Back

Explore every episode of the podcast CoRecursive: Coding Stories

Dive into the complete episode list for CoRecursive: Coding Stories. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

Rows per page:

1–50 of 115

TitlePub. DateDuration
Story: Godbolt's Rule - When Abstractions Fail04 Nov 202500:44:13

What do you do when your code breaks and the only fix is to dig into the runtime below?

Matt Godbolt lives for that. Tile-based renderers, color-coded scanlines, zero-copy NICs—each story is a clue that leads past the abstraction to the real machine. He shares the rule that guides him: master your layer, learn the one below, and know the outline of the layer under that.

 Matt Godbolt's journey proves the real breakthroughs are hideen behind the abstrations where you are comfortable and familiar.

 

Story: Risk Rolls Downhill - The Software Bug That Sent People to Prison02 Oct 202500:54:58

What if a software bug drained your savings, ruined your reputation, and nobody believed it wasn't your fault?

 Scott Darlington took over a village post office, hoping to give his family a steady life. But the software system kept showing cash shortfalls he couldn't explain. Each time, the Post Office told him the numbers were right and made him pay the difference out of his own pocket.

 Eventually it became too much and actions Scott took to protect himself lead to his arrest and public shaming. 

 How do you build trust in systems when the people behind them refuse to admit they're broken?


Story: Leaving Stripe02 Jan 202500:51:45

What if leaving your dream job was the way to discover your true self? 

  Jon de la Motte failed his first Stripe interview, but he didn't give up. It was his dream job, a company that connected with his father's work in finance with his software ambitions.

  At Stripe, Jon faced challenges. He joined a risky JavaScript infrastructure team and struggled to find his footing. Eventually he found his way, built a great team and then it all started to fall apart again.

  Discover how Jon's journey reshaped his life and what it means to balance personal and professional priorities.

 

Tech Talk: Dependent Types in Haskell with Stephanie Weirich13 Jun 201800:58:44

Tech Talks are in-depth technical discussions.

At Strange loop 2017, a wandered into a talk where I saw some code that deeply surprised me. The code could have been python if you squinted, passing dictionaries around, no type annotations anywhere.

Yet key look up in the dictionary was validated at compile time. It was a compile time error to access elements that didn't exist. Also the dictionary was heterogeneous, the elements had different types, and it was all inferred and validated at compile time.


What I was seeing was Dependent types in Haskell. In today's interview Stephanie Weirich explains her efforts to add dependent types to haskell and how that example worked.

 

Shows Notes:

Tech Talk: Micro Services vs Monoliths With Jan Machacek06 Jun 201801:06:33

Tech Talks are in-depth technical discussions.

I don't know a lot about micro services.  Like how to design them and what the various caveats and anti-patterns are.  I'm currently working on a project that involves decomposing a monolithic application into separate parts, integrated together using Kafka and http.  

Today I talk to coauthor of upcoming book, Reactive Systems Architecture : Designing and Implementing an Entire Distributed System.  If you want to learn some of the hows and whys of building a distributed system, I think you'll really enjoy this interview.  The insights from this conversation are already helping me.

Tech Talk: Rust And Bitter C++ Developers With Jim Blandy16 May 201801:02:53

Tech Talks are in-depth technical discussions. 

Rust, the programming language, seems to be really trendy these days.  Trendy to me means shows up a lot on hacker news.  Rust is really interesting language though, and I think the growing popularity is deserved.  

Today I talk with Jim Blandy, one of the authors of Programming Rust.  We talk about what problems rust is trying to solve, the unique language features and type system of rust. It includes both algebraic data types, type classes, and generics.  There is even a proposal somewhere for adding HKT.  We also touch on why it is so hard to secure code. Jim works on Firefox and his insights into the difficulty of writing secure code are super interesting.

Show notes

Tech Talk: Erlang And Distributed Systems with Steven Proctor02 May 201801:01:26

Tech Talks are in-depth technical discussions.

Today's interview is with Steven Proctor, the host of the functional geekery podcast.  We talk about distributed programming in general and specifically how erlang supports distributed computing.  We also talk about things he's learned about functional programming and applying FP principles to various non FP contexts.  

