Joel on Software

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In Usenet, whenever a single newsgroup got too large, it tended to fork. So from comp we got comp.sys.ibm.pc which split into smaller and smaller groups like the unloved comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video, created because people were sick of talking about video drivers on the main group.

I didn't like forks, because they make discussions less interesting. I mean, it's bad enough there's a comp.software.windows.nt.40.microsoft.notepad, does there have to be a comp.software.windows.nt.40.microsoft.notepad.helpfile.index? Seriously now.

But my aversion to forking notwithstanding, there's just too much traffic in the Joel on Software discussion group. Things wind up scrolling off right away and discussion has to be fast and furious or you lose it. So as an experiment in forking, I've set up a few new groups:

1. The Business of Software
2. The Design of Software
3. The Human Side of Software
4. Whether Or Not It Is A Good Thing That Rory Slept With Dean

Just kidding about #4 there. The Gilmore Girls is holy. Can't mess with that.

If any of these groups doesn't have enough daily traffic, it'll go the way of the old New Yorkers group and the Delphi group, bless them, in the Joel on Software graveyard.

Joel on Software, The Book

My book is about to go into a second printing. Yay! Hurry up and buy one now or you may have to wait while Apress scurries around making more copies.

Work with me, here! Fog Creek Software has great paid internships in software development for qualified college students. They’re in New York City. Free housing, lunch, and more. And you get to work on real, shipping software with the smartest developers in the business.

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You’re reading Joel on Software, stuffed with years and years of completely raving mad articles about software development, managing software teams, designing user interfaces, running successful software companies, and rubber duckies.

About the author.

I’m Joel Spolsky, founder of Fog Creek Software, a New York company that proves that you can treat programmers well and still be highly profitable. Programmers get private offices, free lunch, and work 40 hours a week. Customers only pay for software if they’re delighted. We make FogBugz, an enlightened project management system designed to help great teams develop brilliant software, and Fog Creek Copilot, which makes remote desktop access easy.