Question: How do you stay up to date?

by Jason Haley 5. May 2008 00:29

There are a couple of things that triggered this entry:

  1. Dave Burke's Everyman Links for May 3, 2008 where he point to Mabster's entry Developing with Confidence
  2. The latest edition of Microsoft's The Architecture Journal, Journal 15 came in the mail this weekend - this edition is all about architects and the practice of architecture.

I've only read the first article so far (We Don't Need No Architects by Joseph Hofstader) in which I found the following quotes interesting:

"The role of the IT architect is to solve a problem by defining a system that can be implemented using technology.  Good architects define systems by applying abstract knowledge and proven methods to a set of technologies with the goal of creating an extendible and maintainable solution."

"Understanding how a technology works is not enough to develop a robust software solution - understanding where the technology is applicable within a solution is essential to the development of a quality product."

To me the article is really good at describing how an architect really needs to have a broad knowledge base (domain and technical) as well as the ability to conceptualize the business problems and on the flip side see the patterns that can be applied to the solution.  To me this means two things: experience and a great ability to be and stay current with the software industry.

So the question on my mind is: How do architects (or even developers) best stay up to date with all the new technologies, patterns, processes, etc. in order to best determine when and where to use them?

Anyone have any tips?

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