This blog is to keep track of thoughts and ideas I have regarding work projects, new languages/technologies I am playing with, and other musings on software development.
I do not hope to make any money of of it. I do not expect anyone else to read it. The blog is really just a way to collect my thoughts and try out my writing skills.
A few words about the title, "Citizen Software": I think that everyone should know how software works. We are now in an age when saying "I'm no good with computers" is the equivalent of saying "I can't read." It's unacceptable that society as a whole puts so much faith in something that only a small fraction of that society actually understands.
Yes, everyone can write software. Maybe not an operating system, or a hardware driver, or a distributed network protocol, or the "next big thing" website, but small convenience scripts that can open the door to larger works.
I used to have a boss who would say, "If it were easy, the accountants would do it." Well guess what? The accountant's can do it. So can the secretaries, sales people, janitors, heck, even the CEOs. Anyone who has created, used or modified a spreadsheet already has the proper mindset. The rest is just tools, training and experience. And actual desire to know (this turns out to be the part most people lack, and what holds them back.)
Hence, Citizen Software; programming for the common man. Maybe by trying to find the proper mix of technical detail and laymen's terms, someone somewhere will think, "Hey, computers aren't so complex after all."
Or it could end up being a load of geek-speak and mental masturbation.
But however it turns out, I invite anyone out there to come along for the ride.
