23:15 Mins   |   Technology, coding, managers, management, career, Red Hat, leadership, skills, roles

Should Managers Code?

Becoming a manager can be a triumphant milestone of working life. It’s often a recognition of leadership and, in the tech industry, technical skill. Many argue those skills necessarily become casualties to the management track. But it’s hard to let go of your creative side to make room for managing others. Can they do both? Should managers code? It’s an old question that never seems to receive a clear answer.

From the Red Hat offices to the moons of Jupiter, Compiler explores why it’s such a complex issue. We spoke with Red Hatters who are vocal about what role, if any, managers have in the code base—and why they fight to keep their hands on keys for as long as they can.

19:28 Mins   |   Technology, edge computing, DevOps, Red Hat

What Can Video Games Teach Us About Edge Computing?

From button-mashing brawlers to massive battle royales, there’s a lot of fun to be had in online gaming. That is, if players’ connections are reliable. If you’ve ever dealt with input delay, or wrestled with lag, you know how important a quality connection is in online gaming. But with edge computing on the horizon, what impact might there be on how we play?

The internet, as we’ve explored in past seasons of Command Line Heroes, is a patchwork of international agreements and varying infrastructure. But there’s something coming to change the ways we connect. In this episode of Compiler, we explore what edge computing could mean for people who enjoy video games, and what this form of entertainment could teach us about the technology.

20:55 Mins   |   Technology, managers, management, career, Red Hat, leadership, skills, roles, hiring, interview, interviewing, whiteboard

What Are Tech Hiring Managers Looking For?

Interviewing for a job is often a stressful process. Most people don’t enjoy the inherent judgment involved. Being prepared helps—but what exactly are you preparing for? There isn’t a single interview process that covers the whole tech industry, not even for technical positions alone. But they do have elements in common.

Whiteboard exercises and verbal pseudocode help reveal basic coding ability. But that’s not the only point of those interviews. In this episode of Compiler, we learn about the hiring process from the perspective of applicants and the hiring managers who evaluate them—and the qualities beyond technical knowledge they take into consideration.

19:41 Mins   |   Technology, DevOps, roles, skills, teams, leadership

Do We Want a World Without Technical Debt?

Software development teams often reach a crossroads. Should they perform maintenance and address bug issues, or add new features to satisfy users? The former isn’t as exciting, but sometimes the most important work is invisible to those who reap the benefits.

For now, the project has been released, and everyone wants to celebrate. But there’s an elephant in the room, one that teams can ignore—at least, for a while. This week on Compiler, we unpack the concept of technical debt, and wonder if there is a world where it doesn’t exist.

28:36 Mins   |   Technology, tech support, skills, superstitions, supernatural

Can Superstitions Solve Technical Problems?

We all know not to walk under a ladder. Or break a mirror. Or do anything that may incur the wrath of the paranormal. Superstitions linger, even in places you may not expect. The devices, software, and general technology we use every day spring from the progression of science. But that doesn’t stop us from coming up with new superstitions.

From blowing into cartridges to waving cell phones in the air, we’ve come up with some fixes that technically don’t make a lot of sense. We ask a few people from tech support whether superstitions have a useful role in solving our technical difficulties.

33:01 Mins   |   Technology, open source, legal, license, licenses, copyleft, free software, permissive

Do We Still Need Strong Copyleft Licenses?

It’s a good idea to understand the open source licenses governing the projects you use. Luckily, it’s less daunting than you may think. We start with the very basics of copyright and move to open source and the difference between permissive and copyleft licenses—and how they govern the world of open source software.

But we learn how these distinctions may not be as relevant as they once were. The landscape of tech is changing. Developer culture isn’t what it used to be—and neither is how we consume software. We ask: Do we still need strong copyleft licenses?

26:45 Mins   |   Technology, career, leadership, IT

How Do We Mentor The Next Generation Of IT Leaders?

