Let’s look at systems and software engineering.

We hear about all kinds of “cool” methodologies, ideas, frameworks: DevOps, Scrum, Agile, Kanban, Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, Puppet, Chef, Ansible … and combinations of these.

Why do you hear about all this cool stuff all the time? Why there are hypes all the time? Simple: money. Another hype, another opportunity to sell you something [at higher price]: products, support, certifications, guidance. You don’t necessarily need these things but they definitely would like to sell you all of it.

I’m starting Common Sense Movement

This humorous thought crossed my mind yesterday. You know, just to balance the situation a bit. Then I realized why don’t you hear much about the shiny cool “common sense” methodology: money.

You can’t sell a “common sense” certificate. That’s because if someone really has some common sense, he/she is not going to pay you for this crap and the only certificate you can sell would be “Failed Common Sense Practitioner”. Actually I doubt you can  hardly sell any crap to common sense practitioners. That’s a problem. So, there is no Common Sense Movement for you 😦

I really would like the hype waves to stop so we could just do our work in peace. Meanwhile, when you are approached by a client or a boss with yet another “We need tool X” or “We need technology Y” you should really answer with “Prove that you need it and it’s optimal usage for our money and time considering other alternatives” no matter how new,shiny or cool that thing is.