270. Extreme Programming (XP) with Kevin Thomas (Replay)

September 06, 2022 24:11 23.54 MB Downloads: 0

Today on The Rabbit Hole we are talking about extreme programming and to help us with this we welcome our very own Kevin Thomas. Kevin is a consultant at Stride and a strong proponent of extreme programming! During the conversation we’ll cover the values that typify XP and unpack the importance of each of these after looking briefly at a definition for the term.

269. Tailwind CSS -- Is it worth learning?

August 30, 2022 11:04 10.95 MB Downloads: 0

Welcome back to the podcast everyone and thanks for sticking with us through our little hiatus! Today Michael is riding solo and talking about Tailwind CSS. You can expect to hear his thoughts on the pros and cons of using it, some comparisons, and delivering a verdict on whether he would continue to use it in the future. We also share some thoughts on BEM and offer suggestions on which developers Tailwind might best suit. So, if you want to learn more about this today, make sure to press play!

268. What the CORS?!

August 23, 2022 13:33 14.9 MB Downloads: 0

If you’ve ever run into issues with CORS (cross-origin resource sharing), just know that you are not alone! In today’s episode we ask, ‘What the CORS?!’ and delve into the mechanics of CORS, the purpose it serves, and how to keep from freaking out when you receive a baffling error message in your browser. Learn how CORS is engineered to protect multiple parties, including servers, functionality, and users. You’ll also get an overview of the various error messages you may encounter, the primary reason behind most of them, along with directions on how to solve them. If you’ve ever asked yourself whether CORS is really your friend, then make sure you tune in today!

267. Continuous Delivery (Replay)

August 16, 2022 15:02 16.33 MB Downloads: 0

Building on last week's episode about continuous integration, today we explore the idea of continuous delivery and whether it is the best way forward. We start off with some basics, defining continuous delivery and what can truly fall into this category. From there we weigh the value of a deployment button and the difference that this single step in the process can make. William makes a strong case for why full automation and real continuous delivery is a better approach and how this philosophy will force developers to take up more responsibility and acquire better tools for their part in the process.

266. Continuous Integration (Replay)

August 09, 2022 19:11 20.32 MB Downloads: 0

Continuous integration is the peanut butter to the jelly of continuous delivery, and it’s also the topic of today’s episode. We are talking all things CI, including some of the benefits and downsides and a whole lot more. We kick off with a definition of CI, where we discuss how it helps reduce bugs.

265. Product vs. Developers with Rob O'Brien - Part 2 - Product Strikes Back (Replay)

August 02, 2022 28:45 29.49 MB Downloads: 0

In today’s episode, we complete the ultimate showdown between product and developer! In this round, it will be the developers who are on the defensive as Dave and Michael account for their faux pas as developers. Rob O'Brien returns to the show with plenty of ammunition. Our conversation starts with a friendly exploration of the type of faux pas a developer might generally commit, as we repeatedly return to the importance of a team-based mindset and why developers need to be invested in user outcomes. We explore how a developer’s role goes beyond completing their delegated tasks and some handy tips for working with designers. The crew also outlines the many benefits of building rapport with your co-worker including having more resilience when things get stressful and having a more cohesive team working environment. Tuning in you’ll hear a thrilling, action-packed discussion on the merits and flaws of developers and how to make your team a badass trifecta of efficiency!

264. Product vs. Developers with Rob O'Brien (Replay)

July 26, 2022 27:31 28.31 MB Downloads: 0

In today’s episode, we have the ultimate showdown between product management and developers. Meet our guest Rob O’Brien. His career started in information science technology, giving him a good grounding in app development. He has since gained extensive experience managing engineering teams as well as coaching product employees and building product teams. O’Brien shares what he believes to be the biggest missteps that product managers can take and illustrates why product managers should be available for feedback throughout the development process. Hear why it’s important to have good communication between product management and developers and why the entire team should be present during stakeholder feedback. We also discuss how to identify what should be the company’s top priority at any given time, and how you can use the RICE or MoSCoW methods to objectively determine what to pursue at a particular point in time without conjecture. Join us for an energetic discussion on all things development, product management, and teamwork!

263. Circling Back to Programming Idioms (Replay)

July 19, 2022 10:59 17.71 MB Downloads: 0

We had so much fun last time out talking about programming idioms that we thought it was worth revisiting the topic and exploring a few more. To kick things off we talk about the idea of 'bike shedding', the supposed history of the term, and how it can apply to various situations in which something trivial is more engaging than an important matter. From there, we turn to the more common idiom of the hammer and everything appearing to be a nail. We see this problem arising when programmers tend to lean into their own expertise or method, which is not always the most appropriate. We also cover the overuse of refactoring, the detrimental effects this can have, and why rubber duck debugging can be such a satisfying experience. Tune in to hear it all! 

262. Programming Idioms (Replay)

July 12, 2022 19:33 20.66 MB Downloads: 0

Each programming language has its own set of idioms or patterns of code used to express some standard kind of computation. Today on The Rabbit Hole, we’re talking about the programming idioms or expressions that we use on the regular; which are not to be confused with idiomatic programming or regular expressions! Tune in to learn what it means to shave a yak, boil the ocean, and grok a concept, as well as the difference between FUBAR and foobar, what turtles have to do with the problem of infinite regress, and so much more!

261. Psychological Safety (Replay)

June 28, 2022 30:38 23.95 MB Downloads: 0

Today, we’ll be talking about psychological safety. We’ll go into what is psychological safety and how important is it in the work space. Having a team that has more cohesive and safe environment is actually more important for performance of the team as a whole than having those 10x developers really cranking out code.

260. Vacations (Replay)

June 21, 2022 22:19 32.14 MB Downloads: 0

Vacations help developers stay energized at work and avoid burn out, but sometimes it's hard to pull ourselves away from our computers for even a weekend away.

259. Remote Pair Programming with Ben Orenstein(Replay)

June 14, 2022 26:26 38.62 MB Downloads: 0

On today’s episode, we are joined by special guest, Ben Orenstein, to talk about remote pair programming. Ben is a developer, who after many years of working for other people decided to strike out on his own. He is the cofounder of an app called Tuple, which is specifically for remote pair programming.

258. Pragmatic Folks Part 3 - The Dogmatic Developer (Replay)

June 07, 2022 26:40 26.14 MB Downloads: 0

On the final episode of our three-part series with Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt, we discuss the nuanced nature of programming and why the idea of a “best practice” is often idealistic and not equally relevant to everyone.

257. Pragmatic Folks Part 2 - Own Your Environment (Replay)

May 31, 2022 21:57 21.62 MB Downloads: 0

Today's episode is the second of a three-part Pragmatic Folks series and we are joined again by Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt, authors of The Pragmatic Programmer, to talk more in-depth about how you are in control of your own destiny even when it seems like you’re not.

256. Pragmatic Folks Part 1 - Feedback Loops(Replay)

May 24, 2022 18:22 19.53 MB Downloads: 0

Today's episode is the first of a three-part Pragmatic Folks series and we are joined by Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt to talk about the 20th anniversary edition of The Pragmatic Programmer. This new edition was not only an opportunity for them to revise the material but also to revisit their thinking and see how ideas have changed over the course of twenty years.