The Stack Overflow Podcast

This is the 39th episode of the StackOverflow podcast, where Joel and Jeff discuss database design and the shell game of performance, the value of short, focused presentations, and the importance (or not) of a prestigious degree for software engineers. Joel insisted that we run the stackoverflow.com books on QuickBooks. I was more open to…

This is the 38th episode of the StackOverflow podcast, where Joel and Jeff discuss YSlow optimizations for large websites, the value of unit testing, and the hidden pitfalls of asking questions to programmers. Joel notes that simply paying attention to what your coworkers are doing is an effective way to build and lead a team.…

This is the 37th episode of the StackOverflow podcast, where Joel and Jeff discuss the expansion of Stack Overflow into non-programming IT topics, the pernicious problem of “systemitis”, and how to reach the next generation of programmers. I was star-struck that Alan Kay actually participated in Stack Overflow, both answering a question and even asking…

Joel and Jeff, with special guest Eric Sink of SourceGear, discuss source control present and future, why writing a compiler is an important rite of passage for programmers, and how budding software engineers should be educated. I was convinced Eric was going to agree with me on whether or not software developers should know C.…

This is the 35th episode of the StackOverflow podcast, where Joel and Jeff discuss the mysteries of server hardware, anomalous voting patterns, change fatigue, and whether or not Joel is the Martha Stewart of the software industry. A discussion of the bizarre world of server pricing, as discussed in the Best (or Worst) Geek Christmas…

This is the 34th episode of the StackOverflow podcast, where Joel and Jeff discuss the following: Joel recommends a pink HDMI cable as a christmas gift for the special ladies in your life. This will go nicely with her pink ethernet cable, pink USB cable. We’ve placed an order for our dedicated servers and have…

This is the thirty-third episode of the StackOverflow podcast, where Joel and Jeff sit down with special guest Babak Ghahremanpour, the lead developer for FogBugz. I gifted the Fog Creek office with a set of cymbals for the Rock Band 2 drums, to complement the sweet Rock Band setup I bought for them earlier this…

This is the 2^5 episode of the StackOverflow podcast, where Joel and Jeff discuss software piracy, dealing with public criticism, how to get people to answer your questions, and the ideal programmer office. A brief digression about the analog to digital television switch. Make sure you watch this brief instructional video so you’re prepared. Joel…

This is the thirty-first episode of the StackOverflow podcast, where Joel and Jeff discuss.. stuff! Based on some comments from Podcast #30, we now know that “Learning about NP-Completeness from Jeff is like learning about irony from Alanis Morissette”. It’s funny because it’s true! It was also noted that “[Jeff] certainly no mathematician.” In my…

This is the thirtieth episode of the StackOverflow podcast, where Joel and Jeff sit down with Richard White of uservoice.com. Richard worked as the user interface guy on calendar startup Kiko.com; UserVoice was originally inspired by Richard’s work on Kiko, as a hybrid of Reddit and FogBugz. There are some thematic similarities between Dell’s IdeaStorm…

This is the twenty-ninth episode of the StackOverflow podcast, wherein Joel and I discuss the following: The downside of being a PC gamer: it’s prime game release season. My productivity last week was nil due to the release of Fallout 3, as I discuss on my blog. But it was totally worth it. One videogame…