New tech graduates enter the workforce every year. What generational differences and unique challenges will these younger professionals face? Mentorship is essential to make the transition into enterprise IT, regardless of where a person worked before. But it’s not always clear what mentees need, or what would be most beneficial for them.

In this episode, we speak to people about what makes a good mentor, how learning can go both ways, and what is most meaningful in mentoring relationships.

29:45 Mins   |   Technology, Open source, documentation, technical documentation, writing, skills

Why Should You Write Technical Documentation?

We’ve all encountered technical documentation: Readmes, product manuals, and how-to guides, to name a few. Some are good, some are not so good, and some are less than helpful. Open source communities often need more people to write and update their projects’ documentation—but it’s not an easy task. So why not help out?

In this episode, we find out why everyone should write at least a little bit of technical documentation. We speak to people who contributed to documentation to help, to learn, and even to start their careers in open source.

31:06 Mins   |   IT, career, technology

How Are Tech Hubs Changing?

Start-ups. Newly affluent neighborhoods. Overpriced coffee shops. Tech hubs evoke a lot of imagery, opinions, and emotions. Traditionally, if someone wanted a career in tech, they had to make the move to one of these cities. The influx of new people and new ideas into a city can cause shifts in discourse, culture, and power. After all, technology can transform people, and it can transform places, too.

But things are starting to change. We unwrap what has made tech hubs into spaces of collaboration and creativity, and how that energy can alter cities over time. Lastly, we speak to a few of the change-makers who are thinking outside of the physical and social dimensions we’ve come to associate with innovation.

25:35 Mins   |   Open Source, burnout

What's The Recipe For Burnout?

Working on a popular open source project can be demanding. Just ask the maintainers on GitHub’s ReadME podcast. In a special episode of Compiler, we teamed up with ReadME’s Brian Douglas to learn more about the challenges open source maintainers face—and investigate why burnout seems to be so prevalent in the industry.

Burnout’s always going to be a problem. But we can still try to avoid it. To do so, we wanted to understand the recipe for burnout: what factors could we identify that seem to bring it about? This episode’s guests share their own experiences and bring the weight of academic research to uncover the reasons too many of our beloved maintainers burn out.

26:51 Mins   |   IT, career, tech

Mailbag: Managers, Technical Debt

Since the debut of Compiler, our team has posed a few interesting questions, and the answers have gotten people talking. Do the words ‘manager’ and ‘leader’ mean the same thing? How can technical debt become more complex, outside of team areas of responsibility?

We revisit some of our past topics on the show and let others weigh in on what they liked, what they didn’t like, and what we may have missed on the first pass.

28:58 Mins   |   IT, career, development

How Should We Handle Failure?

In tech, there's a lot of pressure to keep things running smoothly. That makes even a small mistake or a brief outage seem disastrous. When people fail at something, they can experience many different emotions: Anger, regret, or even fear. Jen Krieger and 2019 TED Fellow Dr. Erika Hamden join us to discuss how we should handle failure, and how teams and individuals can benefit from processing it safely and effectively.

24:13 Mins   |   Kubernetes, development, open source

Can Kubernetes Help People Find Love?

Valentine’s Day is a time for roses, candy, wine, and time with that special someone. And more than ever, people are meeting their romantic partners through dating apps and websites. These apps have different features, and can vary in user experience. What technology can meet the unique demands of those looking for love across cultures, time zones, and even across oceans?

Our team goes on a date with Kubernetes to discover how container orchestration speaks to the needs of a constantly-growing user base. From thoughts on scalability, on through to testing and deployment, we hear from those who swipe right on Kubernetes.

30:00 Mins   |   Security, tech, memes

How Can Memes Improve Security?

Memes are goofy. They’re easily recognizable. And they’re often used to make a point. So it’s no wonder that people on both sides of the InfoSec community are not only familiar with memes, but often use them in their endless games of cat and mouse. Consequently, memes are often a sign of a breach of security. Because there’s little as satisfying as leaving a meme as proof of your security prowess.

