About Me

Who are you?

I'm Jeff Atwood. I live in Berkeley, CA with my wife, two cats, and a whole lot of computers. I was weaned as a software developer on various implementations of Microsoft's BASIC in the 80's, starting with my first microcomputer, the Texas Instruments TI-99/4a. I continued on the PC with Visual Basic 3.0 and Windows 3.1 in the early 90's, although I also spent significant time writing Pascal code in the first versions of Delphi. I am now quite comfortable in VB.NET or C#, despite the evils of case sensitivity. I consider myself a reasonably experienced Windows software developer with a particular interest in the human side of software development, as represented in my recommended developer reading list. Computers are fascinating machines, but they're mostly a reflection of the people using them. In the art of software development, studying code isn't enough: you have to study the people behind the software, too.

From 2005 to 2008, I worked for Vertigo Software in Point Richmond, California. You can take a virtual tour of my old office if you'd like. I currently work full time on my blog while building a micro-ISV web property to be launched in the near future.

This blog is hosted by the fine people at CrystalTech, who graciously donated a dedicated server to the task.

Why do you blog?

Mostly for selfish reasons. I needed a way to keep track of software development over time-- whatever I am thinking about or working on. I research things I find interesting, then document my research with a public blog post, which I can easily find and refer to later. Hopefully other people will find these posts helpful, relevant, or interesting. I firmly believe that blogs are a two way conversation, so I welcome email and comments-- as long as they're on topic, more or less.

If you're into audio, there's a bit more in my 45 minute .NET Rocks interview. If you prefer interviews, I've done two: one with ScribeSonic and one with Daily Blog Tips.

What the heck is that thing on the right?

It's a Wumpus. I sometimes go by the nickname or "handle" Wumpus online. The image is from one of my first computing experiences. I consider the Wumpus my power animal, but I don't look much like a Wumpus in person:

What is the meaning of 'Coding Horror'?

It's an image from the Steve McConnell book Code Complete used to illustrate dangerous code samples:

Code Complete is my all-time favorite programming book, and this particular icon from the book left a lasting impression on me. I think every practicing software developer has stared down more than a few Coding Horrors of their own creation at one point or another. I asked, and Steve was kind enough to let me to use the image and the name for my blog.

How can I contact you?

 jatwood@codinghorror.com

Are there any secret easter eggs?

Unfortunately, no. But you can buy Coding Horror T-Shirts or stickers if you're so inclined.

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