Should your next laptop be a Mac or a PC?
There is no right answer to that question, but having used both for quite some years, I can share what I like and dislike about each.
Superproductivity at Room Temperature
Add autolink references to GitHub pull request titles
Alright is a browser extension that automatically turns JIRA (and other) references in GitHub pull request titles into hyperlinks.
Get cheered on when you complete JIRA tickets
I built a completely useless Chrome extension that encourages people to complete their JIRA tickets (so I don’t have to).
A gentle (re-)introduction to Scrum, a framework for project teams
This blog provides a concise summary of the Scrum framework for anyone who needs a refresher or is just getting started.
Upgrading to a Google Pixel 7 Pro from a Huawei P30 Pro
I replaced my Huawei P30 Pro with a Google Pixel 7 Pro. Should you do the same with your smartphone? As usual, it depends.
Effectively onboarding newcomers into agile project teams
A qualitative case study shows how we can design a smooth onboarding experience for agile software development teams.
A review of the Logitech MK295 silent wireless keyboard and mouse set
Logitech’s MK295 reportedly produces 90% less clicking and typing noise. I haven’t put that claim to test, but it does sound pretty quiet.
Make your hiring process a positive experience for everyone
Leaky hiring pipelines are expensive. This paper presents guidelines that can make them more transparent, fair, and inclusive.
What makes a team good at Scrum?
Apparently a team is good at applying Scrum when it does what the Scrum guide says it should do.
Calculating the bus factor
The bus factor is a measure of how screwed a software project is when a member suddenly leaves. How should it be calculated?
A long-term review of the M1 MacBook Pro
The 2021 MacBook Pro may not be perfect, but I have (nearly) zero regrets about choosing this machine, which doesn’t happen very often.
The product backlog
This paper shows that not every paper needs a long, overly descriptive title. It’s about product backlogs.
Cargo cults in software engineering
Imitating others who are successful looks good on paper, but in reality only works when one understands the “why” behind those actions.
Take note of these notes on note-taking
Making meeting notes and minutes isn’t everyone’s favourite task, but with the help of these tips you might at least get good at it.
What software development teams should document in their Confluence space
Everyone always talks about technical documentation, but there are other types of documentation that are just as useful.
How to manually refresh web page previews in Twitter cards
A tutorial that explains how you can force refresh the metadata of a web page in a tweet.
How to make your software engineering job advertisements gender-inclusive
This week’s paper presents a systematic method to detect gender bias in software engineering job advertisements.
Introduce yourself to your team by writing a personal user manual
Your team mates might not be able to read your mind, but at least they could learn more about you by reading your user manual.
The five stages of job satisfaction
In this article I present a dumb framework for job satisfaction, which has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.
Ways to facilitate communication and coordination between departments
A very brief introduction to the concepts of horizontal and vertical linkage.
For decision making, speaking is silver – but so is silence
Some people talk too much in meetings, others too little. Good leaders can foster high-quality conversations by creating safe environments.
You should be able to turn off your camera in virtual meetings
Online meetings are more tiring than face-to-face meetings, and it may be because video chats are more cognitively demanding.
Towards inclusive software engineering through A/B testing: A case-study at Windows
Data collected from users helps you make better product and design decisions – but only if you gather and interpret it correctly.
A case analysis of enabling continuous software deployment through knowledge management
A paper with a vague title, but also clear lessons about adoption of DevOps practices in a medium-sized software company.