AI: Bots against humans?

... in complex strategy game (Dota 2)? Seems so. The bots won 2 out of 3 on a one on one game (with a junior player). But even like that it is still... Surprising (at least to say):
http://www.theregister.co.uk/AMP/2018/06/25/openai_dota_2_5v5_bots/

AGILE: Ron Jeffries Says Developers Should Abandon "Agile"

Ron Jeffries Says Developers Should Abandon "Agile"


Quoting:

"Ron Jeffries, author, speaker, one of the creators of Extreme Programming (XP), and a signatory of the Agile Manifesto back in 2001, shared a post on his blog in which he advocates that developers should abandon "Agile". The post further elaborated that developers should stay away from the "Faux Agile" or "Dark Agile" forms, and instead get closer to the values and principles of the Manifesto.

The terms "Faux Agile" and "Dark Agile" are used by the author to give emphasis to the variety of the so-called "Agile" approaches that have contributed, according to him, to make the life of the developers worse rather than better, which is the antithesis of one of the initial ideas of the Agile Manifesto."

BOOK: Liquid Software

A recent book FFR, link with a sample chapter:
https://liquidsoftware.com/when-vision-becomes-reality/
Citando:
"This book is the embodiment of our thoughts and ideas on how any organization developing software can and should achieve continuous updates. It’s the culmination of a long process of brainstorming, discussing, finessing and tweaking every last word and illustration printed on those 193 pages. If you ever wished the machines could work for us instead of the other way around, this book is for you. We hope you enjoy it.

Fred Simon
Yoav Landman
Baruch Sadogursky"

Kanban Method 5 lines summary

Kanban Method 5 lines summary with more than 5 lines (as usual):

Foundational Principles

• Start with what you do now; no roles/responsibilities
• Agree pursue evolutionary change
• Initially, respect current roles, responsibilities and job titles
• Encourage acts of leadership

Core practises: 

• Visualize; Limit WIP, manage flow; make process policies explicit (create substasks, like definition of done in Scrum), implement feedback loop (e.g. kanban retro); improve collaboratively, evolve experimentally (kanban retro actions).

More info: https://edu.leankanban.com/kanban-method

Also see about David J. Anderson (kanban for the SW industry)

SDK: Guardium SDK for neighborhood security?

https://securityintelligence.com/neighborhood-watch-uniting-the-data-security-community-through-software-development-kits/

Quoting:
"A Neighborhood Watch for the Data Security Community

Today, there are four use case categories of interest for which we are prompting business partners to build apps: risk discovery and classification, new data sources and platforms supported for data protection, big data aggregation and analytics, and industry-focused compliance solutions. These four use cases can be addressed in a variety of ways.

For example, apps can be built to present a combination of internal and external data in tables or visualizations. They can also integrate data from external products or services for better analytics and/or compliance. In addition, apps can be built to host security rules or highlight anomalous activities and send reports to an external source.

The final piece of the puzzle is the skills and expertise of the business partners and developers themselves. Without collaboration from those who are looking for new challenges and innovative ways to contribute to the data security community at large, we can’t move forward. Much like the Neighborhood Watch, the security world needs to band together as a community to ensure that data privacy and security principles are upheld.

So what are you waiting for? To get started, download the Guardium SDK."

More info:

https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/hub/extension/cd46ff5905e6709be66ab814da9eabb4?cm_mc_uid=78223798062015236497989&cm_mc_sid_50200000=44250091523649799017

Quoting:
"IBM X-Force Exchange is a threat intelligence sharing platform that you can use to research security threats, to aggregate intelligence, and to collaborate with peers.

Logged in users have integrated access to all the functionality of the site: searching, commenting, Collections and sharing. Guests can search and view reports only."

SW Development and Ethics?

After the Cambridge Analytica "issue", ethics becomes more and more of an issue to clarify in the minds of project team members (and managers):
https://www.itproportal.com/features/rewriting-the-code-for-ethics-in-software-development/

Quoting:
"Redefining and reporting on grey areas 

However, as with all questions around ethics, inevitably, grey areas remain. Take for instance a recent survey that asked developers if they would report on ethical issues with their code in which over a third of respondents replied with 'it depends on what it is'. Equally, 58% would hold the upper management or board level members ultimately responsible for code that is produced for unethical purposes. This quite clearly illustrates the current uncertainty - and maybe even fear of speaking up - when it comes to computer ethics in action; just 13% would publicly report an unethical coding practice.  

As an industry, we need to be mindful to consider the purpose of our works and make sure there are safe ways to air concerns that arise during the course of development. Some infrastructure for this exists already in many companies, but we could regulate this to allow ethical concerns to be raised without causing undue stress and worry. (...)"

BOOK: The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers (Robert C. Martin)

Not to be confused with the "Clean Code" excellent book, this one is about how to deal with managers in order to have a "long life" in the software development business:

The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers: Robert C. Martin: 4708364241379: Amazon.com: Books


Quoting:
"Programmers who endure and succeed amidst swirling uncertainty and nonstop pressure share a common attribute: They care deeply about the practice of creating software. They treat it as a craft. They are professionals.

In The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers, legendary software expert Robert C. Martin introduces the disciplines, techniques, tools, and practices of true software craftsmanship. This book is packed with practical advice–about everything from estimating and coding to refactoring and testing. It covers much more than technique: It is about attitude. Martin shows how to approach software development with honor, self-respect, and pride; work well and work clean; communicate and estimate faithfully; face difficult decisions with clarity and honesty; and understand that deep knowledge comes with a responsibility to act.

Readers will learn:

• What it means to behave as a true software craftsman
• How to deal with conflict, tight schedules, and unreasonable managers
• How to get into the flow of coding, and get past writer’s block
• How to handle unrelenting pressure and avoid burnout
• How to combine enduring attitudes with new development paradigms
• How to manage your time, and avoid blind alleys, marshes, bogs, and swamps
• How to foster environments where programmers and teams can thrive
• When to say “No”–and how to say it
• When to say “Yes”–and what yes really means

Great software is something to marvel at: powerful, elegant, functional, a pleasure to work with as both a developer and as a user. Great software isn’t written by machines. It is written by professionals with an unshakable commitment to craftsmanship. The Clean Coder will help you become one of them–and earn the pride and fulfillment that they alone possess."