When imperfect systems are good: Bluesky's lossy timelines
(jazco.dev)
Often when designing systems, we aim for perfection in things like consistency of data, availability, latency, and more.
Often when designing systems, we aim for perfection in things like consistency of data, availability, latency, and more.
Kafka at the low end: how bad can it get?
(broot.ca)
There is oft-quoted advice that Kafka does poorly as a job queue. I’ve experienced this myself, and I wanted to formalize it a bit.
There is oft-quoted advice that Kafka does poorly as a job queue. I’ve experienced this myself, and I wanted to formalize it a bit.
Agent-Less System Monitoring with Elixir Broadway
(opsmaru.com)
We've started working on something that will be a critical component the Opsmaru platform. This part requires having proper infrastructure monitoring for several reasons. While Opsmaru has health monitoring for every cluster managed by the platform, it doesn't give us deep insights into the metrics of the systems.
We've started working on something that will be a critical component the Opsmaru platform. This part requires having proper infrastructure monitoring for several reasons. While Opsmaru has health monitoring for every cluster managed by the platform, it doesn't give us deep insights into the metrics of the systems.
SWE-Lancer: a benchmark of freelance software engineering tasks from Upwork
(arxiv.org)
We introduce SWE-Lancer, a benchmark of over 1,400 freelance software engineering tasks from Upwork, valued at \$1 million USD total in real-world payouts.
We introduce SWE-Lancer, a benchmark of over 1,400 freelance software engineering tasks from Upwork, valued at \$1 million USD total in real-world payouts.
Ask HN: Ways to progress career wise as SWE?
(ycombinator.com)
I work as a software engineer and make an Ok salary (market salary). However, it seems like I'm stuck at my level.
I work as a software engineer and make an Ok salary (market salary). However, it seems like I'm stuck at my level.
So you've installed `fzf`. Now what?
(andrew-quinn.me)
Software engineers are, if not unique, then darn near unique in the ease with which we can create tools to improve our own professional lives; this however can come at a steep cost over time for people who constantly flit back and forth between different tools without investing the time to learn their own kit in depth.
Software engineers are, if not unique, then darn near unique in the ease with which we can create tools to improve our own professional lives; this however can come at a steep cost over time for people who constantly flit back and forth between different tools without investing the time to learn their own kit in depth.
To avoid being replaced by LLMs, do what they can't
(seangoedecke.com)
It’s a strange time to be a software engineer. Large language models are very good at writing code and rapidly getting better. Multiple multi-billion dollar attempts are currently being made to develop a pure-AI software engineer. The rough strategy - put a reasoning model in a loop with tools - is well-known and (in my view) seems likely to work. What should we software engineers do to prepare for what’s coming down the line?
It’s a strange time to be a software engineer. Large language models are very good at writing code and rapidly getting better. Multiple multi-billion dollar attempts are currently being made to develop a pure-AI software engineer. The rough strategy - put a reasoning model in a loop with tools - is well-known and (in my view) seems likely to work. What should we software engineers do to prepare for what’s coming down the line?
The Big TDD Misunderstanding (2022)
(linkedrecords.com)
Rumors have it that the term “unit” in “unit test” originally referred to the test itself, not to a unit of the system under test. The idea was that the test could be executed as one unit and does not rely on other tests running upfront (see here and here). Another contradictive perspetive is this one: “The unit to be tested is the entire point of confusion and debate.
Rumors have it that the term “unit” in “unit test” originally referred to the test itself, not to a unit of the system under test. The idea was that the test could be executed as one unit and does not rely on other tests running upfront (see here and here). Another contradictive perspetive is this one: “The unit to be tested is the entire point of confusion and debate.
You're not a senior engineer until you've worked on a legacy project (2023)
(infobip.com)
Everybody hates working on legacy projects, myself included. As fate would have it, one landed in my lap recently. While working on it didn’t make me hate legacy projects any less, it did help me get a deeper understanding of the processes and practices we use today.
Everybody hates working on legacy projects, myself included. As fate would have it, one landed in my lap recently. While working on it didn’t make me hate legacy projects any less, it did help me get a deeper understanding of the processes and practices we use today.
Isn't "trunk based development" just a complete crock of shit?
(bucket.co)
Isn’t "trunk based development" just a complete crock of shit?
Isn’t "trunk based development" just a complete crock of shit?
The demise of software engineers due to AI is greatly exaggerated
(techleader.pro)
There is a huge gap between the expectations senior manages have for AI replacing software engineers, and the reality on the ground.
There is a huge gap between the expectations senior manages have for AI replacing software engineers, and the reality on the ground.
Ask HN: How common it is to earn six figures as a software engineer in USA?
(ycombinator.com)
I acknowledge this is something I could have checked; and I did, according to various websites, the median for software engineer is around 100k to 130k.
I acknowledge this is something I could have checked; and I did, according to various websites, the median for software engineer is around 100k to 130k.
Tolerating full cloud outages with Monzo Stand-in
(monzo.com)
Our customers reasonably expect to be able to spend on their card, make bank transfers and pay their bills 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Their lives don’t have downtime for maintenance so nor should we. We dedicate a lot of our engineering effort to minimise the risk of downtime during technical migrations and other day-to-day operations, but unforeseen incidents that cause unexpected outages are impossible to eliminate entirely.
