Joel Spolsky

16 Jun 2006 · 1 min · Original

The Excel date bug that made a technical review suddenly very specific

Spolsky’s account of a 1992 Bill Gates review turns on two months in 1900.

Joel Spolsky

11 Nov 2002 · 1 min · Original

Better abstractions save work without eliminating the need to understand what is underneath

A 2002 essay explains why convenient interfaces can leave their users stranded when the underlying system fails.

Joel Spolsky

21 Apr 2001 · 1 min · Original

An abstraction can become so general that it stops explaining the product

A 2001 essay challenges the prestige attached to all-encompassing architectures.

Joel Spolsky

9 Aug 2000 · 1 min · Original

A software team’s working conditions are part of its engineering system

Joel Spolsky’s 2000 checklist makes everyday delivery habits visible.