Lord of the Files: Essays on the Social Aspects of Software Engineering [Paperback]

Russell Ovans (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 10, 2011

Starting with the premise that a good software engineer is necessarily both a good programmer and a good person, this unique new book on the culture of programmers emphasizes the importance of empathy, introspection, and the acceptance of oneself and others on the journey to quality software.

Based on the author's extensive experience teaching software engineering, working as a computer programmer, and leading a social game startup from inception to acquisition, Lord of the Files is sensitive to the frailties of the human condition and full of innovative survival and success strategies for students, programmers, managers, and entrepreneurs.

Contents:

1. I, Programmer
2. The Software Engineer Life Cycle
3. Your Favourite Methodology is eXtremely Gay
4. White Trash Software Engineer
5. What the Bleep Should We Know!?
6. Nobody Ever Got Laid For Buying IBM Equipment
7. All We Really Need To Know about Software Engineering Is in the Film Office Space
8. A Seven-Layer Hierarchy of Careers in Computer Science
9. What's Your Secret Sauce?
10. Pandemonium Reigned

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fun read - or funny read - or fanciful read - an enjoyable read - an honest (to the point of being maybe too honest) - reflection on the life story/lessons learned of a software engineer, entrepreneur, CEO and computer science professor."
   - Will Tracz, ACM Software Engineering Notes

From the Back Cover

This is not your father's Mythical Man Month.

Software engineering is a social activity; forget that and your career is lost...

So begins this humorous series of biographical essays written for anyone interested in technology business management, software engineering and design, or a career in the technology sector.

Sensitive to the frailties of the human condition and full of innovative survival and success strategies for students, programmers, managers, and entrepreneurs, Lord of the Files emphasizes the importance of empathy, introspection, and the acceptance of oneself and others on the journey to good software.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 114 pages
• Publisher: Thought Pilots (August 10, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0986941808
• ISBN-13: 978-0986941801
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,406,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Russell Ovans (1965-) was the founding CEO of social game studio Backstage Technologies. He was born, raised and educated on Canada's west coast, including a Ph.D. in computing science from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. Before starting Backstage, Russell was the senior software engineer responsible for leading a team of developers at two successful Internet startups.

Dr. Ovans has taught computer science at Camosun College and software engineering at the University of Victoria. He has published papers on such diverse fields as computer music, intelligent user interfaces, artificial intelligence, room acoustics, and software engineering. His writing reflects an irreverent sense of humour, particularly about himself. A pop culture junkie and trivia buff, he is a self-proclaimed expert on early '80s British synth-pop.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Explains a lot..., August 29, 2011

By 

Startup CEO - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lord of the Files: Essays on the Social Aspects of Software Engineering (Kindle Edition)

An entertaining, engaging and quick read - ideal airplane fodder. Russell describes the characters and characteristics of software engineers and testers with amusing anecdotal insights into the software industry from the perspective of an industry veteran, university professor and CEO of a successful 3rd-attempt start-up. Chock full of colorful examples explaining phenomena such as the such as "the Resentful Phase" of the Software Engineer Life Cycle and why no-one ever got laid for buying IBM equipment.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A welcome antidote., October 16, 2011

By 

Paul Madden - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lord of the Files: Essays on the Social Aspects of Software Engineering (Paperback)

Got the book on Friday, read it over the weekend - an easy read and well written.

The book was not what I expected. The comments on software development are mixed with personal and professional biography. The biography's interesting. The comments on software development are refreshing. It's a rare senior manager that can give voice to these kinds of insights that are, IMO, needed to create a successful software delivery environment.

Too much of what's written about software engineering these days seems to imply that programmers are interchangeable (off-shoring) and that process is everything (Agile). That's like saying the path to creating a successful NFL franchise is to offer the lowest salaries in the league, then run every play out of the wishbone formation. In contrast, this book suggests the "secret" to successful, highly competitive, software development is to get the best players you can and tailor the process to the project at hand. Seems so obvious, it's hard to understand why it's not more widely known.

Hope more people read this book and that it starts a trend.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fab, but wanting a little more, October 3, 2011

By 

James P. Degreef (Victoria, BC Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lord of the Files: Essays on the Social Aspects of Software Engineering (Kindle Edition)

I would consider "Lord of the Files" a rare gem.
Russ is insightful, blunt, and hugely iconoclastic in this book about the profession and business of software development. His writing style is easy to read, filled with humorous anecdotes from his personal experiences being a university professor, a teenage geek, a Silicon Valley tech guru, and a founder of a successful social gaming company.
It was interesting to read about Russ Ovans' experiences building and selling Backstage, arguably the first company to produce social games with virtual currency on Facebook. And, its nice to know Russ made his millions, in around 3 years.
In future editions of this book, I would encourage Russ to share more about his Backstage experiences, how to scale a fast growing web product, the trials and wins in going viral, competing against Zynga, and much more.
I would have liked to give this book 4.5 stars, but opted for 4 stars to make a point. A couple more chapters on Backstage would have been grand!
Still, for myself with one foot in computer science and one foot in tech entrepreneurship, I engulfed this book, and was left wanting more.