It's a Trap! How Abstractions Have Failed Us

Explore the pitfalls of excessive abstraction in software engineering through this thought-provoking SREcon20 Americas conference talk. Delve into the common thread linking technologies like Kubernetes, React, compilers, and OS kernels, and examine why the industry's tendency to build layers of abstractions to simplify complex systems often leads to more problems than solutions. Learn about the hidden costs of abstraction, including loss of foundational proficiency, disconnection from original problems, and the creation of self-perpetuating complexities. Discover strategies for finding balance in abstraction use, reconnecting with customer needs, and adding genuine value to systems. Gain insights on navigating the challenges of modern software development, from dependency management to debugging intricate architectures, and understand the true role of software engineers in creating effective, maintainable solutions.

Intro
What is an Abstraction
Fundamental Theorem Of Software Engineering
Throwback
Systems Administration
Virtualization
Infrastructure As Code
Why Didn't we?
What Was Missing?
Where Did We Go?
What Did We Gain?
Who Benefits?
Are We All Relaxing?
We Are Starship Captains
How Much Of It Do We Need?
We Need Some Balance
We Forgot About Our Customer
It's Not Just APls & YAML
There Is A Real Computer Somewhere
But I Configured It!
Silos Of Knowledge
Difficult to Debug
What Is The True Cost?
We Are Not Alone
Dependency Management
Fast Provisioning
Did You Add Value?
What Is Our Job?
Guidance For Thing. Next