Contact Proctor:

Tech Talk: Purescript And Avocados with Justin Woo04 Apr 201800:51:06

Tech Talks are in-depth technical discussions.

Purescript is a functional programming language that compiles to javascript.  It is a strict haskell dialect that can run anywhere that javascript does.

Justin Woo is a self described Purescript evangelist and enthusiast. We talk about purescript vs elm and working with expressive type systems.  Justin also had some great metaphors about phantom types and masking tape as well as avacados and testing.  

Contact Justin:

Show notes:

 

 

My team at Tenable is hiring.  We are a distributed team of scala developers working on static analysis of docker containers (among other things).

We are a team of smart people, working fairly autonomously on interesting problems.  We are one of many teams working on interesting problems at Tenable.  I think its a great place to work.

I am in Peterborough, in Canada, and our team has people working in the US, Ireland and the UK as well.

Here is the job posting: 

https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/586241797/

Tell them Adam sent you, or you can email me directly at work abell at tenable.com or use this link to apply.

Tech Talk: Throw Away the Irrelevant with John A De Goes21 Mar 201801:07:41

Tech Talks are in-depth technical discussions.

Today's interview is with John A De Goes. We talk about performance problems with monad transformer on the jvm, various flavours of IO monads and reasoning about polymorphic type signatures.  On the lighter side of things, we discuss how to write technical articles well, flame wars and Zee vs Zed pronunciation.

 

 

Show Notes:

Tech Talk: Total Swift Programming12 Feb 201800:53:53

Tech Talks are in-depth technical discussions.

In simple terms, a total function is a function that produces a well defined output for all possible inputs.  A total program is a program composed of only total functions.  

A non-total, or partial function, would be a function that can fail given certain inputs.  Such as taking the head of a list, which can fail if giving an empty list and is therefore non-total.

Total programming can be done in any language, however many languages make this easier.  Some, going so far as to require proof of totality.

In this interview Andre Videla discusses how the swift program language encourages programming in a total style.  He also discusses his love of Idris, proof assistants and how his research into haskell, idris and dependant types have made him a better swift programmer.

 

Links:

Total Programming In Swift

 

Tech Talk: Idris, Proofs and Haskell with Edwin Brady29 Jan 201800:59:04

Tech Talks are in-depth technical discussions.

Edwin Brady is the creator of the Idris programming language and Author of the book Type-Driven Development with Idris and a computer science lecturer.  The book, the language and Edwin himself all seem to be chock full of ideas for improving the way computer programming is done, by applying ideas from programming language theory.  

In this interview, we discuss dependent types, type holes, interactive and type-driven development, theorem provers, Curry–Howard correspondence, dependant haskell, total functional programming, British vs American spelling and much more.  

 

Links:

Tech Talk: Domain Driven Design meets Functional Programming22 Jan 201800:56:02

Tech Talks are in-depth technical discussions.

In object oriented languages, modeling a complex problem domain is a well understood process.  Books like Domain Driven Design contain techniques for breaking down a problem domain and earlier books like the gang of four book catalogue design patterns for modeling these domains in an object oriented way.

In today's interview Debashish Ghosh explains how to model a complex problem domain in a functional paradigm.  His solution focuses on modelling the behaviour of the software system rather than nouns it will contain.  He also focuses on an algebraic approach to api design and discusses how abstract algebra provides tools for building better software.

Episode Page

Episode Transcript

"I first come up with what I call the algebra of the behaviors. The algebra of the behaviors refers to the basic contract, which the behavior is supposed to support, which the behavior is supposed to honor. So that's the algebra." -Debashish Ghosh

Links:

Debashish's Book

Story: Inside Shopify's Layoffs02 Dec 202400:43:04

What if you had to break life-changing news to your team—could you handle the weight of their futures?

Allison's journey from software engineer to compassionate leader at Shopify is filled with challenges and growth. It all started when her mentor was suddenly laid off, leaving her with uncertainty and guilt. This turning point taught her the importance of adaptability in the tech industry's ups and downs.

