Editing Software Engineering (Fall 2025) (section)

=== October 7 (Tuesday) Learning from Failures and Fiascos Part 1  ===

'''Special Guest Speaker: Hillary Kiene, Platform Engineer at Starbucks (3:45-4:15)'''


'''Before Class'''
* Read [https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1838606/files/folder/Week%203?preview=139328665 Reading Note #3]
* Watch my mini-lecture on [https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1838606/files/folder/Week%203?preview=138795864 Learning From Failure (Part 1)]
* Prepare Case Material -- ''please be aware that cases of failure involve some visceral description, human tragedy, and loss of life. Although this material is disturbing, I include it because these are at times the stakes of failure in software engineering: our work touches on every part of life, including transportation, health, and safety systems.''
** The Oregon Whale Incident: Read article and watch 4m video: https://www.registerguard.com/story/lifestyle/2024/11/11/exploding-whale-day-florence-oregon-coast/76092539007/
Access issues? Try this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kEXAHklDU8 and the Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_whale#Florence_whale
** Tacoma Narrows Bridge: 
*** Watch documentary footage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tacoma_Narrows_Bridge_destruction.ogv
*** Read article and watch 5m video about the event [https://web.archive.org/web/20240917150618/https://www.cascadepbs.org/2019/08/how-washingtons-most-infamous-bridge-failure-helped-engineers-prevent-more/ in this PBS article].
** Hyatt Regency walkway collapse
*** Listen to: https://timharford.com/2022/03/cautionary-tales-death-on-the-dance-floor/ [47m]
*** Wikipedia article about the collapse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyatt_Regency_walkway_collapse -- note the 'Investigation' section and accompanying diagram 

'''Class Goals:'''
* Ask questions of our special guest speaker
* Discuss Reading Note 3
* Standup
* Hands-on / triage issues with Task 2

'''Class Materials:'''
* [https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1838606/files/folder/Week%203?preview=140271916 Miro discussion board]

'''Optional Reading:'''
* ''If you'd like to read about Brooks' idea of the roles in a software development team'', read Chapter 3 of The Mythical Man Month; we won't cover this in class.
* ''If you'd like to read about Brooks' idea of developing a coherency in operating system architecture'', read Chapter 4 of The Mythical Man Month; we won't cover this in class.
* ''If you are curious about the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse'', you might enjoy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Narrows_Bridge_(1940) the Wikipedia article]
* ''If you can't get enough of the exploding whale incident,'' it also has a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_whale Wikipedia article]
* ''If the idea of learning through failures is of interest to you'' I recommend the books ''Success Through Failure'' and ''To Engineer is Human,'' both by Henry Petroski.