An enteraining read (warning: 38,000 words) on what code / software is – “It’s a comedy of ego, made possible by logic gates”. My interest in the people and culture behind code pulled out this quote:
“Coding is a culture of blurters. This can yield fast decisions, but it penalizes people who need to quietly compose their thoughts, rewarding fast-twitch thinkers who harrumph efficiently. Programmer job interviews, which often include abstract and meaningless questions that must be answered immediately on a whiteboard, typify this culture. Regular meetings can become sniping matches about things that don’t matter.”
via Matt Mullenweg