Our customers reasonably expect to be able to spend on their card, make bank transfers and pay their bills 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Their lives don’t have downtime for maintenance so nor should we. We dedicate a lot of our engineering effort to minimise the risk of downtime during technical migrations and other day-to-day operations, but unforeseen incidents that cause unexpected outages are impossible to eliminate entirely.
Why is everyone trying to replace Software Engineers?
(toddle.dev)
At this point it is safe to say that software engineers are not in any immediate danger of being replaced by AI. So why do people keep trying to do just that?
At this point it is safe to say that software engineers are not in any immediate danger of being replaced by AI. So why do people keep trying to do just that?
Most-Watched Software Engineering Talks of 2024
(techtalksweekly.io)
Following tradition, I put together a complete list of the top 100 most watched Software Engineering talks presented in 2024 across almost every Software Engineering conference around the world.
Following tradition, I put together a complete list of the top 100 most watched Software Engineering talks presented in 2024 across almost every Software Engineering conference around the world.
Boring tech is mature, not old
(rubenerd.com)
I’ve talked before about how I think NetBSD is “boring”, and that it’s among the highest forms of praise I can give tech as a sysadmin and architect. But I’ve never elaborated why that is.
I’ve talked before about how I think NetBSD is “boring”, and that it’s among the highest forms of praise I can give tech as a sysadmin and architect. But I’ve never elaborated why that is.
Feature Flags vs. Configuration Options – Same Difference?
(cs.cmu.edu)
Having spent over a decade researching configurable systems and software product lines, the phenomenon of feature flags is interesting but also deeply familiar.
Having spent over a decade researching configurable systems and software product lines, the phenomenon of feature flags is interesting but also deeply familiar.
I'm glad I took the off-ramp from software engineering
(goodtechthings.com)
Congratulations on your shiny new computer science degree! You won’t be needing that anymore, feel free to forget all about it.
Congratulations on your shiny new computer science degree! You won’t be needing that anymore, feel free to forget all about it.
Math books like Infite Powers or Calculus Made Easy but for other topics?
(ycombinator.com)
I recently read the above because I wanted to refresh my calculus skills and they were exactly the level and depth for a busy software engineer. Do you have other examples of foundational math books that are readable for the interested layman, e.g. for linear algebra?
I recently read the above because I wanted to refresh my calculus skills and they were exactly the level and depth for a busy software engineer. Do you have other examples of foundational math books that are readable for the interested layman, e.g. for linear algebra?
Disaggregated OLTP Systems
(transactional.blog)
These notes were first prepared for an informal presentation on the various cloud-native disaggregated OLTP RDBMS designs that have been getting published and it cherry-picked one paper per notable design decision. For the papers covered then, I’ve included a summary of the discussion we had after each paper. This page is being actively extended to cover all disaggregated OLTP papers, even for papers that are similar between two different vendors. ("Actively" meaning as of 2025-02-09.)
These notes were first prepared for an informal presentation on the various cloud-native disaggregated OLTP RDBMS designs that have been getting published and it cherry-picked one paper per notable design decision. For the papers covered then, I’ve included a summary of the discussion we had after each paper. This page is being actively extended to cover all disaggregated OLTP papers, even for papers that are similar between two different vendors. ("Actively" meaning as of 2025-02-09.)
The state of Rust trying to catch up with Ada [video]
(fosdem.org)
Ada has held its own in the safety critical space for just over 4 decades. Over the last 10 years Rust has pushed into the same space with varying success. Among other features, most notably Rust is missing the powerful declarations and convenience of use of subtypes. In this talk I will go into the various features that make Ada so useful for ensuring the absence of bugs, and where Rust stands on each of these features.
Ada has held its own in the safety critical space for just over 4 decades. Over the last 10 years Rust has pushed into the same space with varying success. Among other features, most notably Rust is missing the powerful declarations and convenience of use of subtypes. In this talk I will go into the various features that make Ada so useful for ensuring the absence of bugs, and where Rust stands on each of these features.
Seeking Purity
(pocoo.org)
The concept of purity — historically a guiding principle in social and moral contexts — is also found in passionate, technical discussions. By that I mean that purity in technology translates into adherence to a set of strict principles, whether it be functional programming, test-driven development, serverless architectures, or, in the case of Rust, memory safety.
The concept of purity — historically a guiding principle in social and moral contexts — is also found in passionate, technical discussions. By that I mean that purity in technology translates into adherence to a set of strict principles, whether it be functional programming, test-driven development, serverless architectures, or, in the case of Rust, memory safety.
The LLM Curve of Impact on Software Engineers
(serce.me)
There is so much debate online about the usefulness of LLMs. While some people see giant leaps in productivity, others don’t see what the fuss is about. Every relevant HackerNews post now comes with a long thread of folks arguing back and forth. I call it the new Great Divide.
There is so much debate online about the usefulness of LLMs. While some people see giant leaps in productivity, others don’t see what the fuss is about. Every relevant HackerNews post now comes with a long thread of folks arguing back and forth. I call it the new Great Divide.