Many thanks to Tristan Morris for creating a beautiful illustrated hardcover print edition of the site


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The
Codeless Code
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An illustrated collection of (sometimes violent) fables
concerning the Art and Philosophy of software development,
written in the spirit of Zen kōans
| Case | Title | Geekiness | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 234 | Ozymandias | 1 | 2016-07-10 |
| 233 | The Falling and the Rising Rain | 2 | 2016-07-04 |
| 232 | Education | 2 | 2016-06-19 |
| 231 | Laziness | 0 | 2016-06-12 |
| 230 | All Together Now | 2 | 2016-06-06 |
| 229 | The Recommended Approach | 2 | 2016-05-30 |
| 228 | The Trembling Giant | 1 | 2016-04-17 |
| 227 | You Are What You Eat | 2 | 2016-04-10 |
| 226 | Spring, Fall | 1 | 2016-03-14 |
| 225 | The Three Most Terrifying Words | 2 | 2016-03-06 |
| 224 | Unsupported Accusations | 0 | 2016-02-21 |
| 223 | Hidden Costs | 1 | 2016-02-15 |
| 222 | Stand-In | 2 | 2016-01-31 |
| 221 | Indigestion | 3 | 2016-01-25 |
| 220 | The Two Hard Things | 1 | 2016-01-18 |
| 219 | Nothing Really Matters | 3 | 2016-01-10 |
| 218 | The Terminal Retrospectives: or, After the Deployment | 2 | 2016-01-02 |
| 217 | The Chimera's Egg | 2 | 2015-12-08 |
| 216 | Proxy | 1 | 2015-11-30 |
| 215 | FAQ | 1 | 2015-11-23 |
| 214 | Streams of Consciousness | 3 | 2015-11-16 |
| 213 | The Imperfect Mirror | 3 | 2015-11-08 |
| 212 | Seasons | 1 | 2015-11-01 |
| 211 | No Magic | 3 | 2015-10-18 |
| 210 | Hygiene | 2 | 2015-10-13 |
| 209 | Submerged | 3 | 2015-10-04 |
| 208 | Wolf in the Fold | 2 | 2015-09-27 |
| 207 | Parrot | 1 | 2015-09-20 |
| 206 | Inaction Hero | 1 | 2015-09-13 |
| 205 | Plural Effusion | 2 | 2015-09-06 |
| 204 | Night Shift | 2 | 2015-08-30 |
| 203 | In the Stars | 0 | 2015-08-22 |
| 202 | Anchors Aweigh | 2 | 2015-08-15 |
| 201 | Ignorance is Bliss | 1 | 2015-07-26 |
| 200 | The Boolean | 2 | 2015-07-19 |
| 199 | Unwitting Accomplice | 2 | 2015-07-12 |
| 198 | This Too Shall Pass | 0 | 2015-07-05 |
| 197 | Forgiveness | 2 | 2015-06-29 |
| 196 | Fee | 2 | 2015-06-22 |
| 195 | The Magician's Code | 3 | 2015-06-15 |
| 194 | Stray | 2 | 2015-06-08 |
| 193 | The Vicious Circle | 1 | 2015-05-31 |
| 192 | The Four Words of Distress: Part Two | 2 | 2015-05-25 |
| 191 | The Four Words of Distress: Part One | 2 | 2015-05-18 |
| 190 | To Make An Omelette | 2 | 2015-05-03 |
| 189 | The Dense Forest | 2 | 2015-04-26 |
| 188 | Tough Love | 0 | 2015-04-18 |
| 187 | Exit Interview | 3 | 2015-04-12 |
| 186 | Nothing, Forever | 0 | 2015-04-07 |
| 184 | Life | 2 | 2015-03-22 |
| 183 | Choosing Your Battles | 1 | 2015-03-14 |
| 182 | Mousetrap | 2 | 2015-03-08 |
| 181 | Future Imperfect | 1 | 2015-03-01 |
