“Oral Tradition in Software Engineering”

Bryan Cantrill talking about a video he recorded at Google Tech Talks in 2007

If you think I am candid now, you should’ve heard me when the video cameras weren’t rolling, it was something else. When no one could live-tweet what I said, it was more candid.

It is interesting to think about how much technology shapes our conversations with each other.

When everybody can consume everybody else’s conversations, what does that mean for what we say to each other?

(For example, what a speaker says at a conference might be very different if that talk is not recorded, vs. if they know that talk will be recorded, broadcast, and archived on the web for the rest of their lives.)

Oh, and I liked this part too where Bryan talks about why companies should write down what they do:

Record things you don’t otherwise record. In comments (where appropriate), in videos (where appropriate), record these things, not just for future generations but also because it allows a sourcespace to project its values. “Here’s what we’re about.” When people want to come work at Joyent, I have them go watch a couple of videos so they know what they’re getting in to. I tell people, “I have a couple videos […] if you watch them, you will want to work here more or less but you will not want to work here the same.” By doing that, you allow people to opt-in to your traditions and your values. It leads to more success in hiring, you get a more diverse team […] because the values you have transcend the traditional ways you hire people.

You can totally see this ethos being lived at Bryan’s company Oxide, like in their RFDs.