Boring vs Exciting Technology, Optical Modules and Other Must Reads

Our publisher platform gives professionals a way to share their personal opinions about topical professional news and interests. Here’s a roundup of some of the best pieces LinkedIn’s engineers have written recently.

$1/1G for 100G Optics - A Story of Change
By Yuval Bachar, Principal Engineer, Global Infrastructure Architecture and Strategy at LinkedIn
To create game-changing innovation, you need to question the status quo. Yuval describes how he took an operational problem and used it to aggressively challenge the mindset of technologists in the optical module business. Two years later, the industry has risen to the challenge, and has made significant progress toward making reality out of what was once thought to be impossible.

Use Exciting Technology
By Steven Foote, Senior Web Developer at LinkedIn
Is it best to use “boring” technology for the stability or “exciting” technology for the innovation? Boring technology is comfortable and practical, but can be stagnating, while exciting technology can be frustrating, but also exhilarating and sometimes necessary. Although the answer depends on the project, client and user demands, Steven makes the case for innovation, giving examples of when and how to best use exciting technology.

Starting a Life In Silicon Valley
By Matthew Turco, Software Engineer at LinkedIn

One young engineer describes how he took the risk to dream big and move across the country to work in Silicon Valley, “the Disneyland of jobs,” where he now does what he loves for a company he believes in and a product he is proud to be behind. He encourages others to figure out what they want to do and where they want to work, and then be brave enough to go out and get it, without settling for anything less. Beyond just dreaming, he advises job-seekers to keep their skills up to date and to prepare rigorously for interviews.

Why I Write Science Fiction During My Commute
By Christopher Hazlett, Senior Engineering Manager at LinkedIn

How important are hobbies and how can we find the time for them in the midst of work, family obligations and day-to-day responsibilities? Christopher explains how he uses the downtime of commuting to indulge in a creative passion that also serves as meditation. Read on to understand why and how writing science fiction makes him a happier and more empathetic person.

My Kids Are Smarter Than Me
By Guy Lebanon, Head of Feed Infrastructure and Relevance at LinkedIn

Anyone of a certain age who has children can tell you that their kids are natural users of technology. But did you also know that, in addition to technological savvy, IQ scores are consistently rising with each generation? These facts, along with technological advances in education, lead us to reconsider how, when and what type of subjects should be taught in schools.