| 180 | Past Perfect | 1 | 2015-02-22 |
| 179 | Walking the Path | 1 | 2015-02-10 |
| 178 | Unity | 3 | 2015-01-25 |
| 177 | The Tool-Shed | 2 | 2015-01-19 |
| 176 | Many Happy Returns | 2 | 2015-01-11 |
| 175 | Flat Shark | 2 | 2015-01-01 |
| 174 | Out of the Zone | 0 | 2014-12-28 |
| 173 | Lost Peer | 3 | 2014-12-21 |
| 172 | Lesson One | 0 | 2014-12-07 |
| 171 | Initial Conditions | 3 | 2014-11-30 |
| 170 | The Purple Beggar | 1 | 2014-11-23 |
| 169 | Best Practices | 1 | 2014-11-16 |
| 168 | Horizontal, Vertical | 2 | 2014-11-09 |
| 167 | Back to Basics | 3 | 2014-11-02 |
| 166 | Tempus Fugit | 3 | 2014-10-26 |
| 165 | Failsafe | 2 | 2014-10-19 |
| 164 | Paradox | 0 | 2014-09-30 |
| 163 | Vacation | 0 | 2014-09-23 |
| 162 | All According to Plan | 1 | 2014-09-15 |
| 161 | Triangle | 3 | 2014-09-08 |
| 160 | The Eye of the Beholder | 1 | 2014-08-31 |
| 159 | Blocks | 0 | 2014-08-25 |
| 158 | Monday, Monday | 2 | 2014-08-17 |
| 157 | Captive Audience | 2 | 2014-08-10 |
| 156 | The Garden Path | 2 | 2014-08-03 |
| 155 | Don't Help | 3 | 2014-07-26 |
| 154 | A Bridge To Nowhere | 1 | 2014-07-20 |
| 153 | The Red Circle | 0 | 2014-07-13 |
| 152 | What Lies Beneath | 3 | 2014-07-06 |
| 151 | The Summer Scarf | 2 | 2014-06-28 |
| 150 | Undone | 1 | 2014-06-22 |
| 149 | The First Finger | 2 | 2014-06-14 |
| 148 | Subtle Art | 3 | 2014-06-07 |
| 147 | Bawan's Table | 3 | 2014-06-01 |
| 146 | Box Model | 2 | 2014-05-25 |
| 145 | Five Years | 1 | 2014-05-18 |
| 144 | Mnemonic | 1 | 2014-05-11 |
| 143 | Monolith | 3 | 2014-05-04 |
| 142 | The Blind Leading the Blind | 2 | 2014-04-27 |
| 141 | Ill Met By Moonlight | 0 | 2014-04-20 |
| 140 | Heartbleed | 2 | 2014-04-13 |
| 139 | Feedback | 0 | 2014-04-05 |
| 138 | The Province of Eternal Crisis | 2 | 2014-03-30 |
| 137 | The 1000 Words | 3 | 2014-03-23 |
| 136 | Unsupported Protocol | 0 | 2014-03-15 |
| 135 | Ass-Backwards Compatibility | 2 | 2014-03-09 |
| 134 | Thin Ice | 3 | 2014-03-01 |
| 133 | Dead Language | 2 | 2014-02-20 |
| 132 | Interpreter | 3 | 2014-02-15 |
| 131 | Don't Think | 2 | 2014-02-08 |
| 130 | The First Mantra | 1 | 2014-02-03 |
| 129 | Like a Rolling Stone | 2 | 2014-01-27 |
| 128 | The Prison of Infinite Pleasures | 3 | 2014-01-19 |
| 127 | State Change | 1 | 2014-01-12 |
| 126 | Tea for Two | 2 | 2014-01-05 |
| 125 | Power | 0 | 2013-12-28 |
| 124 | The Hidden Variable | 0 | 2013-12-22 |
| 123 | Order and Chaos | 2 | 2013-12-14 |
| 122 | Craftsmanship | 1 | 2013-12-07 |
| 121 | Where Angels Fear to Thread | 2 | 2013-11-29 |
| 120 | Plug and Play | 1 | 2013-11-24 |
| 119 | Sushi | 1 | 2013-11-15 |
| 118 | Clay | 2 | 2013-11-10 |
| 117 | Bareback | 3 | 2013-11-01 |
| 116 | Trust No One | 1 | 2013-10-24 |
| 115 | Pain | 3 | 2013-10-18 |