When Allison faced her own layoff, she found the strength to move on to new roles, including a position at Shopify. There, she had to announce layoffs to her team, learning to lead with empathy and prioritize their well-being.

Her story highlights the power of empathy and resilience in leadership. She shares how to end employment on good terms and create a supportive environment for those affected. While layoffs are tough, they can also be a place to show strength.

 

Story: ReiserFS04 Nov 202400:52:36

Have you ever known someone who's technical brilliance was overshadowed by personal failings? This is the story of Hans Reiser, a software developer driven to create a superior Linux filesystem, but whose difficult personality got in the way.

  Then came the disappearance of his wife, Nina, in 2006. The investigation pointed to Reiser, ending with a murder conviction that shocked the tech world.

  Reiser's story is a reminder of how technical skills and personal integrity need to go hand in hand. From prison, he reflects on his mistakes, realizing the need for empathy and collaboration. His legacy, once about innovation, now serves as a cautionary tale.

 

Story: From Everest to Startups: Yoshio's Journey of Resilience and Coding02 Oct 202400:50:21

How do you know what matters? What if training to climb Everest left you certain you were on the wrong career path?

Join us as we explore Yoshio's incredible journey from the heights of Everest, to coding bootcamps, to finding his true calling in start-ups and communication skills training.

 

Story: From Code to Capital - Tim Chen's Journey from Engineer to VC02 Sep 202400:46:48

 What if your corporate job left you feeling empty, and you decided to leap into venture capital?

Tim Chen, a software engineer, was disillusioned with corporate life at Microsoft. The 2008 market crash and layoffs deepened his dissatisfaction. Seeking more impactful work, Tim joined startups and contributed to open-source projects, like Kafka and Docker.

Then after his own start-up, Tim found a niche bridging the gap between technical founders and venture capital. But could get into Venture Capital himself?

Join me and Tim to hear his journey from a disillusioned software engineer to a successful venture capitalist, exploring the highs and lows of his unusual career move.

 

Behind the Mic: Adam Gordon Bell on Communication with Software Misadventures Podcast06 Aug 202401:03:40

Today the tables have turned and you're going to hear someone interview me.  Ronak and Guang from the Software Misadventures podcast are going to interview me  about podcasting. My history as a software developer and I guess this big idea. That I don't think I've shared too much about the importance of communication.

More details including a video version of the interview here:

https://softwaremisadventures.com/p/adam-gordon-bell-story-telling

Story: Jeffrey Snover and the Making of PowerShell04 Jul 202400:49:19

What if you had to fight against your company's culture to bring a revolutionary tool to life? Meet Jeffrey Snover, the Microsoft architect behind PowerShell, a command tool that transformed Windows system administration. Initially met with skepticism, Snover's idea faced resistance from a company that favored graphical interfaces. 

Snover's journey began with a simple mission: to make Windows as command-line managable as UNIX systems. Despite facing pushback and navigating through company restructures, his persistence paid off. 

This episode explores how Snover's relentless drive and clear vision overcame numerous obstacles, leading to a tool that is now fundamental in modern enterprise environments. Listen to how one person's determination can challenge the status quo.

 

Help Adam Find His Next Role

I'm on the hunt for a new developer relations role. 

If you know of any companies where they need someone who can speak engineer, who can communicate to developers, that's me. I'm your guy for explaining complex stuff in a way that's catchy and fun and makes sense to software developers. If you know of any roles like this, let me know. Who should I be talking to?

Reach out: Adam@CoRecursive.com, @adamgordonbell, Linkedin, My Calendar.

Links:

 

Story: From Burnout to Breakthrough04 Jun 202400:52:26

Can you imagine risking your career to making coding easier to learn?

Meet Felienne Hermans, a professor who did just that by stepping beyond academia to redefine coding education. Disillusioned by her research's limited impact, Felienne discovered a new calling in teaching coding to underserved students. Her journey led to the creation of Hedy, a programming language designed to dismantle language and learning barriers in coding.

Confronting skepticism from her peers, Felienne's dedication to accessible coding challenged traditional academic priorities. Felienne's story is a powerful reminder of the impact one person can have by following their passion against the odds.

