.NET
The Problem with Singletons You Need to Avoid
For most applications, using the traditional singleton pattern (or using a singleton scope in a service container) is good enough to minimize overhead of things “create once use many.” There are specific cases, such as games where the initialization cost is high but needs to be done once, having a class-level instance variable (initialized on startup) is preferred.
Stop Using FluentAssertions Now
Version 8 of FluentAssertions will cost $130 per developer to use. The community is not happy about this open source tool now being a paid product. The license says it can only be used for open source and not for anything related to something that makes money. Solution: Don’t upgrade past version 7. You can pin the version in your .csproj file by using square brackets around the version. This is perpetually an Apache license that cannot be revoked. Solution: Use shoudly.
Career
Dear Software Engineer: It’s Time to Reclaim Your Role
This essay describes the early responsibilities of a “software engineer” — designing systems, making architectural decisions, understanding users’ needs. With the rise of specialization, the role of software engineer has been narrowed to someone who translates pseudocode into code. Unfortunately AI is exceptionally good at this narrow task. The author suggests that people focus on activities beyond writing code — what it takes to build software, working with problem statements instead of “pre-digested solutions disguised as user stories”, joining product owners to work with stakeholders, understanding the data and decisions shaping your projects.
Managing Yourself
Stop Relying on Others for Validation at Work
- “…we all doubt ourselves at times, and wanting to be seen and valued by others is healthy and natural. … However, relying on external validation to bolster self-worth is a losing game in the long run. We tether our self-esteem to the shifting tides of others’ judgment, and yet, their approval yields only a fleeting sense of accomplishment.”
- “We live in a ‘fix-it’ society, which leads us to believe that focusing on our weaknesses is the best way to improve. The problem? This notion is largely misguided.”
- “For instance, overly critical parents can cause their children to feel insufficient, micromanaging bosses plant seeds of self-doubt in their direct reports, and social groups that emphasize status and material success can amplify insecurity in people who don’t meet those standards.”