Joel on Software

Best Software Writing - Volume II

Last year, working with Apress, I put together a book called The Best Software Writing I full of great articles about software development from around the web. I was hoping to encourage better writing about software, as I wrote in the introduction:

The software development world desperately needs better writing. If I have to read another 2000 page book about some class library written by 16 separate people in broken ESL, I’m going to flip out. If I see another hardback book about object oriented models written with dense faux-academic pretentiousness, I’m not going to shelve it any more in the Fog Creek library: it’s going right in the recycle bin. If I have to read another spirited attack on Microsoft’s buggy code by an enthusiastic nine year old Trekkie on Slashdot, I might just poke my eyes out with a sharpened pencil. Stop it, stop it, stop it!

Anyway, that book was a big hit so I think it's time for volume II.

Here's how it works. Nominate your favorite articles by posting links using the discussion group. All nominations must include the nominator's full name and correct email address or they will not be considered.

Check out some of the articles that are already there and add your comments. Nominations will be accepted until April 15th.

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You’re reading Joel on Software, stuffed with years and years of completely raving mad articles about software development, managing software teams, designing user interfaces, running successful software companies, and rubber duckies.

About the author.

I’m Joel Spolsky, founder of Fog Creek Software, a New York company that proves that you can treat programmers well and still be highly profitable. Programmers get private offices, free lunch, and work 40 hours a week. Customers only pay for software if they’re delighted. We make FogBugz, an enlightened project management system designed to help great teams develop brilliant software, and Fog Creek Copilot, which makes remote desktop access easy.