Where do I stand on prototypes? The same place that I stand on layering or the breaking down of systems into smaller and smaller objects. You should build only as many prototypes as are necessary to find and solve the hard problems that result from whatever you’re trying to build. Anything else is just navel-gazing. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like navel-gazing as much as the next guy—perhaps more—but what I do when I delve into my psychedelia collection has nothing, I assure you, to do with writing software.

KODE VICIOUS, known to mere mortals as George V.

Neville-Neil, works on networking and operating system code for fun and profit. He also teaches courses on various subjects related to programming. His areas of interest are code spelunking, operating systems, and rewriting your bad code (OK, maybe not that last one). He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, and is a member of ACM, the Usenix Association, and IEEE. He is an avid bicyclist and traveler who currently lives in New York City.

KV © 2008 ACM 1542-7730/ 08/0900 $5.00

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