May be time for an update
timelearningcommunicationself carechangeauth0typescriptIt has been a little too long since my last update. I had many things to say, I even kept note of a lot of them, but the motivation to post something kept fading. Why is that? A little bit of healthy self-sabotage.
I got fixated on sorting out a workflow for images, modules for 'overheard' and 'on repeat' content, and some css work. I convinced myself if I didn't do those things, there was no point in posting. Now, we all know each of those things take time right? I found it hard to break open my personal laptop and code on personal projects after work, so time slowly slipped away.
On reflection, I thought it was important to recognise this pattern in a way I hadn't before: write about it.
So, if you like me have ever stopped yourself from progressing a little bit (e.g. posting some words to mark the passing of a week-ish) because you couldn't have everything perfect (e.g. all the modules, image handling and css sorted), I'm with you friend. I'm going to try to stop doing that, it makes everything feel so much worse. Measuring your worth by how much you think you should be able to deliver, however unatainable that is in the time you have, isn't the one. You're great. Yes, you.
So, onward, let me tell you what's been going on.
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I have been working a lot more with Typescript, which has been fun but sometimes I find myself wanting to break free and throw out some regular old Javascript, yolo driven development.
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Auth0 and I have been getting to know eachother. I'm working on a new membership flow at work and in so doing I've been working more with Auth0. I've been having massive arguments with myself over the documentation, and how it feels that older documentation hasn't been updated to allow for the newer Auth0 features that are available. It got me thinking a lot about documentation and how it can become instant 'tech debt', I don't like those words, but if we're not updating documentation to explain new features to the same level we added documentation at the beginning, then we might as well bin the documentation...bit harsh, but there's something in that.
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Whilst I'm getting spirited about documentation, I've been thinking a lot about learning. I have more to say about this, and I'm sure it'll come up again. I made note of the phrase 'normalising the learning process', but what the hell does that even mean? Learning will be different for each person, so are we saying we need to normalise differences? Or do we just need to make learning a bigger and more integral part of what we do as software engineers?
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We all learn differently, and we all communicate differently. Then you have to allow for how someone is transforming their communication style to fit what feels accepted in that context. I do wonder how much that masking impacts what we create (be it code, or other outputs).
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You know what's annoying? The Einstellung Effect. The fact that we can predisposed to solve a problem in a particular way when a better way can be found. How many times have you just crashed on with an approach only to find it won't work, and you have to stop and look carefully at all the options.
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Learning and communication made me think about meaning. When you fully understand something and someone wants to know more about it, how quick are you to summarise it in a way that fits your endpoint i.e. 'Ah yep, Schitt's Creek is a great comedy-drama', but you've assumed in saying that to someone that they understand the comedy-drama genre, or tv.
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All of the above made me think about 'just fold it in'.
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If we call 'all the things we would like to have time to do' tech debt, is that an Einstellung Effect. Do words impose an approach? Words are powerful things.
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Thinking about Schitt's Creek made think about the ability of a TV Series to lift us or sit with us whilst we work some things out. I watched a lot of Queer as Folk whilst doing my dissertation, and I've been known to watch a lot of Grey's Anatomy repeatedly. Maybe it is the hold music for self care? Perhaps it just allows us a break from thinking about all the things.
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I went to Bath with Lucy for our first holiday since the pandemic began. It was lovely. I slept lots, walked lots, and saw lots of wonderful old buildings including old pubs.
Overheard this week:
I don't have a quotable overheard this time around, but in my notes for week notes (woah), I've written down: "Why is that man making such loud mouth noises".
On repeat
Sometimes covers all manner of things.
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