The Programming Ape: Why Humans Are Not Rational, Yet We Build Software
The Programming Ape (Code Hale, 2012) [video]
In this 2012 talk from Philly ETE, Coda Hale of Yammer explores the mismatch between human cognition and software development. Drawing on modern theories of cognition, he argues that our tools should be optimized for how people think, not how computers work. He shares Yammer's experience building human-centric tools for engineers, discusses the sociotechnical challenges of transparent architectures, and touches on how this relates to making money.
Humans, you may have noticed, are not exactly rational. And yet here we are, trying to get them to build software.