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Stack Overflow Podcast #94 – We Don’t Care If Bret Is Famous

Grab a cookie (before Joel eats them all) and listen to the Stack Overflow podcast #94, recorded Thursday, November 10, 2016 at the Stack Overflow Headquarters in NYC. Today's podcast is brought to you by the Electoral College since this podcast usually loses the popular vote.

Joel actually doesn't have a rant today. gasp Instead, we chat about our annual company meetup, which took place this year in the sometimes sunny Philadelphia. The gang explains why getting everyone together at least once a year is so important in such a heavily remote company. Hint: it's mainly to assure Jay to his face that no one hates him.

One of the coolest things to come out of this year’s meetup was a Tiny Talk by Stack Overflow developer Bret Copeland titled "How to Land the Space Shuttle… from Space" that has gotten over 87,000 (as of 11/14) views on YouTube. He wears a flight suit and everything…

This week's constitutional amendment question (along with way too much talk about stickers) is: Should you be allowed to comment out code and check it in? Jay (tries to) explain what this means while Joel and David try very hard not to laugh. Post your answer to Twitter using the hashtag #stackoverflowpodcast, with either PRO if yay, or CON if nay, along with your explanation. Keep it short but convincing! The best explanation, whether on the winning side or the losing side, will be read on next week's podcast and win a fabulous STACK OVERFLOW STICKER courtesy of the Stack Overflow Podcast.

Our very special guest today, with her Developer Story, is Fereshteh Forough, the founder and executive director of Code to Inspire, which is celebrating its one year anniversary this week! It uses technology, education and outreach to support Afghan women in their fight for social, political, and economic equality. In 2015 she founded Code to Inspire, the first coding school for girls in Afghanistan, with the mission of educating Afghan women with in-demand programming skills, empower them to add unique value to their communities, and inspire them to strive for financial and social independence.

"During my life journey, as a student and as a teacher in computer science, I definitely felt that there is a huge educational gap... We had students that never touched a computer and didn't know about a keyboard or mouse… Now they are at the level where they are developing a responsive website. So it's amazing to see how resources and providing this situation for women can really change their lives." - Fereshteh Forough

Thanks and see you next week!

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