Emergent Phonomenons and Other Cases of Empathy

Dear Mark Burgess,

I know we haven't met.   I can't remember how you crossed my twitter feed.   This is rare for me as my one skill is an ability to apply unnatural empathy to other people's passion for technology.  It is almost as unusual as synesthesia.   I love technology but I remember it through people.

Thus your tweet "Let's not kid ourselves. Software from teamwork is an emergent phenomenon. It is not a simple case of engineering." [Mark Burgess, September 23,2014] has me wrestling.   I have two* tenets in my life : engineering** is the fix to nearly everything and sharing the feelings of another is the secret to nearly everything. 

Why is Software from Teamwork not easy? (or how to take a sports analogy to far)

1. Clarity of Roles - Tim Howard needs Jozy Altidore to play his position.  Every once in a while Tim needs Jozy in the goal.    (Do your job, trust others to do theirs and ask for help if you see things going wrong)
2. Clarity of Score - Cam Newton can't settle for a 1-1 game while Thomas Mueller just won't.  (Keep your priorities simple and inspiring)
3. Clarity of Rules - While they all get a ball, LeBron James shows up to a court and uses his hands.   Lionel Messi gets a pitch and his feet!  (Cultures and Requirements matter)

And as always an excuse to post some music:

-G

PS> Mark how does one become an ex-guitarist?   Was there a tragic pick accident or are you waiting for the reunion tour? 

* I have two tenets only in the sense that 2 < the volumes of helpful and conflicting tenets I live by.
** When I say engineering, I mean computer science because all other engineering is dark magic at this point in my life.  

"Jepsen II: Linearizable Boogaloo" by Kyle Kingsbury

I do not understand 90% of the jokes or technology in this talk.  However I am pretty sure I would be both smarter and happier if I started each day listening to this: 

Thank you, Kyle Kingsbury, whoever you are.
-G

Durham Linux Users Group - Steam OS

Tonight my family attended the Durham Linux User Group (LUG) to hear about Steam and their new Steam OS.  The event was at Bull City Coworking Space off Main Street.

About the Event
There were about 8 people in attendance from a variety of companies around the triangle
   The Bull City Coworking space was pretty cool.  I am very proud to have something like this in Durham and would highly recommend it for anyone looking for space.

About the Topic 
SteamOS is a Linux based operating system designed for gaming on the TV because really who can just game on their PC.   http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/ .  I think my husband has visions of a Steam OS box in every room of our house.

About my experience 
Steam is a big part of my family.  We know when it is down, we commiserate when we have to download our games again or wait for updates.    We also use the chat sessions when my son is visiting his grandparents.  
However, I attended this meeting in an attempt to learn more about Linux.   I'm done with Windows but struggling to determine where to focus next.   It seems that Linux has found its way into most other platforms (Apple, Chrome, others). 
It was good to see Linux is a real grown up able to handle gaming.   Also interesting conversation on how Steam might open up Linux for easier application deployments.  

And for no particular reason, a little music from Shakey Graves