 

Story: Coding Machines03 May 202400:48:12

What if the tools you trust were actually betraying you? Join us for a riveting story where a team of software developers discovers that their compiler is compromised. What starts as suspicion of a simple bug quickly escalates into the alarming realization.

  In this 100th episode celebration past show regulars Don and Krystal join Adam lend their voice to this work of fiction about the limits of trust in computing from Lawrence Kesteloot.

  Join us in as we peel back the layers of trust in the software we rely on daily and celebrate our 100th episode.

 

Story: Code, Kickflips and Crunch Time - Mick West's Neversoft Journey02 Apr 202400:57:09

Meet Mick West, whose career began in an unusual office setup — sandwiched between a kebab shop and a phone sex hotline. From there he worked all over Manchester, making computer games for Tiertex and Ocean. 

  Career opportunies brought him to California and to his own game dev company, Neversoft. At Neversoft, navigating team growth and tight deadlines, Mick played a key role in creating "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater." This wasn't just another game; it was a huge hit and secured Mick's legacy in the gaming world.

  Join us as we explore Mick West's journey from a quirky start to the heights of video game innovation and beyond. Discover the resilience, adaptability, and teamwork that fueled his success and how he continues to explore new horizons. How did he tackle the technical challenges that came his way, and what can we learn from his relentless pursuit of the next big thing?

 

Quick Update02 Sep 202500:08:52

A quick update from Adam about the podcast's current state, consistency challenges, and what's coming next. 

 

Story: Leaving LinkedIn - Choosing Engineering Excellence Over Expediency04 Mar 202400:47:35

What if your dedication to doing things right clashed with your company's fast pace? Chris Krycho faced this very question at LinkedIn.

His journey was marked by challenges: from the nuances of remote work to the struggle of influencing company culture, and a critical incident that put his principles to the test against the company's push for speed.

Chris's story highlights the tension between the need for innovation and the importance of project health. This all led Chris to a pivotal decision: to stay and compromise his beliefs or to leave in pursuit of work that aligned with his principles.

He chose the latter. Join us as we dive into Chris's compelling story, exploring the challenges of advocating for principled engineering in a world that often prioritizes quick wins over long-term value.

 

Story: Beautiful Code - Inside Greg Wilson's Vision for Software Design02 Feb 202400:57:20

Greg Wilson has been on a decades-long quest to transform how we teach and talk about software design. From getting rejections for using the term "beautiful code," to empowering scientists through workshops on Python and Unix, Greg has pushed to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Join us as Greg shares his failures and epiphanies along the way. You'll hear how he revolutionized research computing by showing physicists the power of profilers. How he taught grad students the elegance of shell scripts. And how he's crusaded to create a shared language to discuss software architecture with the nuance of true craftsmanship.

Greg's captivating journey reveals that with perseverance and the right examples, we can elevate software design discussion to an art form. But that we've got a long way to go. You'll come away enlightened and eager to level up your own understanding of software design.

 

Story - Code as a Lifeline: Brain Injury Sparks Python Mastery02 Jan 202400:44:12

What if your dreams were suddenly ripped away? What if your talents vanished, your passions erased? That's what happened to Jason McDonald when a traumatic brain injury at 16 ravaged his planned destiny of becoming a doctor. Jason painfully rebuilt his ind and body from scratch - relearning to read, write, even speak. 

 A serendipitous discovery of coding ignited a new passion within Jason. He dove into the world of Python, even writing a popular programming book. His is a story of the incredible resilience of the human spirit when faced with life-altering challenges. One that calls us to embrace our own vulnerabilities as gateways to growth.

 

Story - From 486 to Vue.js: Evan You's Full-Time Gamble on Open Source04 Dec 202300:46:17

From the early days of exploring creative possibilities on a 486 computer in his childhood to developing one of today's most popular web frameworks, Evan You's journey is a tale of passion and innovation.
  
Evan started Vue.js while working at Google, just wanting to scratch his own itch for a lightweight JavaScript framework. But soon Vue started to gain a huge following. 

Eventually Evan then faced a tough dilemma - should he take a leap of faith and devote himself fully to his fledgling open source project?

