The Stack Overflow Podcast

This week we have two extra podcast episodes for you, sponsored by Oracle, which is celebrating the fact that the Java programming language has been going strong for over a quarter century.

Originally conceived as an operating system for interactive set-top boxes, Java is now active on more than 45 billion virtual machines around the globe. From computers to cars, from Minecraft to the Mars Rover, its reach is astonishing. We dig into the history of why it was developed and what allowed it to flourish to such a degree.

This week, we talk about code that writes code and how soon it will put us all out of a job. That, or it's a nice magic trick, and a great tool for accessibility. After that, Sara and Paul do some mock interviews, as we investigate a paper on the role of anxiety in the hiring process for software developers.

This week we sit down with Alex Kallaway, creator of 100 Days of Code. A self-taught programmer, Alex was working full time a few years back, but feeling frustrated that he wasn't using or learning modern web languages like Javascript or React. He kept promising himself he would learn on his off-time, but failing to follow through. Finally, he came up with a system to hold himself accountable. That idea, a public promise under the hashtag #100DaysOfCode, has become a movement and a community, with thousands of other coders joining in to pledge their commitment to self-directed learning.

This week we sit down Saron Yitbarek, founder of Code Newbie, a company that was acquired by DEV earlier this year. That pairing brought together two fast growing online communities dedicated to helping everyone gain access to the skills and support network they need to become a programmer.

This week, we dive into the debate over Scrum methodology. Sure, it helps you finish your sprint faster. But is it leaving your engineers burnt out, and your product substandard?

This week we chat with two Stack Overflow employees, Ian Allen and Syeeda Briddell, co-chairs of the company's Black and Brown (BNB) affinity group. Ian is an engineer working on our talent product and Syeeda is a senior sales executive on the Advertising team.

This week we walk through the finer points of interpreters, compilers, just-in-time compilation, and how all this relates to our ability to communicate with extraterrestrials.

This week we chat about Paul's new super computer, Sara's epiphany on how to ace code screenings, and Ben's realization that other industries could learn a thing or two from the way software companies screen their candidates.

This week we talk through the nitty gritty of our day jobs and review the Java apps that had a big impact on our world, and beyond.

Paul walks us through a classic legacy systems breakdown. We break down the finer pint of programmer humor. Ben tries to understand how Apple will bring Face and Touch ID to the web. And for dessert, a deep dive into the weirdest trade magazines on the web.