This episode, we hear from a couple of Red Hatters who rose to an unusual security challenge. And while intentions were good, the memes could have easily been something much more nefarious.

27:42 Mins   |   Tech, education

What Do Kids Learn When They Learn About Tech?

Computer literacy is supposedly coming naturally to younger generations who seem to be born with smartphones in their hands. But there’s a difference between tech familiarity and actually knowing how technology works. And when kids learn about the wide world of IT, what else are they learning?

Kids know tech is everywhere. We spoke to middle school, high school, and college educators about what it is their students are hoping to learn—and what skills they pick up on the way.

28:02 Mins   |   Tech, data

How Do Roads Become Smarter?

Traffic jams and congested streets are an annoyance many people have to endure. Turns out, the same technology keeping us constantly connected—the Internet of Things—can also improve how we move people and things from place to place. But what are the considerations for technologists? Connectivity can’t be the only piece of the puzzle. Smart road technology can make travel safer, easier, and more efficient. But how can it make travel enjoyable?

29:48 Mins   |   Tech, compilers

Who’s Afraid Of Compilers?

It’s about time we asked a question about compilers. It’s been a scary proposition. Compilers have a reputation for density, complexity, and a fair bit of mysticism. But when we looked into them, we learned they’re really just like any other program. So we wondered: Who’s afraid of compilers?

In this episode, we start to break down the reputation by opening up the black box. What do compilers do? How do they work? And what can you gain by learning more about the inner workings of compilers?

29:32 Mins   |   Tech, career

Are We As Productive As We Think?

We live in what some call a “distraction economy.” There are countless messages, emails, tickets, bugs to fix, and meetings to attend. For those who have to build software, platforms, and services, as well as those who maintain them and keep them running, it can be difficult to decide what to focus on first.

The immense pressure to be productive is challenging to balance with passion projects, personal responsibilities, or just with the need to rest. Our team spoke with tech-minded creators in the productivity space on how to achieve full focus, and how to make time for work, relaxation, and creativity.

28:16 Mins   |   Development, DevOps

How Bad Is Betting Wrong On The Future?

Technologists are often asked to make decisions based on future industry advancements—or basically, things that haven’t happened yet. It’s already difficult to choose the right path for a project without the pressure to be clairvoyant. But everyone wants to feel like they are leading the pack on the next big thing.

What do we need to know to make a good prediction for where technology is headed? Alternatively, what do we need to know to avoid the wrong choice? We speak to experts in the DevOps space about betting wrong on the future, how development projects go awry, and what teams can do to get things back on track.

30:56 Mins   |   Data, Governance

When Should Data Die?

We have a finite time on earth. But the data we generate? It can last much, much longer. We have limited control over what happens to our data during our lives. And while you might not care about anything when you’re gone, you and your loved ones might have an interest in how your information is used after you pass. So we wondered: When should data die?

It’s a tricky question. In the digital age, individuals generate mountains of data over their lifetimes. But who has the right to decide whether that data remains, or when it is deleted? How should IT organizations handle their datasets given the complexities of privacy, legacy, and ownership that they need to consider?

30:26 Mins   |   Development, Infrastructure

How Do We Make Updates Less Annoying?

Updates. They take time out of your day and your devices out of commission. That’s about the extent of it for an end user. But for organizations? Updating their systems is a big deal. And forgoing regular updates is a recipe for disaster.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” isn’t a good option for enterprise IT. Your system may keep running but if you haven’t updated in awhile, you may be missing some stability and performance improvements—and probably some security patches too. Regularly updating is a good habit. How do we make it less annoying?

29:56 Mins   |   Data, Machine Learning

How Does Data Help Shape Movies?

Movies are culturally important. They transform language and communication. Motion pictures present fantasy worlds we can get lost in, helping us understand the world differently. Discussing data and movies can make the fantasy seem…a little less fantastic. It can feel sterile, mass produced, and devoid of imagination.

