Microsoft SmartScreen is a pain in the butt for developers. It pops up scary warnings for files that it doesn’t recognize, telling the user that they’re potentially harmful. That’s why I got an Extended Validation (EV) code signing key, to sign my releases so that SmartScreen won’t show scary warnings, and won’t scare away potential […]
Daily journalling is a key part of how I keep my projects moving. Without it I’d be wasting time every day trying to remember what I was up to, and what I should do next. That wasted time quickly adds up. This is particularly true when I switch between projects (currently weekly).The ProcessHere’s what I […]
I’ve written multiple articles about eliminating waste in software development. This time, I’m going to delve into the biggest waste ever, which is:Writing software that nobody wants, or that you’re unable to sell.I’ve been there. Spending years writing software only to discover that nobody really wants it. And it hurt. A lot. Not earning money […]
A few weeks ago I watched Ian Cooper’s talk titled “Test Driven Design (TDD) – Where Did it All Go Wrong?” In it, he suggests being more like a duct tape programmer (first time round). It sounded great, so I decided to try it and hit a snag almost immediately…Duct Tape ProgrammerA “duct tape programmer” […]
I just checked, and it’s been over 4 months since the last ZitaFTP Server update! The 5 month mark is approaching rapidly. I distinctly remember saying that I was aiming to have more regular releases after streamlining processes. So, what happened? Followers of this blog may recall my search for a C++ web framework to […]
If you’ve taken a programming course, the chances are that you’ve been told to write reusable code when possible. It certainly sounds great. Writing software is time consuming, so being able to reuse code instantly improves your productivity.I’m going to push back a little. Yes, code reuse is great. I reuse code; I use libraries […]
Last week software development was frustratingly slow again. I’d fallen into one of the two major ways to waste time in software development… again. Here’s a quick overview of what those two time wasters are., and how to avoid them.Time Waster 1: Writing Code Without PlanningYou may get started faster if you skip the planning […]
Last week I released a video titled “Windows 10 Killed my Productivity.” While true, this week I’m calling myself out on it. That’s because I was effectively blaming Microsoft for my troubles. Yes, I was making myself “the victim.”There seems to be a fad (epidemic, really) of wanting to be the victim. That way us […]
Huh? Are people really asking that question? That was my reaction when seeing the question “Is it okay to use Stack Overflow at work?” But yes, someone asked the question. In fact, there are multiple variations of that question online from different people. And, some people even think that yes, it’s cheating.The video above is […]
Ever felt like you’re working like crazy, but getting nothing of value done? Yep, me too. It happens more often than I’d like to admit. There are plenty of ways you can go down a “rabbit hole” and be busy all day yet get nothing productive done.Last week, it happened yet again. Here’s a quick […]
