From eee19f28015b4ea6fca3285fd84e1859f7881c96 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: possumbilities <109087089+possumbilities@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2023 20:54:18 +0000 Subject: [PATCH 1/2] add 2023.Q2 blog post --- .../contents.lr | 100 ++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 100 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/blog/entries/2023-06-30-finding-solutions-exercising-compassion/contents.lr diff --git a/content/blog/entries/2023-06-30-finding-solutions-exercising-compassion/contents.lr b/content/blog/entries/2023-06-30-finding-solutions-exercising-compassion/contents.lr new file mode 100644 index 000000000..9a61e80a2 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/entries/2023-06-30-finding-solutions-exercising-compassion/contents.lr @@ -0,0 +1,100 @@ +title: Finding Problems, and Exercising Compassion +--- +categories: +open-source +collaboration +--- +author: sara +--- +pub_date: 2023-06-30 +--- +body: +In engineering, in programming, in coding–in building anything that intersects +with a human and a computer, context matters. It controls how a variable is +scoped, how a function is called, and how styles in a CSS file might cascade +and apply. + +As the saying goes, "Context is everything". But despite that, it can be easy +to miss or ignore context, to skim past it when encountering issues, when +hunting for problems. + +So much of the engineering world is building things, moving things, refactoring +things. It's a lot of activities that look and behave a lot like creating, but +in equal measure a vast majority of roles and jobs in the field are about finding +problems, whether by intention or accident. + +It's why we have "Issues" in code repositories, the name alone signifies that +something is amiss. An expectation was not met, a small part of this does not +easily align with that. + +Finding problems is as much the momentum of engineering as anything else, and +once encountered, the problem begs for the next part; finding a solution. + +It is here at this transition, at the border, that I would invite you to pause. +To step back and reconsider the problem you've just witnessed, the thing that +is amiss and possibly blocking the work you are doing in some way. + +For it is here in this space, between problem-encountered, and solution-sought +that we all could do better at exercising a degree of compassion. + +This problem was, in many ways, born out of the context within which it was +first introduced. It may have been the after effect of an unrealistic +timeline, or an unintended consequence of decisions made well outside the +control and influence of the engineer that introduced it. It may have been +put there, with full knowledge of its existence, but without any ability +to circumvent its inclusion. + +The problem in question is not necessarily the product of one person, one team, +or one process. It is, as is usually the case, the outcome of an +interconnected and complex system of people and technology interacting and +influencing one another. + +It can be easy to lean into the gravity of assuming this problem was easy to +avoid, that it is a sign of poor decision making, or outright malice. That it +is specifically indicative of someone or someones' shortcomings in the field. +But engineering as a space of people is a place that can at times be a list +of limited options, and the correct choice is not the one with zero +problems, but the one that is accomplishable with the least problems, or +even the least negatively impactful problems. + +Moreover, despite rigorous reviews and tests, things get missed, circumstances +change, and given enough time the complex system we all work within has fault +lines. Problems arise that no-one expected or anticipated. + +Context is key, but it is also often a mystery. In the case of an inherited +system, you may be left with the problems, but little if any evidence of the +context in which they were generated. You are left with the duty to seek +solutions, and little reason as to why the problems were introduced in the +first place. + +In all of these moments, we would all do better to remember compassion, to try +to embrace that we do not know the full picture, the entire context. And that +perhaps those before us, and around us did the best they were capable of within +the system they were a part of. + +It is certainly easy to jump to conclusions, lay blame, and cast judgements at +the engineers, coders, tinkerers, and builders that came before us. "Why would +they do it like this?" "This is a mess!" "I don't understand what this is +doing here?" It's fair to be frustrated, and reasonable to question the +"why", but a bit of compassion goes a long way towards building a community +of trust and well being within the larger system of building things on and +around the internet. + +Without compassion in these cases, we can foster an environment where people +are afraid to make any mistakes. One major issue with this is that beginners, +being beginners, make a lot of reasonable mistakes, and if they do not feel +safe to make those mistakes then the arena of open source loses beginners, +and without that it does not flourish, it does not thrive. + + +People, and the technological systems we create are imperfect. And the way we +keep improving those systems isn't by solving coding problems alone, +especially if those solutions don't come with a degree of compassion. + +So, consider for a moment the next time you encounter a problem, pause for a +moment and try to have some compassion, to put yourself in the place of the +coder who came before, and then move on to seeking solutions with a degree of +understanding across time that while we may not meet each other or share the +same context; perhaps both of us were trying to make things a little bit +better in what we did, and in the end we did our best to keep the system +improving, code moving, and trust growing. \ No newline at end of file From cc5c4778ee0b975ce00d2f759b449eba877d748d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: possumbilities <109087089+possumbilities@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2025 18:24:06 +0000 Subject: [PATCH 2/2] correct date --- .../contents.lr | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) rename content/blog/entries/{2023-06-30-finding-solutions-exercising-compassion => 2025-02-04-finding-solutions-exercising-compassion}/contents.lr (99%) diff --git a/content/blog/entries/2023-06-30-finding-solutions-exercising-compassion/contents.lr b/content/blog/entries/2025-02-04-finding-solutions-exercising-compassion/contents.lr similarity index 99% rename from content/blog/entries/2023-06-30-finding-solutions-exercising-compassion/contents.lr rename to content/blog/entries/2025-02-04-finding-solutions-exercising-compassion/contents.lr index 9a61e80a2..f0689ac7c 100644 --- a/content/blog/entries/2023-06-30-finding-solutions-exercising-compassion/contents.lr +++ b/content/blog/entries/2025-02-04-finding-solutions-exercising-compassion/contents.lr @@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ collaboration --- author: sara --- -pub_date: 2023-06-30 +pub_date: 2025-02-04 --- body: In engineering, in programming, in coding–in building anything that intersects