Language Games - Eli Holderness - NDC Oslo 2024

Language is fundamentally a game with rules, and understanding these rules is key to effective communication in software development

Context gives language meaning - the more shared context between parties, the better the communication. This applies to both human-human and human-computer interactions

Clean code principles align with Grice’s Maxims of communication:

• Be informative (quantity)
• Be truthful
• Be relevant
• Be clear/perspicuous

Domain Driven Design helps establish shared language between stakeholders and developers, reducing translation layers and miscommunication

When building software, we’re creating language games with both:

• The computer (through programming languages)
• Other team members (through documentation, meetings, tickets)

Effective communication requires understanding that:

• We can never be 100% certain two people have the same concept in mind
• Signs (words/code) and concepts they represent aren’t intrinsically linked
• Translation layers exist between concept and expression

Code should be written with communication in mind since it will be read more than written

Context reuse (established patterns, shared terminology) makes communication more efficient

Stakeholder requirements need careful translation between business concepts and technical implementation

Communication is inherently difficult but can be improved through conscious effort and understanding these principles