Software and life became one, in a way at least. At this point it is hard to imagine a life without software at all. It runs on our phones, computers, gadgets, phones, infrastructure, houses and even for some already on our fridges.
As humans we are remarkable in our creativity and innovation. Software and all the concepts it entails is very much an example of this.
It is however, ... A bit rushed. Bugs — mistakes in software — have become an accepted part of software, and as such a part of life. Be it games, applications or anything else software related, we've come to accept bugs as part of it.
The question however is, should we really do so. Why should bugs be considered part of it all? Granted, a pure and flawless system is perhaps an impossibility to achieve, but certainly we can do better than the current state of affairs.
Software as a craft
This is one of many reasons why we founded Plabayo. We take pride in our software:
- The software is the product not you: it is fully open source and can be modified and audited by anyone who wishes to do so;
- It is written with care: well tested, following best practices and with security in mind from the start;
- The software is released only when it is ready to be released: if that means it takes years rather than months to release an Application, so be it;
As with any craft it also means that we continue to educate ourselves in it every single day. The learning never stops, and this since more then a decade already.
Malware
While malware is a very specific kind of software, one could argue that most software these days can be called as such.
Pretty much all websites track you. Even worse is that they often track you across your journey on the internet, a network of networks that no longer is really free. Even worse is that operating systems such as Windows also track your every move, and that with direct communication lines with the many different domains of Microsoft and even its partners.
At Plabayo we take great care in preserving your privacy and security. There is a zero tracking policy and we have a security-first mindset since the start of any project.
Zero (active) tracking does mean that we have no direct visibility in terms of what our users are doing, what they like, dislike and where they get stuck. Where they go and where they stay away. I'm optimistic in its possibilities, but at the same time curious how far we can go without any of that useful "feedback" data.
Stacks
Another problem with software these days, and no it is not really a problem that Plabayo aims to solve directly, is the depth of the stacks our software. What do we mean with that?
Take your typical NodeJS Application. The code required to run even the most simplest of these is breathtaking.
There is a lot that can be said about Dependencies, and we certainly do have them ourselves. That being said, where dependencies can be avoided we aim to do so. At times that means reinventing the wheel, but it will be a wheel that we understand and adheres to our standards.
There's a lot that can be said about software as a craft. It turns lot more than I can write in a single blog post. What I can write however at this point is that writing software is something I do with pride and do so professionally and consciously.
It takes a lifetime to really master it I came to believe, in the meanwhile we shall do our best to reach the standards and quality bar that we aim for.