In Tech, Everything Is an “It Depends” Problem
Welcome to the world of software engineering, where the answer to almost any question starts with the frustratingly noncommittal “It depends.” Want to find the right answer? Think critically and evaluate the answer based on your specific context. This is the essence of our field. To excel, one must rely on their own brain rather than hype, dogma, and hearsay.
- Should I ever use x86 Assembly? It depends. If you’re programming a microcontroller, probably yes. If you’re writing a PWA, probably not!
- Should I adopt microservices? It depends. (Probably not.)
- Should I use a relational database? It depends.
- Should I close my laptop and go touch grass? It depends.
- Should I
$QUESTION? It depends.
Sometimes, people care enough to elaborate on these answers in various contexts. However, most of these questions cannot be answered exhaustively. The reader must extract patterns and principles from the context and apply them to their specific situation if they prove valuable. This is where evaluation comes in, enabling us to grow and learn.
Avoiding Dogma
It’s easy to get trapped in the cult of the latest tech fad. But true progress comes from understanding principles and applying them judiciously, not dogmatically.
When I published the article on microservices, I received a lot of feedback. The blog post was initially in a more assertive tone, with some mistakes that were later corrected. Some people agreed. Some disagreed. Some said I was wrong. Some said I was right. Some partially agreed, and some partially disagreed. But a few people were just frustrated that their religion, microservices, was at stake. That’s what we should avoid becoming: dogmatic.
Proceed With Absolutism Cautiously
Look at the first sentence of this article. It’s an absolute statement. Our words are not code. Unfortunately, they do
not throw compilation errors. They might turn out to be wrong depending on the context. So, don’t just accept; do
evaluate. Our growth as engineers — and the success of our projects — depends on it.
To a brighter tomorrow!