Fearless Bit

• Release It! Review in “Quotes”
  A review of the book Release It! — there are a fair number of people in the comments of this review indicating this book is a must-read.  While I don’t develop software, I’ll probably read it as topics like these speak out at me:
  • Data purging isn’t sexy but needs to be done
  • Temporary fixes are inevitably permanent.  We all know the various forms of “temporary is never temporary” yet we all still do it.  If I could slap someone every time I saw it happened, my hand would be raw
  • Design for capacity; sure, the architects do it but the developers generally don’t get it
  • The cost of (un)reliability
  • Don’t GUI-up an admin interface.  I wish I could have a revision-controlled set of configuration files for production …
  • Logging needs to be desgined for operations; if you log an error, it better be because you need my help as a System Admin!
• Seven Productivity Tips For People That Hate GTD
  GTD = Getting Things Done.  This is an interesting look at some ways to improve your ability to execute.  I took a look through the site because there are a number of related books and articles and, well, I’m all about reading up on how much I don’t know … 🙂
• Why McKinsey’s Cloud Report Missed the Mark
  On my April 19th post, I referred to a McKinsey study regarding the real cost of moving your business to the “cloud.”  Joe Weinman at GigaOM points out that this isn’t such a black-and-white issue.  Much like there’s a valid, proven business model for renting cars at 5 times what it costs to own, there are reasons why someone might want to use “the cloud” even if it’s actually more expensive because it’s more flexible (e.g. you can instantly fire up 1,000 servers — try doing that at your own datacenter) which can translate into cheaper overall
• The Big Agile Practices Survey Report (Part 1)
  Did you read Fearless Bytes IV?  If so, you’ll be happy to know that the results are in for The Big Agile Practices Survey!  It should not only get you thinking about whether it matches what you value, but if you’re a manager or leader, it may make sense to see whether aligning yourself to these results or carrying out the same survey internally makes sense

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