sl4m · August 22, 2010 15:13
diff --git a/wandering book entry by david good b/wandering book entry by david good
    Sauder, Maloof, O'Sullivan, and Stickley.  Four names that have one thing in common: furniture.  Two of these build cheap knock-together furniture that can be found at IKEA or any office furniture store, the other two build one-of-a-kind instant classics.  Sauder and O'Sullivan are companies that make pre-cut pieces of composite wood and veneer using CNC machines, and package them with a hardware kit and assembly instructions.  Sam Maloof and  Gustav Stickley were furniture craftsmen.  Both have passed on, but their legacy of impeccable craftsmanship remains, and demand for their work only increases with time.

    The two companies mass-produce identical copies of economical furniture for sale in large retail stores, where customers can purchase them cheaply.  The relative quality of the products is reflected in their prices and availability.  While both companies make a serviceable product at a reasonable price, it's likely people buy it for its convenience and availability and price, not its fine craftsmanship.  On the other hand, Gustav Stickley's craftsmanship was so impressive that it inspired American architect Frank Lloyd Wright's ideas about homebuilding.  Sam Maloof was famous for his rocking chairs.  Just rocking chairs.  Maloof's business card said "woodworker."  When asked once about his title, Maloof responded that it's an honest word - it's what he did, worked wood.  You can't buy a Stickley or Maloof in a chain store. (You can hardly buy them used from collectors today for that matter.)  Maloof and Stickley were craftsmen of the highest caliber who left a legacy of fine workmanship, attention to detail, and enthusiasm for their craft.

    So, what is craftsmanship and how can it be related to software?  I think the words "software craftsman" are used to connote something unique about an individual, certainly not a company, and I think the audience is other software developers.  Certainly few customers differentiate creators of software as developers, programmers, engineers, craftsmen, code poets, or whatever other terms of endearment we choose for ourselves.

    In the software industry today, there are Sauders and O'Sullivans, and there are Maloofs and Stickleys.  The craftsmen in the software industry don't just create, they find better ways to do it; they find the substance then derive a style (a bit backward, I know).  Above all, they are passionate about improvement of themselves and their industry.  They are creating the processes and methods that others will learn from and follow.

    The title of software craftsman conveys a passion not only for creating, but learning and improving, and furthering the art and science of the industry.  Few masterful craftsmen work alone; most take on apprentices.  This is especially important with software.  Perhaps not trade apprentices in a traditional sense, but most certainly others who are willing to commit to the ideals of continuous learning and improvement.  As with furniture makers, software craftsmen must strive to be mentors to ensure their knowledge not only survives, but is also improved.

    In many ways craftsmanship is a never-ending story, one that is repeated by masters to apprentices over and over, each time improving slightly.  It has been said that you can never truly master anything until you can teach it successfully.

    - David Good  2 Aug 2010
	Sauder, Maloof, O'Sullivan, and Stickley. Four names that have one thing in common: furniture. Two of these build cheap knock-together furniture that can be found at IKEA or any office furniture store, the other two build one-of-a-kind instant classics. Sauder and O'Sullivan are companies that make pre-cut pieces of composite wood and veneer using CNC machines, and package them with a hardware kit and assembly instructions. Sam Maloof and Gustav Stickley were furniture craftsmen. Both have passed on, but their legacy of impeccable craftsmanship remains, and demand for their work only increases with time.

	The two companies mass-produce identical copies of economical furniture for sale in large retail stores, where customers can purchase them cheaply. The relative quality of the products is reflected in their prices and availability. While both companies make a serviceable product at a reasonable price, it's likely people buy it for its convenience and availability and price, not its fine craftsmanship. On the other hand, Gustav Stickley's craftsmanship was so impressive that it inspired American architect Frank Lloyd Wright's ideas about homebuilding. Sam Maloof was famous for his rocking chairs. Just rocking chairs. Maloof's business card said "woodworker." When asked once about his title, Maloof responded that it's an honest word - it's what he did, worked wood. You can't buy a Stickley or Maloof in a chain store. (You can hardly buy them used from collectors today for that matter.) Maloof and Stickley were craftsmen of the highest caliber who left a legacy of fine workmanship, attention to detail, and enthusiasm for their craft.

	So, what is craftsmanship and how can it be related to software? I think the words "software craftsman" are used to connote something unique about an individual, certainly not a company, and I think the audience is other software developers. Certainly few customers differentiate creators of software as developers, programmers, engineers, craftsmen, code poets, or whatever other terms of endearment we choose for ourselves.

	In the software industry today, there are Sauders and O'Sullivans, and there are Maloofs and Stickleys. The craftsmen in the software industry don't just create, they find better ways to do it; they find the substance then derive a style (a bit backward, I know). Above all, they are passionate about improvement of themselves and their industry. They are creating the processes and methods that others will learn from and follow.

	The title of software craftsman conveys a passion not only for creating, but learning and improving, and furthering the art and science of the industry. Few masterful craftsmen work alone; most take on apprentices. This is especially important with software. Perhaps not trade apprentices in a traditional sense, but most certainly others who are willing to commit to the ideals of continuous learning and improvement. As with furniture makers, software craftsmen must strive to be mentors to ensure their knowledge not only survives, but is also improved.

	In many ways craftsmanship is a never-ending story, one that is repeated by masters to apprentices over and over, each time improving slightly. It has been said that you can never truly master anything until you can teach it successfully.

	- David Good 2 Aug 2010