Hear Evan's firsthand story of that key career transition. How the explosive user feedback at Vue conferences gave him confidence. But also the challenges he faced by putting himself directly in the line of fire from unhappy users.

It's an inspiring journey - from a developer just trying to solve his own problems to the leader of one of today's most popular web frameworks. Hear the very human story behind Vue.js.

 

Story: Platform Takes The Pain02 Nov 202300:48:36

How did Spotify scale from 10 engineers to 100s to 1000s ...without slowing down? Without becoming corporate? 

Facing an IPO deadline, Pia Nilsson worked with 300 teams to transform how Spotify built software. She spearheaded a movement that led them from working in silos to a unified developer platform. 

Hear the inside story of how Spotify's Platform teams embraced transparency and customer focus to create Backstage — now used by companies worldwide. 

It's an amazing tale of ingenuity and perseverance. Hear Spotify's secret to scaling engineering without losing speed and independence. Don't miss it!

 

Story: Sloot Digital Coding System02 Oct 202300:51:50

Lost treasure. Conspiracy theories. Impossible tech demos. 

Jan Sloot claimed to have invented revolutionary data compression that could fit a full movie into a tiny smart card chip. Top executives and investors witnessed his demos and became true believers, ready to bankroll this company into the stratosphere. 

But was it all an elaborate illusion? 

Join me as I unravel the perplexing story of Jan Sloot, the eccentric Dutch TV repairman who dazzled the tech world with his compression claims. 

Discover the shady details and follow the bizarre twists and turns, as we try to separate fact from fiction in the puzzling case of the Sloot Digital Coding System. 

 

Story: Configuring Identity: Adam Jacob and the Search for Self in Software01 Sep 202300:42:53

Today, we go behind the scenes at Chef - the game changing infrastructure automation tool. Adam Jacob created Chef, and it became a massively popular DevOps tool. But despite Chef's success, Adam constantly battled self-doubt and finding his footing as a leader. 

In this raw episode, Adam shares how the pressure of going from sysadmin to startup CEO caused an identity crisis. He opens up about the motivational speech that left him in tears, realizing his self-worth was too tied to Chef's outcomes. 

 

The Science of Learning to Code02 Aug 202300:50:45

Learning to code can feel impossible. Like facing a sheer rock wall with no ropes or harnesses. But what if there was a path up the mountain? A trail blazed smooth by master coders who went before? 

In this episode, we'll follow that path. We'll hear the stories of legends like Seymour Papert, who championed active, project-based learning. Of Fred Brooks, who discovered that pairing accelerates learning. And more. 

The research shows that with the right methods, motivation, and support, anyone can master learning curves and summit. So join me as we uncover the science behind learning to code. You'll walk away fired up, equipped with proven techniques to unlock your potential and conquer new technical skills. 
 
 The climb is on!  

 

Story: A Dark Room03 Jul 202300:40:42

 Have you ever been frustrated with your job? Maybe not burnt out, but getting close to there? You used to love what you did, and it felt so creative and empowering, but then it starts to feel a bit more cookie cutter.

Have you ever been frustrated with your whole life? The daily grind has taken what you love and it just doesn't feel the same anymore. Some of the magic just has slowly faded away. You don't know when it started, but it did. 

Today's guest is Amir Rajan. He's hard to describe. 
  
Is he a developer? Yes. An artist who sold everything that he owned for indie game development. Yes. The subject of a New Yorker profile? Yes, all of that. And also, somebody who got frustrated with his life and left everything behind.

 

Story: Quitting (And Then Rejoining) Stack Overflow02 Jun 202300:53:28

Today, we meet Ben Dumke-von der Ehe, one of the early developers on the Stack Overflow team. 

He was on the front lines as the platform transformed how programmers worked. And he embodies the spirit of Stack Overflow:  Its transparency, playfulness, and even some of its struggles to be as welcoming and friendly as it should be. 
 
But you'll see what I mean. 
 
So stick around as Ben takes us on a journey through the building of Stack Overflow. Get ready for a candid inside look at the creation of a platform that would become an essential part of the developer community and the internet as we know it. 

