Summary of Monktoberfest 2016: Bryan Cantrill - Oral Tradition in Software Engineering

00:00:00 - 00:45:00

This video discusses the importance of oral tradition in software engineering, and how it helps to preserve the history and traditions of the field. The speaker also discusses how comments in code can be an important part of this tradition, and how they can help to attract talented and diverse talent to work on projects.

• 00:00:00 Bryan Cantrill discusses oral tradition and its importance to software engineering, explaining that it is a survival skill that has been used for centuries to convey skills and values. He goes on to say that software engineering has changed a lot over the years, and that oral tradition remains an important part of the field.
• 00:05:00 The speaker discusses the importance of oral tradition in software engineering and how it has been lost over time. He goes on to say that the book "The mythical man-month" captures the zeitgeist of that era.
• 00:10:00 In this video, Bryan Cantrill talks about the history of software engineering, focusing on the early days of computers and the role of real programmers writing in machine code. He describes the story of Mel K, a programmer who was successful in porting a blackjack program from an early drum-based computer to a more modern machine. Cantrill emphasizes the importance of historical context in understanding software engineering, and the importance of passing on historical knowledge to future generations.
• 00:15:00 In this video, software engineer Bryan Cantrill discusses the importance of oral tradition in software engineering. Cantrill points to the story of Mel K, a programmer who passed away in 1981, and Tracy Kidder, another software engineer, as examples of how oral tradition can be a valuable tool for keeping software development alive. Cantrill also points out that the 1990s were a difficult decade for software development, and that the tradition of oral tradition was largely lost during that time.
• 00:20:00 The monktoberfest video features Bryan Cantrill, a software engineer, discussing the 90s in software development, and how bad attitude was discovered and managed. The winner of a Hemingway parody contest, Cantrill's reading of "The Bug Count Also Rises" captures the era in which he worked well.
• 00:25:00 In this video, Bryan Cantrill discusses the dawn of a new era in software engineering, which he believes began with the release of Mark Pilgrim's "Dreaming in Code." Cantrill goes on to say that YouTube has played a significant role in this new era by allowing for the sharing of oral tradition.
• 00:30:00 The video discusses the oral tradition of software engineering and the impact that Monktoberfest 2016 had on Bryan Cantrill. Cantrill states that the event was a watershed moment for him, as it changed the way he views oral tradition and its importance in software development. He also discusses the tradition of storytelling in source code, and how it has changed over time. Cantrill shares two examples of oral tradition in software development – the death of Joe Asana and the porting of the disassembler to C. Cantrill points out that despite the Passing of the Torch being marked by death, the oral tradition of software development continues to thrive.
• 00:35:00 In this video, Bryan Cantrill describes three code examples from the book "The C++ Programming Language" that are still used today. These examples are switch, employer, and logical or. Cantrill says that these code examples are difficult to understand and that he has debates with Roger Faulkner about them. He also says that logical or was originally meant to say that logic cannot short-circuit.
• 00:40:00 The video discusses the importance of oral tradition in software engineering, and how it is a vital part of keeping software systems correct and lasting. It goes on to discuss how comments in code can be an important part of this tradition, and how artists are given broad artistic license when writing comments.
• 00:45:00 software engineering is an important field with a rich history, and it is important to preserve that history by recording and sharing oral traditions. This can help to create a sense of identity and continuity within the field, and can also help to attract talented and diverse talent to work on projects.