DjangoCon 2018 - Don't Look Back in Anger: Wildman Whitehouse and the Great Failure of 1858
Channel: DjangoCon Europe
Date: 2018-05-25

https://media.ccc.de/v/hd-96-don-t-look-back-in-anger-wildman-whitehouse-and-the-great-failure-of-1858



In the 1850s, Edward Orange Wildman Whitehouse was appointed the lead engineer of the first attempt to build a trans-Atlantic telegraph cable. This is a tale of a project gone horribly wrong in the age of magnificent facial hair. Step up to learn the secrets of recovering your project from failure!

In the 1850s, Edward Orange Wildman Whitehouse was appointed the lead engineer of the first attempt to build a trans-Atlantic telegraph cable. With the entire population of two continents waiting for his go-live, their handlebar moustaches aquiver, he demonstrated in fine form just how spectacularly a big project can be a bigger disaster.

This is a tale of long-winded rants, spectacular sideburns, and gentlemen scientists behaving badly. It is also a lesson about the importance of honest reflection in technical teamwork. Lilly outlines some of the mistakes made during one of the biggest tech delivery projects in history, and how a constructive view of failure helped to turn it all around. Through the public meltdowns of Wildman Whitehouse you will learn the importance of feedback, how to handle complex tasks gracefully, and the best way to recover from having your pipeline eaten by a whale.

Lilly Ryan