Cultures of Making and Relating
2 days ago
- #Programming Cultures
- #Scientific Research
- #Software Development
- The book identifies five cultures in programming: Mathematical, Hacker, Engineering, Management, and Humanist.
- These cultures fall into two categories: making software (Hacker, Engineering, Management) and relating to software (Mathematical, Humanist).
- The cultures are not exclusive to programming; they reflect broader parallels in manufacturing, crafts, and scientific research.
- Scientific software development has evolved from hacker-driven craft practices to include engineering culture and distinct roles like research software engineers.
- Mathematical culture has limited influence in research software due to a lack of mature formal methods, with static type checking being the most common.
- Tensions exist between formal (mathematical) and informal (humanist) reasoning, similar to qualitative vs. quantitative approaches in science.
- Management culture in science is often externally imposed and can conflict with the exploratory nature of research.