A DevOps Philosophy

Abstract:

One of the main tenets of the Devops movement is empathy. One might even say it is the essence of Devops.

Throughout history, great philosophers, writers, and thinkers have passed along important thoughts and ideologies about our relationships, our passions, our purpose, and our place in this world. Time and time again, they return to the idea of empathy in one form or another.

Henry David Thoreau wrote “Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eye for an instant? Heinz Kohut, an American clinical psychologist, was the first to consider empathy as a form of internal scientific inquiry. “Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."" wrote Albert Einstein. Even the Golden Rule of “One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.” is a message passed down through scripture. You know … “Do unto others”.

Philosophy, like the DevOps movement, forces us to ask questions of ourselves and our place in the bigger picture. How do we interact & communicate with others? What does it take to be a contributing member of a team and how can you be a better teammate?

We will use this as a platform to explore additional parallels of basic philosophy and the ideals that are a part of that and how they can be woven into the fabric of Devops. Call it a different approach at explaining the Devops message and movement.

Additionally, we'll touch on the fact that (like in philosophy), “leaders” and “teachers” will surface to ""Show you the way"" (of Devops). Some have the best of intentions, others may just be looking out for themselves or trying to make money on the movement. (i.e. DevOps Institute?)

Where do casual observers of Devops ""best practices"" fall in to this? Compare that to those who follow the Devops methodology by the book and rarely deviate. Is one better than the other?

By placing the ideals of Devops in to a different context, perhaps we can spark other interesting thoughts and dialogues that may help others to seek what Devops may mean to them and how they can apply it to their own situations within an organization.

Speaker:

Jason Hand