Very nice, and lots of pointers to similar documents...
Why Johnny Can't Encrypt: A Usability Evaluation of PGP 5.0 - Whitten, Tygar (ResearchIndex) Why Johnny Can't Encrypt: A Usability Evaluation of PGP 5.0
posted by Strata Chalup at 1:36 PM
Mining Usefulness - A Philosophy of Function
"Starting from the <1>principle that we were intended to be useful, and so have an instinct to seek usefulness, the author seeks to <2>explain the phenomenal growth of the Open Source and related movements. An attempt is then made to <3>assemble a vision (seen as if dimly through a small window) of where this is taking the computer industry and perhaps society as a whole." -- Leon Brooks, QBX
posted by Strata Chalup at 2:09 PM
Other folks who are already doing things in this space include:
Dot Net Dan's Dot Net Discussion, focused on .NET development and a mix of language/programmer stuff and software development methodology and practice stuff. I like it so far!
Joel on Software What more can I say than, "all bow to the master!". Rich as well as deep, since Joel's been logging things for a long time. I've spent whole afternoons reading here.
posted by Strata Chalup at 1:49 PM
"While much attention has been focused on high-level software architectural patterns, what is, in effect, the de-facto standard software architecture is seldom
discussed. This paper examines this most frequently deployed of software architectures: the BIG BALL OF MUD. A BIG BALL OF MUD is a casually, even
haphazardly, structured system. Its organization, if one can call it that, is dictated more by expediency than design. Yet, its enduring popularity cannot merely be
indicative of a general disregard for architecture.
These patterns explore the forces that encourage the emergence of a BIG BALL OF MUD, and the undeniable effectiveness of this approach to software
architecture. What are the people who build them doing right? If more high-minded architectural approaches are to compete, we must understand what the forces
that lead to a BIG BALL OF MUD are, and examine alternative ways to resolve them.
A number of additional patterns emerge out of the BIG BALL OF MUD. We discuss them in turn. Two principal questions underlie these patterns: Why are so many
existing systems architecturally undistinguished, and what can we do to improve them?"
--Brian Foote and Joseph Yoder
posted by Strata Chalup at 12:07 PM 