Welcome to the Maintainable Software Podcast! In this episode, Robby speaks with Julia Ferraioli, an Open Source AI/ML Strategist at AWS and co-founder of Open Source Stories. Julia joins us from Seattle, Washington, and shares her insights into the world of open source, AI, and software maintainability.

Key Topics:

Well-Maintained Software: Julia shares her thoughts on the characteristics of well-maintained software, emphasizing the importance of avoiding "clever" code that is often unmaintainable.
Creative vs. Assembly Process: The discussion touches on the balance between software as a creative endeavor and an assembly process, highlighting the need for maintainability.
Ternary Operators and Readability: Julia provides her perspective on the use of ternary operators and how certain programming language features can impact code readability and maintainability.
Open Source Stories: Julia discusses the origins and goals of Open Source Stories, a narrative project that captures the untold stories of open-source contributors.
Challenges in Open Source: The episode delves into the challenges faced by open source contributors, including cultural context, erasure, and the lack of exit interviews.
Research and Software Maintenance: Julia's background in machine learning research offers a unique perspective on the intersection of research and software maintenance.
Technical Debt: A broader definition of technical debt is explored, encompassing work deferred and cultural issues within organizations.
Effective Strategies: Julia shares strategies for addressing technical debt and navigating conversations about prioritizing technical improvements.
Metrics and Developer Experience: The importance of context in metrics and the value of developer experience feedback are discussed.
AI/ML Tools: Julia provides her predictions on the impact of AI/ML tools on software maintenance in the coming years.

Resources Mentioned:

Open Source Stories
Feminism is for Everybody by Bell Hooks

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E114| Cultural Shamanism w/ O.G. Rose & Tim Adalin