This video introduces our series on software professionalism.

Let's imagine that we all live and work in a giant O'Neil habitat, plying the orbits between Earth and the Asteroid belt, gathering solar energy and mining the asteroids for volatiles, minerals, and metals. Such a vessel requires a lot of software. The software teams on board are led by "The General."

In our imaginary world, safety is paramount. Software problems could endanger everyone aboard. And so the General has established a code of standards, ethics, and disciplines that all programmers on board must profess. It is their adherence to that code that defines them as professionals.

This series will investigate those standards, disciplines, and that code of ethics. We'll use it to compare and contrast with the kinds of professional standards we might need here on Earth.

In this series we'll talk about the issues that affect your ability to write software. We'll talk about tests, estimates, and schedules. We'll talk about how to say "No", and when to say "Yes." We'll discuss ways of dealing with pressure and the unreasonable demands of users.

We'll also talk about softer issues, like how you write code after a big fight with your spouse. How you focus your mind in the midst of a battery of distractions. How to pace yourself for a long project.

We'll talk about honing your skills, managing your time, collaborating with others, and mentoring new programmers.

Overall, we'll talk about what it means to be a professional. We'll discuss our ethical standards, and the disciplines that put actions to those standards. We'll talk about the lines we won't cross, and the promises we make to ourselves, to our employers, to our team mates, and to our craft.

Welcome aboard The Clean Coder!