The Code Gardener
The Code Gardener
Designer and creator.
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About The Code Gardener

A simple computer keyboard sitting in front of a plant in a green

Hello! And, welcome to The Code Gardener – an occassional newsletter about writing software well. My name is Alan. I'll be your host.

I'm a software engineer by trade. I've been writing software professionally for more than 30 years. But, in my soul I'm a teacher. So, my goal with The Code Gardener is to share my experience (and hopefully some wisdom). I hope you find it useful, and maybe even entertaining.

I originally started blogging while working at Microsoft in 2005. The content was mostly focused on Microsoft developer tools, since that's what I was doing at the time. But, I covered other topics, too — especially around agile software development. Some of that content made it's way onto the first version of this blog, starting in 2008.

Since then, everything has changed. I no longer use Microsoft technologies to write software. Since 2011, I've predominantly used the Ruby programming language with the Ruby on Rails framework. I ❤️ Ruby! We have a beautiful relationship. I'm on good terms with Rails; but we don't always agree.

Since 2012, I've also transitioned back and forth from IC to manager a few times. I made the switch for good back in 2018. I love the role of manager. I get to teach. I get to mentor people. I get to help them grow their careers. And, from time to time, I am able to help someone get back on track. Given this new perspetive, I anticipate that I might write about that, too.

If you'd like to know more about me and why I do what I do, take a look at my post entitled My Why..., or my speaker profile over at Sessionize.

Also, from time to time, my friend Fito von Zastrow will join us here. Fito is a 15 year veteran software developer at Staff Engineer on my team at work. He loves Ruby, maybe even more than I do. I call him an RSpec whisperer. It's as though he dreams in describe blocks.

Thanks for being here!

And, now, a word from our sponsor...

Please engage!

I hope you stick around and engage. There are several ways to do so:

  • You can read all of the articles online (for free)
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  • And, you can leave a comment or reach me directly via Blue Sky.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, whether you agree with me or not. Hope to hear from you soon!