Python, Mindcraft and Getting Started

I had the fortune to attend All Things Open (http://www.allthingsopen.org/) this week in Raleigh, NC.   It was very well run, extremely enjoyable and generally reminded me again why I love this industry.  

While there were a lot of good speakers and maybe some impressive names, I do find I am a 'fangirl' of the folks at the keyboard.   There are a lot of cool projects, cool ideas and cool people.   With each one I meet I can't help but think "Wow, that could definitely make the world a better place".  

To resist my inclination to do it all, one thing seems very possible and consistent as a jumpstart for me: Minecraft.   Here are the pieces:

• Minecraft Inspired Project at GitHub : https://github.com/fogleman/Minecraft (thanks Michael Fogleman)
• Written in Python 
• Upcoming Carrboro Python Project Event November 13 (thanks Tobias McNulty) 
• Using Mindcraft to reach rural youth (thanks Erynn Peterson) 

By the end of October, I will try to setup the minecraft demo and show my son.   My hopes this becomes a family projects to learn python and eventually ... well "makes the world a better place".

Reward the Assist

I am madly in love with this article and madly in love with the kind of culture it could create.   Who is bringing value to your corporation?   Who is focused on the things that matter most?   And who is doing that when it does not always benefit their own success or personal interest.

"If You’re Serious About Talent, Reward the Assist" by Whitney Johnson :

"The next time you promote someone in your organization, look for the assist. Which people made the swish of the ball in the basket possible? Who were the people who set aside their own ambitions to help their colleagues play a little, or even a lot, better?"

It reminds me of this TED talk by Derek Sivers on how to start a movement and nurturing the first followers: 

The Spirit of Men

 "Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men.  It is the spirit of men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory."  - General Patton

Hipsters, Wild Ducks and Smart Code

"Throughout my career in software industry, I got to see ideas that seemed clever at the time turn out not as clever in hindsight." - Dejan Glozic 

Reference: http://dejanglozic.com/2013/10/01/dumb-code-good-smart-code-bad/

I have the best job in the world.  I get to work with brilliant people, at their most focused and on a good day make a lot of people happy.   However, one unfortunately side effect is seeing people at their most 'clever'.  

Dejan Glozic, who happens to be one of those brilliant people, wrote down 6 common traps software engineers get themselves into as they write code.  It is well worth the read.

Note: All views expressed here are my own and no reflection of my employer.