 

Coding in the Red-Queen Era06 Aug 202500:42:24

What do we risk when we let AI do the heavy lifting in our coding? Are we giving up the thinking that makes us good at what we do? And as expectations keep rising to match productivy gains, is all this speed really helping, or just making us busier?

  Today, let's look at the tradeoffs of coding with AI and why the hardest part might be deciding what to hold onto, and what to let go.

 

Story: From Project Management to Data Compression Innovator02 May 202300:59:23

How do you accomplish something massive over time? I've had the chance to meet with a number of exceptional software developers and it's something I always wonder about. 

Today, I might have an answer with the incredible story of Yann Collet.

Yann was a project manager who went from being burnt out on corporate life to becoming one of the most sought-after developers in the world. What happens when you build something so impressive and valuable that it essentially becomes invisible?

And how do you do that when your day job is mainly organizing spreadsheets and keeping timelines on track?

Yann built LZ4 and ZStandard - two of the world's fastest compression algorithms that have transformed databases, operating systems, file systems, and much more. We'll go back in time to Yann's initial steps with programming, his game-changing discoveries along the way and how his devotion to data compression hobby led him to create something that saves billions of dollars worldwide.

Episode Links

 

Story: JSON vs XML03 Apr 202300:49:56

Today's guest is Douglas Crockford. He's sharing the story of JSON, his discovery of JavaScript's good parts, and his approach to finding a simple way to build software. Also, his battles against XML, against complexity, his battles to say that there's a better way to build software. 
 

This is foundational stuff for the web, and Doug is an iconoclast

 

Story: Sun's Mobile Blunders02 Mar 202300:51:45

Shai Almog worked at Sun on Mobile JVMs just as phones started to turn from phones into something else. 
  
Sun had deep expertise in mobile development, and amazing engineering driven culture and relationships with manufacturers and operators. And yet interal politics and the collapse of its server market made it hard to get things done.
  
At Sun, as the mobile market changed, Shai and his friend Chen Fishbein launched a popular UI toolkit. 
  
  Today Shai shares their struggles at Sun and after it to shape mobile UI development. 

Story: Shipping Graphing Calculator02 Feb 202300:46:47

I've been on many projects that get canceled. We're building cool stuff. We're going above and beyond, and we're excited. But the project encounters reality, shifting priorities, or budgeting constraints, and the work never goes anywhere. It always feels tragic, but then I move on.

  But what if I didn't let a project get canceled? What if I couldn't accept that? That is what Ron Avitzur's story is all about. He is the creator of "Graphing Calculator," and he would not let it be canceled.

Story: The Unfulfilled Engineer02 Jan 202300:42:04

Nothing good comes from being insecure about your worth, especially at your job. That's what today's episode is about. That's what today's guest is here to discuss. 
It's a slow burn, but if you listen to the end, I think you will value yourself more professionally. My Guest is Don Mckay. Someone longtime listeners will undoubtedly know.

Story: DOOMed to Fail02 Dec 202200:45:03

Today Rebecca Burger Becky Heineman shares the tale of porting Doom to the 3DO console under extreme conditions. There is an engine to tweak, deadlines to hit, hardware acceleration to get working, and dramatic rock anthems to record.

We also learn about how game piracy led her to game development and what it was like to do game development in the mania of the mid-nineties. Finally, we close with Becky's advice on learning bare metal development skills. 

Story: Software World Tour02 Nov 202200:48:57

Today story is from Son Luong Ngoc who shares what's it was like for him to work and live in many different countries around the world, including working for AliBaba at the Xixi campus in Hangzhou, China.

It's a story of a software developer finding a place that fits them, a place that suits them.

Story: Android's Unlikely Success03 Oct 202201:00:07

What could you accomplish if your teammates were all excited and determined to hit some project timelines? What is it like for a group of people to give it all they have? That's what today is about. 

  
Chet Haase from the Android team is here to share the story of the early days of Android, the mobile operating system that powers the majority of phones worldwide. We'll cover the years from 2005 to around 2011. 
 
It's a wild story.

Story: From Prison To Programming02 Sep 202200:46:37

 I believe that getting underrepresented groups into software development is a good thing. This is not a controversial opinion until you start talking about felons. 

