Thread by @jessitron

and now what we’ve all been waiting for: @KevlinHenney keynote #QConLondon

“If there’s any probability, even so close to zero it won’t fit in a floating point number, it is not impossible”

Representations are never perfect.
“Software development is the creation and maintaining of illusions.”
@KevlinHenney #QConLondon

Programming paradigms are ways to organize our illusions.
@KevlinHenney #QConLondon

Not every question has an answer.
If it did — if our languages were complete — then they’d have to be inconsistent.

We’re not doing mathematics; this is programming.
@KevlinHenney #QConLondon
Our numbers are not the same as math numbers.

“Usually works, by accident” — this describes most software. @KevlinHenney #QConLondon

Don’t think you’re measuring engagement when you’re measuring clicks & shares.
Be honest about what you’re measuring.

@KevlinHenney #QConLondon

If your rodamap shows only one road,
it’s not much of a roadmap, is it? More of an itinerary.

A roadmap should show future forks!

@KevlinHenney #QConLondon

It is not possible to prioritize by business value.
Only by estimated business value.

@KevlinHenney #QConLondon
(and do you measure it afterward to check your estimates?)

Last “impossible thing:” quantifying tech debt as financial debt.
It’s a metaphor, not identity!
There is not repaying technical debt, only suffering (that’s my word) — paying the carrying cost.

@KevlinHenney #QConLondon

oh no a rodamap