| 114 | Character Assassination | 1 | 2013-10-11 |
| 113 | Black Sheep | 2 | 2013-10-07 |
| 112 | Speak to Me | 2 | 2013-09-21 |
| 111 | Labyrinth | 1 | 2013-09-17 |
| 110 | The Trunk | 2 | 2013-09-15 |
| 109 | The Ties that Bind | 3 | 2013-09-03 |
| 108 | Sweet Tooth | 3 | 2013-09-01 |
| 107 | Babel | 2 | 2013-08-23 |
| 106 | The "I" In Team | 0 | 2013-08-15 |
| 105 | Navigation | 1 | 2013-08-03 |
| 104 | Guardrails | 2 | 2013-07-28 |
| 103 | The Black Enamel Box | 2 | 2013-07-21 |
| 102 | Paddle | 1 | 2013-07-12 |
| 101 | Accountability | 1 | 2013-07-05 |
| 100 | Ten Thousand Mistakes | 0 | 2013-06-24 |
| 99 | Queen Error | 2 | 2013-06-22 |
| 98 | Anti Matter | 2 | 2013-06-13 |
| 97 | Flammable | 3 | 2013-06-08 |
| 96 | Stateless | 2 | 2013-06-01 |
| 95 | Roses are Red | 3 | 2013-05-25 |
| 94 | Conventions | 2 | 2013-05-18 |
| 93 | You Take the High Road | 2 | 2013-05-11 |
| 92 | Still Waters | 0 | 2013-05-03 |
| 91 | The Soul of Wit | 1 | 2013-04-30 |
| 90 | Not A Number | 3 | 2013-04-21 |
| 89 | Version Control | 2 | 2013-04-10 |
| 88 | Suku's Adviser | 1 | 2013-04-07 |
| 87 | The Concubine's Fog | 3 | 2013-03-31 |
| 86 | Liberation | 1 | 2013-03-24 |
| 85 | Suku's Golden Mean | 3 | 2013-03-17 |
| 84 | What It Says On The Tin | 2 | 2013-03-10 |
| 83 | Consequences | 2 | 2013-03-03 |
| 82 | Jinyu's Tack | 2 | 2013-02-24 |
| 81 | Bubble Sort | 1 | 2013-02-15 |
| 80 | A Breed Apart | 0 | 2013-02-06 |
| 79 | Cave Canem | 1 | 2013-02-03 |
| 78 | Crashing the Third Gate | 1 | 2013-01-20 |
| 77 | The Upside-Down Abbey | 0 | 2013-01-19 |
| 76 | Myong's Cat | 3 | 2013-01-12 |
| 75 | Fear of Commitment | 2 | 2013-01-05 |
| 74 | Bathwater | 2 | 2012-12-30 |
| 73 | The White Pearl | 2 | 2012-12-24 |
| 72 | Too Eager | 3 | 2012-12-15 |
| 71 | The Six Unwelcome Hosts | 3 | 2012-12-08 |
| 70 | System | 2 | 2012-12-02 |
| 69 | Up To Date | 2 | 2012-11-25 |
| 68 | Decay | 0 | 2012-11-17 |
| 67 | Grease | 1 | 2012-11-11 |
| 66 | Porpoise | 0 | 2012-11-04 |
| 65 | Two Choices | 3 | 2012-10-28 |
| 64 | Three Beggars | 3 | 2012-10-21 |
| 63 | Shackles | 2 | 2012-10-13 |
| 62 | Confusion | 1 | 2012-10-06 |
| 61 | Weight | 1 | 2012-10-02 |
| 60 | The Watchdog | 1 | 2012-09-30 |
| 58 | Enough to Hang Yourself By | 2 | 2012-09-19 |
| 57 | Precision | 2 | 2012-09-16 |
| 56 | Bear Necessities | 0 | 2012-09-12 |
| 54 | Knots | 1 | 2012-09-02 |
| 52 | Buckets | 0 | 2012-08-17 |
| 50 | Adapter | 2 | 2013-08-03 |
| 49 | Banzen's investigation | 0 | 2012-07-28 |
| 48 | Silence | 1 | 2012-07-20 |
| 47 | The Origin of All | 2 | 2012-07-15 |
| 46 | The Greatest Aspiration | 1 | 2012-07-09 |
| 45 | Full Circle | 3 | 2012-07-08 |
| 44 | The Backwards Monk | 1 | 2012-07-04 |
| 43 | Holes | 2 | 2011-06-08 |
| 42 | Triggers | 3 | 2011-05-18 |
