"Smart people find the easy way to get the job done."
                                 -- Manfred Flatten

It wasn't meant as a compliment, but it was excellent advice that my first boss gave me. His name was Manfred Flatten, a bricklayer, and I was the help. Without consciously thinking about it I took that advice to heart. When there is work to do, look for the easy way to get the job done.

That advice applies very well to software development. Being smart means finding the easy way to produce high-quality software that meets the requirements. Around the same time Manfred was giving me advice, I found myself frequently questioning the status quo and the so-called conventional wisdom. Maybe it was just the rebellious teenager in me, but it is an attribute I still possess. It is a valuable learning experience to look closely at and try to understand the other side of the coin on just about any issue you can imagine. It turns out that the conventional wisdom really represents only the average wisdom. Sometimes that is just fine; sometimes we can do better.

I can't say for sure if everything on this website is "alternative". But there has been many times in the past where my co-workers and I have not exactly seen things eye to eye when it comes to my methods. And yet, after I've finish my assignments, they never complain when I offer to help them with theirs.

This website is mostly for new programmers, but also for open-minded programmers of all experience levels. The ideas and methodologies written about here are not theories; I have put them very successfully into practice.

For my entire professional career as a software engineer (17+ years) I have placed an emphasis on getting the job done in the easiest and quickest manner. I have listened to a lot of people and learned from all of them (feedback please!). I have spent a lot of time thinking about how we do things and wondered if there are more efficient, more productive and easier ways to get these things done. This site is the result of what I have learned.