Here is an oldie but a goodie

If you're technical, you really should read Joel On Software. Joel Spolsky often has very insightful insights into development matters. And he's often quite humorous, as well. Take this article about "architecture astronauts". Nevermind it was written back in the dark ages of 2001, it seems just as relevant today.

Of course, I remember the stone age of "data processing" when we wrote programs in COBOL and punched them on cards (or paper tape--I did that, too). And computers had magnetic drums for the "really fast" data access. Almost everything else was stored on magnetic tape. Yes, the 9-track reel-to-reel stuff common to every movie with computers made before 1990. You kids today! You have it Too Easy.

Of course, it's easy to lose sight of all the really tremendous improvements in technology. Just last week I was in a conference call with folks in the Bay Area (i.e., Silicon Valley), downloading software from their web site, while they were able to view my laptop desktop and applications via a "webex" (a web browser-based computer sharing tool), while I was installing said downloaded software on a computer located ... somewhere in our corporate campus (I do not know where), and also connecting to a database located in our offices in Portland, Oregon. Yeah, it was just like that. It should also be noted I was on my cell phone and using my Bluetooth wireless headset so my hands were free.

Yep, it's Too Easy.