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The Human Dimension of Software Engineering

The Human Dimension of Software Engineering

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Screen-Time, Dangers and Fallacies

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Reading Time: 5 minutes

Parental Struggles with Screen-Time

As a parent, the general notion of screen-time is challenging to disregard. I spent a lot of time thinking about it, as it is a concept that bothers me. It is also an important concept that cannot be ignored as it hides real risks. What troubles me is not the widespread concern about the dangers of screen-related obsessive behaviors; that concern is healthy, and I share it. The problem I have is more about semantics, generalizations and delicate nuances.

Screen-time is an expression that describes any time spent in front of a screen. Watching TV, playing video games, reading e-books, using social media, reading or watching the news, watching videos, coding, etc. It is all technically screen-time; but, is all screen-time bad? ... 

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11 Books All Software Engineers Must Read

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Reading Time: 9 minutes

When I started coding back in 1984, there wasn’t much literature available to guide me on my learning path. One of my issues was that I was in Italy and I didn’t know a word of English. It is possible that there were books available in English, but the selection of Italian translations was insufficient. I got the majority of my early knowledge from a few translated programming books and some technical magazines.

Among the translations that were available in Italian, I remember some of the early work of Peter Norton fondly, recognizable by the full front-cover picture of himself with his arms crossed. ... 

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5 CS Degree Myth-Busting Software Engineering Facts

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Do I Need a CS Degree?

I can’t count how often I was asked this question over the years. The short answer is “no.” You do not need a CS degree to have a prosperous career in tech. It is important, however, to have some solid CS fundamentals.

A CS degree from a reputable university will teach you what you need, and a lot more. So much more than it is simply not necessary unless you plan on working on very algorithmically complex systems. You can study the practical aspects of CS you need to know without majoring in it. ... 

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