| 41 | Garbage | 2 | 2011-03-24 |
| 40 | Authority | 0 | 2011-05-12 |
| 39 | The River of Tea | 2 | 2011-05-12 |
| 38 | Language | 0 | 2011-05-05 |
| 37 | Simulation | 2 | 2011-06-07 |
| 36 | Division | 0 | 2011-05-15 |
| 35 | Sparrow Breaks Free | 2 | 2011-05-01 |
| 34 | The Naming of Names | 2 | 2011-04-20 |
| 33 | Fear | 1 | 2011-04-20 |
| 32 | Weeds | 0 | 2011-03-29 |
| 31 | The Eloquent Sandal | 2 | 2011-03-29 |
| 30 | Cups | 3 | 2011-03-26 |
| 29 | Goldfish | 1 | 2011-03-26 |
| 28 | Echo | 1 | 2011-03-26 |
| 27 | Koan Zero | 0 | 2011-03-26 |
| 26 | The Uncorrected Monk | 0 | 2010-11-26 |
| 25 | Compromise | 0 | 2010-11-25 |
| 24 | The Red Notebook | 1 | 2010-11-25 |
| 23 | Shape | 0 | 2010-11-25 |
| 22 | Safety | 2 | 2010-11-23 |
| 21 | Interrupt | 2 | 2010-11-21 |
| 20 | Neither Yes Nor No | 2 | 2010-11-20 |
| 19 | By Any Other Name | 2 | 2010-11-18 |
| 18 | Necessary Features | 1 | 2010-11-17 |
| 17 | Not Invented By Me | 1 | 2010-11-16 |
| 16 | Documentation | 0 | 2010-11-15 |
| 15 | Immutable | 3 | 2010-11-14 |
| 14 | Hello, World | 1 | 2010-11-13 |
| 13 | Evolution | 0 | 2010-11-12 |
| 12 | Effect | 1 | 2010-11-11 |
| 11 | Cages | 2 | 2010-11-11 |
| 10 | Pride | 1 | 2010-11-11 |
| 9 | Infinities | 1 | 2010-11-10 |
| 8 | Reduce, Reuse, Recycle | 0 | 2010-11-10 |
| 7 | The Enemy of the Good | 1 | 2010-11-09 |
| 6 | Empty | 3 | 2010-11-09 |
| 5 | Void | 2 | 2010-11-09 |
| 4 | Willows | 0 | 2010-11-08 |
| 3 | Encapsulation | 2 | 2010-11-08 |
| 2 | Unknown Unknowns | 0 | 2010-11-04 |
| 1 | The Small Stuff | 0 | 2010-11-03 |
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The Applicant
An open-ended chronicle which follows the journey of a young novice to the Temple of the Morning Brass Gong. A companion piece to "The Codeless Code".
| Case | Title | Geekiness | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | The Applicant: The Iron Cookpot | 2 | 2012-09-23 |
| 1.4 | The Applicant: The Bundle | 1 | 2012-08-26 |
| 1.3 | The Applicant: Doing the Math | 1 | 2012-08-26 |
| 1.2 | The Applicant: Anantha's Fountain | 1 | 2012-08-12 |
| 1.1 | The Applicant: The Hermit | 2 | 2012-08-05 |
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Talks I've Given
Hacking the mind: How Art can help us to talk (and teach) technology. Presented September 2014 at ABB DevDay 2014 in Krakow, Poland.
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Other Works
Ancient Code How I used to code the Apple ][ in assembly/hex back in Ancient Times.
The Devil Take Them, Everyone Part of the Dark Yule collection, another writing project of mine. Dark Yule contains my (somewhat twisted) takes on various Christmas legends.
The Codeless Code, by Qi (qi@thecodelesscode.com).
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.






