Specifications are hard; seeing things that are not quite right is easy

I've been thinking a lot about client environments as a system integration problem lately. So I'm reading Fowler on Continuous Integration, prompted in no small part by a bookmark from Ben.

There's a ton of great stuff to think about in this article, and this quote isn't the main point by any means - it's an aside, really - but it's SO TRUE! "We've found that it's very hard to specify what you want in advance
and be correct; people find it much easier to see something that's not
quite right and say how it needs to be changed."

And here's the thing in context - surrounded by lots of other truth.

One of the most difficult parts of software development is making sure that you build the right software. We've found that it's very hard to specify what you want in advance and be correct; people find it much easier to see something that's not quite right and say how it needs to be changed. Agile development processes explicitly expect and take advantage of this part of human behavior.

To help make this work, anyone involved with a software project should be able to get the latest executable and be able to run it: for demonstrations, exploratory testing, or just to see what changed this week.

Doing this is pretty straightforward: make sure there's a well known place where people can find the latest executable. It may be useful to put several executables in such a store. For the very latest you should put the latest executable to pass the commit tests - such an executable should be pretty stable providing the commit suite is reasonably strong.

If you are following a process with well defined iterations, it's usually wise to also put the end of iteration builds there too. Demonstrations, in particular, need software whose features are familiar, so then it's usually worth sacrificing the very latest for something that the demonstrator knows how to operate.

Experiment and Logic: GOOD; Authority, Intimidation, Self-Interest: BAD

Stumbled across Robert Anton Wilson's website, and found this gem:

I believe that everything admirable in the modern world results form the use of Argument by Experiment together with Argument by Logic (without making an Idol of either), whereas everything heinous and terrible results from the persistence of the older habits of Arguments by Authority, Intimidation, Self-Interest and Legal Precedent, or the various forms of calling the other side sons of bitches.

RAW co-wrote the Illuminatus! trilogy.

Before I give you the link to the page that holds that quote, let me point out that it contains an excerpt from RAW's Wilhelm Reich on Trial in Hell which is quite accurately titled, and co-stars the Marquis de Sade. You've been warned.

Fnord

Lord, I'm Discouraged

No, I'm not discouraged. I'm actually happy! Happy about this news, at least: The Hold Steady's magnificent classic rock lament/homage "Lord I'm Discouraged" is available on Rhapsody now! (It wasn't the last time I raved about how good it is.)

Go listen.

Lord, I'm Discouraged by The Hold Steady

(Or if you'd rather YouTube than Rhapsody, I gotcha covered there too.)

That guitar solo completely channels rock. 

As always, the lyrics kill.

And the chorus builds to a crescendo, and the piano, it sounds like a carnival, and the microphone smells like a beer....

Go listen now. These are the disciples of St. Joe Strummer. 

Fix The World: The Power of Goals

Goals: it's been said before, but it bears repeating.

Setting goals - defining exactly what it is that you want to accomplish - is a tremendously powerful tool for getting the job done.

You can get away with a tacit goal-setting excercise in your subconscious when it's just you doing something, but in my experience I've found it's absolutely critical when you need many people to cooperate in the work to make an explicit statement of where you want to end up.

Bill Gates spoke to the UN General Assembly about progress on the Millennium Development Goals a few days ago. I heard some of it on the radio, and just watched his entire talk (only a few minutes long, I recommend it).

Here's a few key excerpts:

It is crucial to evaluate our performance in both areas, but I also think it’s important at this point to evaluate the goals themselves as a force for change. So here’s my evaluation: I love the Millennium Development Goals. I think they the best idea for focusing the world on fighting global poverty that I’ve ever seen. With all the mountains of measures and studies and reports in the world—these Millennium Development Goals have broken through and grabbed broad attention.

Thanks to these goals, not only UN agencies but the world at large knows the key measures of poverty, hunger, health, and education. Some of the numbers are good and some are not. But the fact that the world is focusing on the numbers is excellent.

It means people see where things are going well, and understand how we can spread those successes. They see where we’re falling short, and they see the need to apply more effort and do things differently.

[...]

There is more power in these goals than we ever imagined. Now that we’ve seen it, we want to work with you to intensify it – and push the day when all people, no matter where they’re born, can live a life filled with health and opportunity.

Yes! Define goals! THEN work to achieve them! Like Bill Gates, I've had the experience of being surprised by just how well this works, and how the benefits of goal-setting are far broader than might be expected.

The greatest bass player of all time

Jaco | MetaFilter

21 Years ago today Jaco Pastorius died.

Jaco plays with Joni Mitchell.

Jaco plays with Weather Report

Jaco plays The Word of Mouth

Joni Mitchell on Jaco

Pat Metheny on Jaco

And the MeFi crowd has even more links in the comments.

Btw, no disrespect intended to James Jamerson.

Because it works

Why McCain is going so negative - Jonathan Martin - Politico.com

“Every day not talking about the economy, the war and how to fix a broken system is a victory for McCain,” said John Weaver, a former top strategist to the nominee who left the campaign last year. “They’re going to ride it as long as they can and as long as the mainstream media puts up every ridiculous charge.”

The negative and often exaggerated or misleading claims being made about Obama and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, especially those playing on Palin’s gender, are just too irresistible for the process-consumed online and cable news media that now drives the campaign conversation, Weaver said.

“Unless there is a hurricane, they’re going to cover it,” he observed.

Talking Stocks: "

Over the years I have written about the stock market several times. I thought given the up and downs of the market, now would be a good time to replay some of those posts

(Via Blog Maverick.)

I like what Mark Cuban has to say about stock markets, and his belief that stock prices are much more about buzz than about any underlying financial reality.

I'm not saying I agree completely, but I do like including that way of looking at stock markets.

Today's links and ideas: "I've been impressed with how thoughtful and competent Obama is. That's why he's got my support. I also think our country is up shit's creek unless we can upgrade our economy, and to do so we need health and education, and that means public spending. It's not as if the Republicans don't believe in public spending, they do -- they just waste the money on destroying communities overseas. I want us to borrow to build strength here at home. I don't see it as a liberal vs conservative thing, rather a smart vs dumb thing. "

(Via Scripting News.)

Everything that Happens Will Happen Today

David Byrne and Brian Eno's new album isn't available on Rhapsody yet, but that's OK because you can stream the whole thing from their website. Heck you can stream it from my website!



I'm enjoying it quite a lot.

How to never run out of music to listen to

I finally updated my shortcuts page with links to the music sites I've been using. Now I'll surely be using them even more...

Rhapsody •  Last.fm  •  Pandora  •  Muxtape  •  HypeMachine  •  Critical Metrics  •  iLike  •  Internet Archive  •  Wolfgang's Vault  •  KEXP  •  KCRW •  Songbird  •  Paste  •  Rolling Stone •  Monitor Mix

I'm certain there are other great music sites out there I don't know about...what am I missing?