Surviving the Turbo Encabulator (And Other Tech Hyperbole)
Net API Notes for 2024/09/30, Issue 245
Howdy, folks!
For much of the past month, instead of writing the latest, greatest edition of Net API Notes, I've been working on the script for my latest slide deck. The fine people at Carmax invited me to present at their 2024 DevOps Days internal developer conference. It's the third year I've been asked to talk, and I greatly appreciate the flexibility in letting me define my own topic.
This past year I've spent a tremendous amount of time researching and reframing bedrock stories of the API industry - a series for paid subscribers that I call the ¡APIcryphal! In doing that work, I've become acutely aware of how technology claims and counterclaims provide the "animating energy" in IT shops and boardrooms alike. It seemed like there was something worth commenting on.
Likewise, Carmax's automotive roots reminded me of a YouTube meme I seemed to bump up against ocassionally. Combining these two things together, I arrived at a pitch entitled "Surviving the Turbo Encabulator (and Other Tech Hyperbole)" that I floated to the conference organizers. My talk description:
"The Turbo Encabulator is an engineering joke that first appeared in 1944. Numerous reinterpretations have appeared since, each filled with escalating degrees of technobabble nearly indistinguishable from that we might hear about picoservices, blockchain, or generative AI. How do we responsibly embrace new practices, processes, and tools while avoiding becoming the butt of the joke ourselves?"
I delivered the talk on September 25th and posted the scripts and slides to my website today. Enjoy responsibly.
One thing that I could have gotten into more detail was the specifics around fine-tuning one's information intake apparatus. This is referred to as "sense making" among knowledge management folk. Years ago, I was fortunate to attend Harold Jarche's Personal Knowledge Mastery online workshop. Tips like "cultivate trusted sources" just scratch the surface of having a deliberate, thoughtful approach to managing your information diet. If any of the themes in the presentation resonate with you and you'd like to take your online "survival" skills to the next level, I'd recommend reviewing Jarche's offerings.
Milestones
- Bump.sh released an impressive OpenAPI 3.1 Cheat Sheet. If you contributed to an API program and aren't providing these resources to help development teams get started with your "house style", why not?
- Bump.sh also published a complete OpenAPI guide by Net API Notes's favorite Lorax, Phil Sturgeon.
- Spectral now has native support for the new OpenAPI Arazzo Specification.
Wrapping Up
Just a quick note this time, but if you feel shorted in the word count, check out my Turbo Encabulator presentation.
I'll end with a thank you to the folks who read, share, comment, and become paid subscribers to this newsletter. Paid subscribers get access to the entirety of ¡APIcryphal!, the true(ish) stories of APIs past for as little as $8 a month. They also help ensure that Net API Notes remains ad and information-seller free. If you're in a position to do so, please consider supporting this endeavor.
Thanks for considering it. Till next time,
Matthew [@matthew (Fediverse), matthewreinbold.com (Website)]