I've been playing with #Github #Copilot as more than just fancy tab-completion in my editor. This will annoy many people. I agree with most of them on most things. I agree that people responsible for the production of code should think carefully about the code. They should value #readability, #maintainability, #testability etc. I agree that some ways of using #AI for coding are just terrible practice. I just don't think that all AI use is inherently evil.

https://dev.to/drhyde/god-is-my-copilot-copilot-is-my-new-god-5h6i

#GithubCopilot

Want fewer rewrites and faster test reviews? Learn how SOLID guides beginners toward clean #PageObjectModel in #Java—with concrete refactoring examples.

Read Savi Grover’s article: https://javapro.io/2026/01/06/learning-java-automation-the-solid-way-a-beginners-guide-to-learn-page-object-model-with-java-solid-principles/

#Java #AutomationTesting #Maintainability #JAVAPRO #CleanCode

I am really torn between letting #AI tackle tasks that I just don't have the time for, or doing it on my own and push through.
Throwing AI on issues may solve a problem, but introduces holes in your #knowledge about and #maintainability of the #code.

I can't be the only one. 🫠

#Development #Guides
The CSS ‘z-index’ value · “Stop racing for the highest number.” https://ilo.im/16b8yj

_____
#Predictability #Maintainability #Stacking #Layers #Tokens #Tooltips #WebDev #Frontend #CSS #JavaScript

When I talk to people about web quality, they always mention measures based on code #readability and #maintainability. Rarely or never do they mention #performance, #accessibility, or #userExperience.

Performance _is_ accessibility. I think there is so much opportunity for me and my colleagues to raise the bar at the #RaspberryPiFoundation to improve access to kids and educators around the world.

Mike Hall at #SotB26.

Why do UI tests slow teams down instead of speeding them up? Savi Grover shows how better Java design (SOLID + POM) turns automation into an asset again.

Worth sharing with your team: https://javapro.io/2026/01/06/learning-java-automation-the-solid-way-a-beginners-guide-to-learn-page-object-model-with-java-solid-principles/

#Java #AutomationTesting #Maintainability #JAVAPRO

Software engineering is the art of turning "just a small change" into a three-part migration plan, a rollback strategy, and a meeting.

Not because engineers are dramatic, but because reality has:
- hidden dependencies,
- old clients,
- and data that refuses to be reshaped politely.

If the change feels small, that is often a sign you have not found the sharp edges yet.

#SoftwareEngineering #EngineeringHumor #TechReality #Maintainability #ChangeManagement #SystemsThinking #ByernNotes

I trust systems that can be explained without adjectives.

If it needs "robust", "scalable", "enterprise-grade", and "AI-powered" to sound plausible, it is probably doing too much. If it can be explained in verbs and nouns, it is probably closer to truth.

Design is not how convincing the story is.
It is how predictable the behavior is.

#SoftwareEngineering #SystemsDesign #SoftwareArchitecture #Clarity #Maintainability #EngineeringBasics #ByernNotes

Most migrations fail socially before they fail technically.

Not because people are unwilling, but because the system has hidden contracts: spreadsheets, habits, undocumented workflows, “temporary” scripts that became critical infrastructure.

The code is only the visible part.
The hard part is preserving intent while changing mechanics.

#SoftwareEngineering #Migration #EngineeringCulture #SystemsThinking #Maintainability #TechLeadership #ByernNotes

There is a quiet kind of technical excellence that looks like “nothing happened.”

No incident. No fire drill. No heroic debugging session.
Just clear boundaries, boring interfaces, and a refusal to let the system become clever in the wrong places.

Heroics feel productive.
Routine is what scales.

#SoftwareEngineering #Maintainability #Simplicity #SystemsDesign #EngineeringCulture #TechReality #ByernNotes