# 116: You Have to Care

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2015-09-02
- Length: 1h 21m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-09-02-116-you-have-to-care
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/embedded-ep116mp3

## Summary

Glenn Scott, a principal engineer at PARC, discusses the philosophy and tactics of API design, emphasizing that naming, modeling, and abstraction are the foundational pillars of good software. He argues for reducing cyclomatic complexity, avoiding premature feature addition ('you ain't gonna use it'), and treating code as a communication tool for other humans rather than just machines. Scott also touches on the legal implications of API copyright, the importance of professional judgment over rigid processes, and his interest in drone-based data acquisition for Mars and ocean exploration.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-09-02-116-you-have-to-care#t=6) Introduction and Linguistic Background
- [3:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-09-02-116-you-have-to-care#t=203) The Primacy of Naming and Vocabulary
- [10:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-09-02-116-you-have-to-care#t=650) Models, Abstractions, and the Serial Port Example
- [19:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-09-02-116-you-have-to-care#t=1170) Complexity, Cyclomatic Complexity, and Professional Judgment
- [34:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-09-02-116-you-have-to-care#t=2097) Code Metrics, Testing, and Documentation
- [43:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-09-02-116-you-have-to-care#t=2619) API Evolution, Versioning, and Accessors
- [52:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-09-02-116-you-have-to-care#t=3142) Coding Style, Tools, and PARC's Longbow
- [1:01:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-09-02-116-you-have-to-care#t=3682) Dogfooding and the Oracle vs. Google Copyright Case
- [1:09:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-09-02-116-you-have-to-care#t=4149) Fractal APIs and Future Technologies
- [1:14:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-09-02-116-you-have-to-care#t=4446) Education, Professionalism, and Caring

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- PARC (company)
- CCN (product)
- LongBow (tool)
- Java (product)
- Doxygen (tool)
- Oracle (company)
- Google (company)
- Bob Martin (other)
- Knuth (other)
- Sun (company)
- Cisco (company)
- Xcode (tool)
- Emacs (tool)
- Vi (tool)
- Eclipse (tool)
- Visual Studio (tool)
- Oxygen (tool)
- JavaDoc (tool)
- POSIX (other)
- Embedded.fm (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Magic is Bad](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2024-10-16-magic-is-bad) (The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast)
- [Software Engineering Past, Present, and Future with Grady Booch](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-02-07-software-engineering-past-present-and-future-with-grady-booch) (Oxide and Friends)
- [Code Reviews](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2024-07-26-code-reviews) (The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast)
- [Engineering Rigor in the LLM Age](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-01-15-engineering-rigor-in-the-llm-age) (Oxide and Friends)
- [The Matthew Test with Matthew Eshleman - Part 2](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2022-08-09-the-matthew-test-with-matthew-eshleman-part-2) (The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-09-02-116-you-have-to-care. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Embedded.fm.