Wisdom from 50+ years in software (Changelog Interviews #484)

Mar 30, 2022

Brian Kernighan, software veteran with over 50 years of experience, discusses the birth of Unix, the longevity of the C programming language, modernizing C code with memory safety, embracing new technology, the foundations of Unix and the web, web three and decentralization, and appreciates the host's questions.

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The Importance of Preparation, Meeting Developers Where They Are, and Flexibility

28:26 • 3min

InfluxData's Developer Mindset and the Longevity of C

31:15 • 4min

Modernizing C: Memory Safety and Challenges

35:03 • 19min

Tech Industry Failures and Embracing New Technology

54:13 • 6min

Automated incident response and multi cloud database management

01:00:19 • 3min

The Foundations of Unix and the Web

01:03:07 • 23min

Web Three and Decentralization

01:26:26 • 6min

Reflecting on 'The Mythical Man Month' and Appreciation for the Host's Questions

01:32:50 • 3min

Today we have a special treat. A conversation with Brian Kernighan! Brian’s been in the software game since the beginning of Unix. Yes, he was there at Bell Labs when it all began. And he is still at it today, writing books and teaching the next generation at Princeton.

This is an epic and wide ranging conversation. You’ll hear about the birth of Unix, Ken Thompson’s unique skillset, why Brian thinks C has stood the test of time, his thoughts on modern languages like Go and Rust, what’s changed in 50 years of software, what makes platforms like Unix and the web so powerful, his take as a professor on the trend of programmers skipping the university track, and so much more.

Seriously, this is a must-listen.

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Featuring:

Brian Kernighan – Website
Adam Stacoviak – Website, GitHub, LinkedIn, Mastodon, X
Jerod Santo – GitHub, LinkedIn, Mastodon, X

Show Notes:

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!