The vast majority of programmers build applications. Applications for
fun and applications that support livelihoods. Most of the time, the
majority of programmers rarely think about what goes on behind the
scene of the tools and infrastructure they use. Software
infrastructure consisting of databases and compilers and operating
systems and web browsers and so on.
But deeper understanding of software infrastructure can greatly
improve developer productivity, improve application performance,
reduce bugs and mitigate their impact, reduce costs, and further one's
career.
The Consensus is dedicated to software infrastructure and the
people behind it, with a few major goals:
- Teach developers more about the software they rely on
- Help developers evaluate software and software vendors
- Help interested developers break into software infrastructure
- Help developers working in software infrastructure further their career
Background
The Consensus was started in 2026 by Phil
Eaton. Pardon the transition to first person.
I quit my job working on PostgreSQL internals to do what I love the
most: build community around, and teach people more about, software
infrastructure. My writing on software over the years has frequently
appeared on the front page of Hacker News and Lobsters.
Outside of writing, I run a number of communities for developers
interested in the internals of software infrastructure like databases,
compilers, operating systems, and so on. As a result of these efforts
I acquired a modest social media following of experienced developers
who value my work and communities for the insight, integrity, and
independence.
Starting The Consensus gives me the chance to spend more time writing
independently about software infrastructure and it also gives me the
chance to platform high-potential developers and
mentor them as programmers and as writers.
The Consensus is bootstrapped and will become sustainable with your
support when you subscribe as an individual or
sponsor as a company.
Acknowledgements
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