Part 1 of this series is available here. And before moving on, I want to digress a bit and talk about some edits I had to make on the first part.
The concept of “Veille technique”
There is no proper translation for the french term “veille technique”. And after some search, I simply decided to scrap the mostly unknown “technological watch” translation from my part 1 post.
But let’s try to explain these words.
“Technique” means “technical” it encompasses everything pertaining to technology and its usage
“Veille” is harder to translate. It means “keeping watch of”. You’re trying to watch for signs of interesting and unusual stuff. It’s akin to being a ranger on the lookout for signs of forest fires.
What I really like about this term is its implicit meaning. It’s not about getting into the details but keeping an overlook on what’s happening.
Now that we cleared up the terminology, let’s get on with the promised “when” and “where”
When to learn?
The hardest when learning is not really the “when”; because the answer is “all the time”. What’s actually harder is to turn it into a useful habit.
There are 2 things that I always practice:
Take notice: I once was shown a presentation of a chatbot product. The presentation was done by the product’s CTO so with knowledge of the inner workings. The person talked about the services he used to build his chatbot products. I took notice of those, and when I had to build my own chatbot, needing a custom-tailored solution, I used those services.
Take note: I talk about this in part one, but I need to reiterate this one. As soon as I hear about something interesting, I tag it. It can be notes, a bookmark, or anything to help me find it when I’ll need it later on.
Those habits are key to monitoring a technological environment seamlessly. Once I managed to integrate them into my daily routine, I didn’t notice I was doing it anymore.
I avoid having a dedicated time slot
In my own opinion, it’s the best way to quit. A dedicated time slot to me feels like extra work and will deprive me of the enjoyment of discovery. I’d rather find ways to incorporate it throughout my daily life in small increments.
Although, if it fits your style, sure, go ahead and try it.
Where to learn?
There are many places to learn more about the current technological landscape of the field you’re working in. So here is a non-exhaustive list of where I usually learn from:
The easiest
Your peers: they most likely face the same problems as you and may have addressed them in one way or another. So by simply talking to them, you may learn a lot and improve your craft.
For products/frameworks/languages
Official documentation: if I want to get a good grasp of a new tool, the best place to start is often the documentation. I usually start with the “Why XXX” or even the landing page to get the list of problems this tool solves.
Product newsletters: products change. New features are added, and I may be interested in knowing about them. I only subscribe to a few to avoid getting a cluttered inbox, but it helps me keep track of important changes or
Changelogs: sometimes, existing products evolve and start solving new problems or current ones better. Reading changelogs helps me master my toolset. For example, I’ve been way more productive with VSCode since I started skimming through its “what’s new” page on each release.
Books: while this format is not for everyone, it may offer higher production value for those that value it. I personally have a hard time with books as I’m much more of a practical learner than a theoretical one.
“Alternative to” sites: Often biased and prone to SEO hijacking, so take it with a pinch of salt. But such sites have often helped me identify potential solutions to a particular need. Make sure to dive into each and test them out.
Social Networks
Twitter: I actually enjoy going on Twitter and reading Tech Twitter. While there has been a trend towards the Tech Community on Mastodon, I find it very much alive right now
Reddit: The hardest part is finding the right community and sorting among posts just shilling for products. But it’s been easy to include in my more “relaxed” Reddit exploration of cat pictures and whatnot.
Newsletters: I love them for long-form articles and in-depth content. I often use them not for everyday tools and services but for keeping track of trends in a particular industry.
Discord communities: A trend that’s on the rise. Getting a question answered correctly is often a dice roll as it needs the right person to be available when you post it. Otherwise, it might get lost in the noise. But when I find the right person for the right debate, it’s on.
Forums: Old school, sure, but still great for niche-oriented communities. For example, I use them a lot when working with Elixir.
Blogs (Medium, Dev.to, …): I generally reach those through other social networks. But sometimes, I find a particularly interesting writer which I tend to follow.
Product Hunt: Was a good place to discover new products, but I don’t use it anymore. I find that the voting system has become way too exploited. When a product reaches the top, it rarely is from organic votes anymore.
Social events
Conferences: I know the ticket prices are usually pretty steep if your company isn’t paying for them. But more than a great place to learn, it’s often a great energy booster. I’ve always come back from those with a dozen ideas I want to try out.
Meetups: Often free and a great way to meet (duh !) new people if you’re inclined to socialize at such events. The average expertise level is lower than at conferences, but speakers are more accessible, and I’ve always found it it’s easier to talk/debate with everyone at the end.
Ecosystem
State of polls: I always keep watch for those, it’s a combination of trends + new tools. It helps me find out about the up-and-coming stuff I’ve missed throughout the year. Keep in my that I always do my research after, as stats are often misleading. A cool new framework has a lot of people in the “honeymoon phase,” which means they love it and want to use it, but some are not even stable enough for some projects.
Tech radar: I like the format because instead of showing “what’s cool,” it focuses on methodical changes. You may see the same language/library/method across versions but with each explaining what’s changed with it and how you should approach it. What I also really dig about it is that it’s entirely subjective. I may disagree with it, but the team making them usually takes the time to explain their reasoning. So it has helped me change my mind a couple of times and re-affirm my own views.
A word on ChatGPT and the likes
Let’s keep the “it’s wizardry” and “it will change everything” parts. Consider it a tool you absolutely should use, but which you should use with extreme caution.
I already use it to get answers which are often hard to find through other channels. For example, I love it for “what’s this thingy which does X and Y called ? Here is an example of how what I mean: …” questions.
Just know:
But it doesn’t “know” about anything because it’s a probabilistic model. An extremely complex one, sure, but still a probabilistic model.
It’s way too good at writing like an expert, even when writing false statements
It may not be trained on up-to-date data, so take note that it may miss the latest updates to language and libraries.
And before asking it something, make sure you have a way of cross-checking its answers.
So paradoxically, you need to have the right amount of expertise to wield it correctly. And please, don’t hand it out the responsibility of compensating for your own lack of knowledge. Use its answers as a starting point and dig/learn from there.
Phew… I know that’s a lot to keep track of, so just don’t try to do it all at once. My list of sources is something I’ve been cultivating for ~6 years now. Start small, create a habit, and expand from there.
As a side note, this post has taken me way too long to finish. I was taken down by a bad flu in the middle of writing it and couldn’t find the determination to get back to it and complete it. The next one will probably be less “listy” and a bit more personal, as it’s easier for me to get in the flow with those. So make sure to subscribe for more if this one’s helped you and you’re looking for more.