Lessons Learned from Java EE

Lessons Learned from Java EE is an interesting presentation by Rod Johnson.

Here the most interesting/provoking points:

• The fallacy of love for complexity: "No pain no gain" does not apply for software. Powerful solutions do not have to be complex, the opposite is true!


• Tools cannot conceal excessive complexity!


• The myth of the code monkey: Developers are dumb. They have to be protected from having to make decisions. -> The result is excessive complexity.


• The need for an over-arching (enterprise) strategy means that common sense is thrown out the window.


• Complexity is an expensive luxury - in economic boom times people are happy spending money for complexity but economic downturns tend to reduce complexity.


• Developer empowerment is an ongoing trend:
  • Because things change quicker than in the past, and management need to rely on developers more
  • Open source allows participation
  • Expensive, complex portfolio solutions/tools did not prove to be successful/productive
  • Agile development is a developer-led initiative
  • The Cloud is shifting the balance between operation and development

My posts around these topics:

	The Antipattern of Framework- vs. Business-Programmers			Essential, accidental and fabricated complexity
	Visual modeling: Is it worth it? An example...			Creativity and competent People
	Michael C. Feathers: Seven Blind Alleys in Software Design			Java EE: The blue pill of enterprise development?

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