Author Archives: claforet

About claforet

I have been photographing since my college days. My current gear is a Nikon D-700 along with a plethora of lenses. My first serious camera was a Canon EF back in the early 80s. A Canon A-1 soon followed. Since then, I also have had a Minolta Maxxum, Nikon FM, Nikon F4, and Nikon Point and Shoot in my film days. I have had and maintained a private full color and B&W lab on and off for much of that time. My photos can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/claforet/ Photography and painting are my "sanity breaks" that save me from my day-to-day software development existence! I host a group in Facebook called "Painting as a Second Language" for anyone who is interested in painting as an outlet for the day-to-day pressures. Please look it up and join if you think it will meet your needs. Recently, I have also branched into the video world and am learning how to shoot video better and how to edit compelling video sequences. My learning experiences will be part of this blog and my videos can be seen at http://www.vimeo.com/claforet I live in, and photograph mostly around, North Carolina. I love traveling so there are many shots from states around us, out West, and other places. My daughter has been bitten by the photography bug too. She has spent time in a B&W lab and loves the excitement generated by just the smell of the chemicals. Maybe one day she will take over where I leave off....

Are You Really Looking for a SENIOR Software Engineer?

What exactly is meant when a company is looking to hire a Senior Software Engineer? Is it really what a Senior Software Engineer would imagine it to be or is it something else? Continue reading

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Church Body Democracy (or Not)?

I am finally getting some words down on a subject that I have prayerfully mused over for quite a while. Recently several events have brought it to a point and have forced it to the center of my thoughts and … Continue reading

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Burdens of an (Introverted) Solo Practitioner

While I may be alone in my pursuits, I know that I am not alone in my state of anguish.  Surely, of all of the billions of people in this world, there must be others out there who struggle with … Continue reading

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Don’t “Go Your Own Way”

What does the 1988 Clapham Junction railway accident have to teach software developers and testers? Continue reading

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Poor Engineering Decision-Making

On June 3, 1998 a Deutsche Bahn high-speed train derailed and caused the worst high-speed train accident to date. What can we software engineers learn from the mistakes made by the engineering team that designed that train? Continue reading

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Keeping Notebooks in a Digital Age?

Successful people keep notebooks even in this digital age. This is a small musing about Chris’ personal thoughts about notebooking. Continue reading

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Coniston Lake, an oil painting

I finally finished the one and only canvas that I started this year. Amid the work-at-home, high-pressure sprinting for Covance, and all the fun-and-games Covid brought, I decided to set up my easel and try to get my head back … Continue reading

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Engineers Must Learn From History

In my recent encounters with newly minted software developers (and by “recent,” I mean within the last decade or so), I have been shocked by the fact that most do not have a solid grounding in the work of the … Continue reading

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Working from Home and Unfair Tax Rules?!

Another Covid year is beginning to wind down with all of the trauma and changes that this disease has brought into the lives of the world’s population. It has definitely taken a toll in the deaths of loved ones and … Continue reading

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The Pragmatic Programmer, Rebooted!

It is a true statement that one of the influential books in my personal software development journey is “The Pragmatic Programmer.” My copy has been well-read and substantially highlighted in the almost 20 years it has been in my possession … Continue reading

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