Does Someone Have to Die First?

Digital technology changes fast, and organizations change slowly: First using the technology as an automated, digitized version of the old way of doing things, then gradually understanding that in order to achieve productivity and functional breakthroughs. We need to leave the old metaphors behind. For this to happen, we need new mindsets, unfettered by the old way of using the technology. I wonder if my generation has the capability to do it.

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Can Mankind Survive Scientific Illiteracy?

The United Kingdom was recently rocked by a furious controversy about the teaching of mathematics. Parents were enraged by a problem set in a national exam to assess the mathematical skills of 6-7 year-old children. Their complaint was the problem was just too hard for any child of this age to solve.

To me, this wasn’t the shocking part of the controversy. The real shock was that many of the parents complained that even they had difficulty Continue reading Can Mankind Survive Scientific Illiteracy?

Test Early and Often

Developing software requires a mix of analytical and creative approaches, involving different types of people who have different blends of thinking. But how can one achieve software quality in the competitive IT marketplace? I argue here that the maxim “Test early and often” is one of the most useful tools for achieving software quality. Continue reading Test Early and Often