and Takeaways: - Organizations must foster a culture where everyone understands the implications of their decisions on software development. - Regular evaluation and nurturing of software assets can lead to healthier codebases. - There is a need for meaningful metrics that genuinely assess quality rather than create misleading incentives. - It is crucial to eliminate unneeded features and code segments to enhance overall project health and success. Feathers concludes by encouraging attendees to be proactive in recognizing issues within code, strategically reassess software value, and adopt a mindset focused on the thoughtful replacement of obsolete elements. He emphasizes the importance of these discussions in effectively addressing code blindness.
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