But data is vital, both for those behind the camera and those sitting in theaters (or at home). This episode will cover some ways data science and machine learning can inform filmmaking, from conception to post-production.

33:05 Mins   |   Operations, Career

Are Big Mistakes That Big Of A Deal?

Oops. We all make mistakes. Most of the time, they’re small enough no one notices. But every now and then, we do something that makes us break into a cold sweat. The “Oops” becomes a curse, desperate pleas—or horrified silence as we process what just happened. In the moment, they’re panic-inducing. But once the dust settles, are those big mistakes that big of a deal?

We hear three stories of people who wish they had an easy undo button. But making those mistakes taught them all something important—and changed how they do their jobs. Because those big mistakes end up being valuable lessons for the rest of their careers.

29:06 Mins   |   Operations, Career

Are Big Mistakes That Big Of A Deal? Part 2

Mistakes are part of growth. If we’re lucky, we’re in an environment where they’re not punished harshly. That lets us fix the problem, learn to do better, and move on—but also to tell the story once the sting has passed.

Last episode, we heard three stories of people blundering into trouble and coming out the other side a little bit wiser. This episode adds three more stories of mistakes being made—but the culprit isn’t always as clear.

35:02 Mins   |   Career

Tech Conferences 101

Tech talks aren’t just for unicorn CEOs and high-profile prodigies. With a little bit of work, anyone can speak at a conference. Our guests go over the preparation, dish about showtime jitters, and share a few tips for when things go awry on stage.

28:55 Mins   |   Sustainability, open source, data, performance analytics

Datacenters And Sustainability

We closely examine different aspects of technology— data storage, AI, software development, and hardware capabilities. But one part of that equation often goes ignored: The energy grid. It’s an unfortunate truth, but the datacenters we depend on to address everyday challenges can themselves be a drain on our global resources. How do technologists reconcile the work they do with the rising environmental impacts? And how do we work together to find a solution?

35:01 Mins   |   Automation, operations

Adventures In Automation

Repetitive tasks can be the worst part of a job. They take time, they take focus, but they don’t typically spark creativity. That is, until you try to automate them.

What kinds of tasks are ripe for automation? Which ones are best left to do yourself? And what does it take to automate away the drudgery?

36:52 Mins   |   Operations

Ready To Launch

Launching a new product should be cause for celebration. All too often in the tech industry, launch day is a source of worry, and in the worst cases, scrambling panic. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

What can we learn from the gaming industry’s frequent launches? Why is it so difficult to get launch day right? And why aren’t companies better prepared for the problems they know are coming?

41:44 Mins   |   Career

Thriving In Economic Uncertainty

The last few years have been a weird time for everyone, and while the tech industry is seeing a lot of change, not all of it is inspiring.

Navigating market shifts can be tricky, stressful, and terrifying. But that’s just the beginning of the equation. When the going gets tough, what can help us grow?

39:44 Mins   |   Training, career

Continuing Education

Learning never stops. But neither do our workloads. What do we do about it?

37:38 Mins   |   Career, development

Year In Review

The Compiler team looks back at their favorite moments from the year.

31:29 Mins   |   Emerging technology, open source

Sustainability Beyond Servers

People are looking at sustainable energy usage beyond the server. How can technologists think about the balance between sustainability, business operations, and their customers’ needs?

32:55 Mins   |   Professional development

Conferences 102

What can you get from going to a conference? We cover how to make the most of attending them—from preparation through the return to work.

27:33 Mins   |   Culture, open source, Linux

Linux, Shadowman, And Open Source Spirit

How did Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and the culture behind it, strike a chord with so many people?

26:38 Mins   |   Kubernetes, security, storage

Air-gapped Networks

Air-gapped environments are created to protect user data. But how do they work? And how can these environments foster innovation?

26:51 Mins   |   Development

The Truth About Netcode

Internet connectivity is an unpredictable factor in online gaming. That’s why netcode exists. But how does it really affect players?