[HN Gopher] Deconcentration of Attention: Addressing the Complex...
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       Deconcentration of Attention: Addressing the Complexity of Software
       (2016)
        
       Author : irthomasthomas
       Score  : 64 points
       Date   : 2021-10-03 11:33 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (deconcentration-of-attention.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (deconcentration-of-attention.com)
        
       | [deleted]
        
       | csbartus wrote:
       | I embrace the 10x rewrite technique acknowledging the fact
       | software development is hard.
       | 
       | First I make a component work. Then make it with work together
       | with the other components. Then refactor them all to look
       | uniform. Then create the generators to make future components
       | look uniform. Then employ them in real life scenarios. Another
       | refactoring is coming after 2-3 projects.
       | 
       | Then a first stable version is coming. At the seventh rewrite.
       | 
       | I had to admit I've managed only a few times to reach a level
       | above seven. That's a fantastic feeeling. You know you have a
       | rock solid foundation and anything you build upon it just lasts.
        
         | bklaasen wrote:
         | Do you only go to production after step four? Serious question.
        
           | csbartus wrote:
           | Right. Without generators, I'm not going into production.
           | 
           | Also I'm in a privileged situation / I create a privileged
           | situation for myself to be able to follow this process.
           | Please see my other reply to this thread for details.
        
         | gchamonlive wrote:
         | I have no information on what type of organizational structure
         | under which you do your work, therefore my question may sound a
         | little poor because I do lack context.
         | 
         | But how do you negotiate deadlines and keep the upper chain of
         | decision making happy and aware of the value being created with
         | each refactor? Most of the time with the teams I worked with,
         | "works" is the sole metric of success and features keep being
         | sold or promised leaving no room to deal with documented
         | technical debt (and the lack of such documentation).
        
           | csbartus wrote:
           | I work 80% for free (for myself), 20% for money (consulting,
           | freelancing).
           | 
           | Free it's like a sabbatical. Whenever I need to learn a new
           | technology I take a sabbatical, build a framework, then go
           | back to produce income with that framework.
           | 
           | For example in September last year I took a sabbatical for
           | learning Design Systems. My first paying customer came this
           | August. This streak took a year, and I'm at the third
           | iteration only.
           | 
           | When on sabbatical, I'm changing locations / cities /
           | countries to be able to support myself during that period.
           | When in production mode, I'm again moving to larger / more
           | expensive places.
        
         | forgotmypw17 wrote:
         | Thank you for writing this. Very well put.
        
       | dijereedan wrote:
       | Similar concept is focused and diffuse thinking.
       | https://fs.blog/2019/10/focused-diffuse-thinking/
        
       | svilen_dobrev wrote:
       | reminded me of :
       | 
       | https://randsinrepose.com/archives/anti-flow/
       | 
       | as well as
       | 
       | https://camhashemi.com/posts/focus-vs-coordination/
        
         | lioeters wrote:
         | Nice, I enjoyed these articles, especially the first. If "flow"
         | is deep focus and bringing order, what the author calls "anti-
         | flow" is creative exploratory brainstorms, with "high entropy
         | state". I agree intuitively that these are different modes of
         | thinking, both valuable in their own ways.
        
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       (page generated 2021-10-04 23:02 UTC)