  Today's guest is Rick Wolter. He's an iOS developer who served 18 years in prison for second degree murder.  Rick killed somebody and for some that's all they need to know about Rick. But today's episode is about Rick's path to redemption him, teaching himself to code in prison, smuggling in a Python interpreter, and then getting out and trying to get a job as a dev when you're a felon.

Episode Page

Support The Show

Subscribe To The Podcast

Join The Newsletter

UnderDog Devs

CPAN - This Day In History01 Aug 202200:56:03

CPAN was the first open-source software module repository. And on this day, Aug 1st, in 1995, CPAN was first announced to a private group of PERL users.

If you are building things today by pulling in various packages from various open source places – and really, who isn't – then the history of how this world came to be is essential.

Episode Page

Support The Show

Subscribe To The Podcast

Join The Newsletter

When AI Codes, What's Left for me?02 Jul 202500:39:51

I've always found meaning—and a lot of strength—in building things. Now, with AI coding agents changing the way we work, it's easy to feel threatened, like something essential might get taken away. But honestly, that creative urge can't be replaced by any tool. In this episode, I talk about what it's like when your identity is tied to making things, and the tools suddenly change.

 

Story: The History and Mystery Of Eliza05 Jul 202200:44:07

I recently got an email from Jeff Shrager, who said he'd been working hard to solve a mystery about some famous code.

Eliza, the chatbot, was built in 1964, and she didn't answer questions like Alexa or Siri. She asked questions. She was a therapist chatbot and quickly became famous after being described in a 1964 paper. 

But here is the mystery. We're not sure how the original version worked. Joseph Weizenbaum never released the code. But Jeff tracked it down, and some of the things we thought we knew about Eliza turned out to be wrong.  

Chat: Why still 80 columns?01 Jun 202200:39:23
On June 1st, 2014, the following question showed up on hacker news: 

"Why is 80 characters, the standard limit for code width."

You probably know what happens next. People started to post their opinions and the comments and other people started to disagree. The posts spread around the internet.

 So that is going to be today's show: Let's answer this question. 

 It's a question about traditions and teamwork, and how preexisting idioms shape us and help us, but sometimes restrict us. 

Story: LISP in Space02 May 202200:38:03

Have you ever had a unique approach to a problem and been excited to use it, but you're met with skepticism?

  Today's story: what happens if you take someone who's passionate about LISP and put them in an organization where that's just not how they write software.

  Today's story is about getting LISP into space.

Episode Page

Support The Show

Subscribe To The Podcast

Join The Newsletter

Chat: April Fools' Is Cancelled01 Apr 202200:38:50

On this day in 2014 "lame april fools' jokes" were banned from hacker news.  

 Today in our first This-Day-in-History segment, I want to share some of history not just of April Fools', but of tech pranks in general, all leading up to 2014.

 Why were pranks and April Fools' jokes traditionally celebrated in tech? Why are they now considered as dang said, "lame?"? And is there anything we can do to save them? Those are today's questions.

Story: The Story Graph with Nadia Odunayo02 Mar 202200:48:05

Whenever I work on a side project, I can't help but daydream of it taking off in a big way. For today's guests, something like that did happen. 

  When Nadia started building her side project, she didn't know that it would end up spreading virally. She didn't know that it would end up competing with an Amazon product. She didn't know that keeping it up would be something that would drive her close to tears.

Episode Page

Support The Show

Subscribe To The Podcast

Join The Newsletter

Story: Serenity OS01 Feb 202200:41:29
How would you build an operating system? 
 
 My answer is I wouldn't. First off, I don't know how. And the second thing is it seems like to large of a task. It took thousands of developers to build Windows XP.  But actually, it is possible to build an operating system from scratch. My guest is doing it. Andreas Kling created SerenityOS starting from an empty Git repository. So today, I find out how he did it, how this is possible. But mainly today, I find out why. Why build an operating system from scratch? And it all started in the 2010s when Andreas worked at Apple. 

Episode Page

Support The Show

Subscribe To The Podcast

Join The Newsletter

© My Podcast Data