RSECon2022 Panel: Coding Confessions
Channel: Society of Research Software Engineering
Date: 2023-02-02

A panel from the How Do We Learn? parallel session at RSECon2022.

Details: https://virtual.oxfordabstracts.com/#/event/3101/submission/81
Slides: https://d3ijlhudpq9yjw.cloudfront.net/f7911739-4fa6-4338-8b97-439af29265da.pdf

=====

Abstract:

What?
At a "Coding Confessions" event software developers talk openly about mistakes they've made when developing software.

Why?
People don’t want to talk about their mistakes, publish code or submit it for review. Common reasons for this are fears that “my code isn’t good enough”, “isn’t complete enough”, “has mistakes in it”. We want to encourage people to share their coding insecurities to help normalise talking about mistakes and knowledge gaps.

How?
We propose two parts to the event: 
1. A public panel where several (preferably senior) RSEs and software developers talk openly about mistakes they've made in software they've developed. 
2. An anonymous noticeboard where developers can disclose their confessions on post-it notes.  

Ultimately we would like to publish a collection of confessions as blog posts from both the panel and noticeboard. This will help to highlight mistakes and stop them being repeated by others.

=====

0:00 Chair introduction
0:14 Panel introduction
1:36 Panelist introductions
2:40 Anika Cawthorn
6:13 Callum Mole
9:54 Mark Woodbridge
14:55 Sadie Bartholomew
20:30 Dan Katz
24:24 Linus Gasser
29:02 Saranjeet Kaur
32:22 Submit your own confession
33:27 Q&A