Link Dump #195

Sun - checked! Friday - checked! Something to read - checked!

Link Dump #194

Friday the 13th - what can go wrong?

Link Dump #193

Friday, coffee or reading - what's the best? Today it doesn't matter - you got it all:

The AI Productivity Trap: More Code, Less Thought?

 Can the quality of code degrade much faster because, with AI, new engineers may have fewer opportunities to practice and learn? But what about experienced engineers? Could we become so overwhelmed by the volume of code to review that we start becoming sloppy?

Link Dump #192

Another great day is another great reason to read another great article:

What Running Your Application Can Tell You About Its Quality?

I mostly work with long-lived applications that undergo continuous modification. Evaluating their quality by simply glancing at the code would be rather naive—there are multiple dimensions to consider for a more comprehensive assessment. Of course, code quality matters, but there are several other checks I perform. Today, I want to share a subset of those checks—focused specifically on application execution—and what insights they can offer.

Link Dump #191

Article, book, audiobook, podcast? It doesn't matter as long as it makes you happy :)

Do You Understand the Debt You Have to Pay?

I was fortunate to start my career with people who truly cared about code quality. Early on, I learned why this matters and how continuous attention to quality positively impacts customer satisfaction. This experience made it natural for me to improve legacy code and constantly seek further enhancements.

However, at the beginning of my journey, my perspective was narrow—I saw only the code. So, my efforts focused solely on refactoring. Fast forward to today, I've learned that there are many more ways to improve software. There are also several strategies you can explore to choose the right approach for your situation.

Link Dump #190

Not each Friday can be sunny, but good thing is - each is good for reading:

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Sunny day = reading day :)

Link Dump #188

Never ending cycle: yet another word, yet another article, and it's Friday so you have to start again :)

Link Dump #187

Today is a good day... good day to read another great article:

Link Dump #186

The dilemma of the week comes back - what should you read first?

Link Dump #185

And this difficult decision to make - what to read first:

Why Your Brilliant Ideas Fall Flat (And How to Fix It)

We all know the drill: refactoring makes our code easier to understand, static analysis points out complex areas and code smells, tests help us track and improve our code's coverage, and Domain-Driven Design lets us build code that directly reflects the business rules. Sounds logical, right? Yet, we often find it tough to convince managers, product owners, and other stakeholders of the value in these practices. What's even more puzzling is that we usually have no problem getting fellow developers on board.

Link Dump #184

April Fool's over so jokes aside - new recommendations are here!

When 'Best Practices' Bite You

I know it's a cliché, but there's no silver bullet. Is refactoring always worth it? No. Is Test-Driven Development always beneficial? Of course not. Should you always add test scenarios to cover every known gap? No. Should automated tests be your goal in every project? Again, no.

Don't get me wrong, I'm far from advocating against these solutions. In fact, I recommend quite the opposite; you should have a compelling reason not to use them. And trust me, your project is likely not as unique as you think. In most cases, developers' arguments against these practices are excuses, not justifications.

However, we should give each decision a moment of reflection and assess whether the benefits truly outweigh the costs. Even your favorite approaches can increase costs and slow down implementation at best, or render it unprofitable at worst.

Link Dump #183

First quarter of 2025 is almost over. Great! So much reading in front of us in 2025 left :)

Dealing with legacy is more than the right architecture

So, picture this: you're stuck working on this old, massive monolith, and for years, it's the same old story – we gotta fix this, 'cause delivery's crawling, and keeping developers happy (or even hiring new ones!) is a nightmare.

Link Dump #182

Friday, coffee, reading, weekend:

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Let's be honest, we all need coffee and something worth reading:

Link Dump #180

Friday, coffee, something to read - couldn't be better :)

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May your coffee be strong, and your reading list long! 

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Friday, coffee, something good to read... perfect moments exist :)

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The next great thing? For sure a book, but which one? This is the question!

Link Dump #176

How about one more article... or a book... or a few :)

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How about making Friday great again and read something interesting?

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Friday = coffee + something to read. Ok, I can survive without coffee :P

Link Dump #173

Did you already read a book this year? Regardless of the answer, how about an article? Or two?

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Ready or not, here it comes - new articles to read :)

Link Dump #171

You know that I know that you know what is the best way to start a New Year :)