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Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.
Their words‘Open source’ is as much a community philosophy as it is a licensing concept.
Their wordsAs fast as the hyperscalers are training LLMs on ever-expanding datasets, I think much of what matters lives in stories, mistakes, or habits of individual practitioners.
Their wordsI think modeling good behavior should be a given, but I think it’s equally important to admonish those demonstrating cruelty, dishonesty, exploitation, or behaviors that otherwise lead to a deteriorating culture or community. One reason why this is particularly important for those with seniority is that when you are young, it is much riskier for a variety of reasons to speak out.
Their wordsElders should use their access and resources to connect, refer, sponsor, and otherwise hold the door open rather than just offering advice from the other side.
Their wordsWhether it’s answering emails, reviewing portfolios, or just listening and encouraging, elders should make themselves available to others.
Their wordsEvery generation inherits both the advances and sins of the one prior. I think it’s important to speak honestly about that, and humbly share what we got wrong and the mistakes we made so we can correct them and move forward rather than calcify the status quo into harmful traditions.
Our reading
Experienced people should not treat their knowledge as complete, especially amid rapid innovation
Their wordsIt is far too easy to regard the knowledge you have as an elder as complete, especially with all of the rapid innovations happening now. Old dogs should still learn new tricks.
Their wordsBeing an elder is less about simply age, and more about turning that time, access, judgement, experience, and refined ability into a way of being that enables those who are coming next. It is this service, not seniority, that makes you an elder.
Their wordsI’ve lately seen what I feel is an increase in egregious public behavior, but have to remind myself that the best way to effect change is rarely a scathing reply, as good as that might feel in the moment.
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