Read the 'Leaky Abstractions' paper by Joel Spolsky. Check here for the article. It's pretty interesting, and jives with my own experience in working with replication as a leaky abstraction for multiprocess computing and communication.
It remains depressing in Portland workland right now, as all of the experienced, really good software people I know are out of work. Is there a [negative] relationship there between quality of person and liklihood of having a job? Well, at least here in Portland, OR I think so...we've created an environment (actually had for a long time) where the hardware retreads and junior sw people are able to find work at weak companies because they don't know the difference, and the quality sw people don't any work at all...because there are no quality sw companies for the quality people. There are only weak sw companies that are not really competitive with companies in Austin, San Jose, Seattle, New York, Boston or others. For those of us that know how to build "real software" instead of hacked up crap...that sucks.
And where is the support for creating sw companies that will lead Portland out of this economic pit of despair? It's not coming from the existing biz community (they are looking out for their own asses), it's not coming from govt (same here), it's not coming from the local VC/angel "community" (ditto), and the folks that are actually able to create innovation-driven, valuable sw companies are asked to do everything on their own personal dime. Well, folks, they can't/won't save your asses and do it on their own dime.
So, we're left with a local economy and business community that *talks* a lot about being competitive in sw, but in fact is not competitive at all, and possibly never will be. We've institutionalized/enculturated mediocrity in the business community, which has resulted in institutionalized business failure in high tech.
WARNING TO AMBITIOUS, QUALITY, PORTLAND-BASED ENTREPRENEURS: Get out now and find an environment that values and supports the creation of competitive new businesses.
It remains depressing in Portland workland right now, as all of the experienced, really good software people I know are out of work. Is there a [negative] relationship there between quality of person and liklihood of having a job? Well, at least here in Portland, OR I think so...we've created an environment (actually had for a long time) where the hardware retreads and junior sw people are able to find work at weak companies because they don't know the difference, and the quality sw people don't any work at all...because there are no quality sw companies for the quality people. There are only weak sw companies that are not really competitive with companies in Austin, San Jose, Seattle, New York, Boston or others. For those of us that know how to build "real software" instead of hacked up crap...that sucks.
And where is the support for creating sw companies that will lead Portland out of this economic pit of despair? It's not coming from the existing biz community (they are looking out for their own asses), it's not coming from govt (same here), it's not coming from the local VC/angel "community" (ditto), and the folks that are actually able to create innovation-driven, valuable sw companies are asked to do everything on their own personal dime. Well, folks, they can't/won't save your asses and do it on their own dime.
So, we're left with a local economy and business community that *talks* a lot about being competitive in sw, but in fact is not competitive at all, and possibly never will be. We've institutionalized/enculturated mediocrity in the business community, which has resulted in institutionalized business failure in high tech.
WARNING TO AMBITIOUS, QUALITY, PORTLAND-BASED ENTREPRENEURS: Get out now and find an environment that values and supports the creation of competitive new businesses.
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