Best of InfoWorld — 2025

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   InfoWorld·1y

   11 rules for writing better code

   Follow these essential guidelines to write better code: keep your code simple and clear, use descriptive variable names, adhere to the Law of Demeter, avoid hard-coding, beware of over-engineering, prepare for future needs, keep business logic separate from the user interface, be cautious of if statements, and ensure each part of your code only does one thing. Prioritizing simplicity and clarity will make your code easier to maintain and reduce complexity.

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   InfoWorld·34w

   Why we need junior developers

   Companies are increasingly avoiding hiring junior developers and relying on AI for basic coding tasks, but this creates long-term problems. Junior developers are essential for the future pipeline of senior talent, bring fresh perspectives to established teams, and provide necessary balance in team dynamics. Teams with only senior developers risk becoming siloed and lacking the collaborative knowledge transfer that occurs through mentoring relationships.

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   InfoWorld·22w

   WhatsApp API worked exactly as promised, and stole everything

   A malicious npm package called "lotusbail" masqueraded as a legitimate WhatsApp Web API library for six months, accumulating over 56,000 downloads. The package functioned correctly while secretly stealing messages, credentials, and contact data through a proxy layer that intercepted all operations. It used four layers of obfuscation and RSA encryption to exfiltrate data to attacker-controlled servers. Most critically, it exploited WhatsApp's multi-device pairing to maintain persistent access even after package removal, requiring manual device unlinking. The package remains available on npm, highlighting the limitations of traditional security checks against supply-chain attacks that mimic legitimate behavior.

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   InfoWorld·30w

   What’s the Go language really good for?

   Go has evolved from a curiosity to a battle-tested language powering major cloud-native projects like Docker and Kubernetes. Known for its simplicity, fast compilation, and built-in concurrency features (goroutines and channels), Go excels at building distributed network services, cloud applications, and standalone tools. While it offers automatic memory management and cross-platform portability, it deliberately omits features like macros and produces larger binaries. The language recently added generics in version 1.18 after years of deliberation. Go's future remains strong in cloud infrastructure and network services, with emerging interest in AI workloads, though it faces competition from Python in ML/AI and Rust in systems programming.

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   InfoWorld·1y

   8 ways to do more with modern JavaScript

   The post outlines eight essential concepts to enhance JavaScript programming, including the use of 'const' for variables, understanding collections with functional operators, using promises and async/await for asynchronous tasks, and the importance of scopes and closures. It emphasizes syntax shortcuts like spread and destructuring, strategies for effective error handling, the flexibility of programming paradigms JavaScript offers, and the valuable role of AI assistance in coding.

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   InfoWorld·1y

   Four paradoxes of software development

   Software development is inherently challenging due to several paradoxes. Projects are hard to estimate accurately, adding developers to a late project can make it later, experienced developers end up coding less, and advancements in tools don't necessarily speed up development. Recognizing and managing these paradoxes is crucial for successfully delivering software.

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   InfoWorld·25w

   Seven coding domains no developer really understands

   Explores seven notoriously difficult programming concepts that most developers struggle with, including complex boolean expressions, multithreading and concurrency, floating point math, Kubernetes configuration, Unicode character encoding, time zones and Daylight Saving Time, and regular expressions. The piece acknowledges the complexity inherent in software development and how developers often rely on copying solutions or pretending to fully understand these challenging areas.

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   InfoWorld·1y

   Vibe code or retire

   Vibe coding refers to the use of advanced code generation tools powered by large language models (LLMs) like GitHub Copilot. Embracing these tools is essential for staying relevant in software development. While the initial learning curve may be steep, mastering vibe coding can significantly boost productivity. Developers are encouraged to experiment, adapt, and integrate these tools into their workflows to avoid falling behind in the industry.

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   InfoWorld·45w

   Database design tips for developers

   A comprehensive guide covering essential database design practices to prevent schema degradation over time. Key recommendations include using simple 'ID' primary keys for all tables, avoiding spaces in naming conventions, using plural table names, implementing clear foreign key labeling patterns, indexing all queried fields, enforcing referential integrity, and separating SQL from application code. Additional best practices cover proper data types, timestamp fields, stored procedures, and avoiding common pitfalls like boolean null states and string-based state management.

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    InfoWorld·1y

    The devops certifications tech companies want

    Devops certifications are highly valued by tech companies and can significantly impact career advancement and salary for both early-career professionals and those transitioning into devops roles. The global devops market is projected to grow substantially, increasing the demand for certified professionals. Certifications such as AWS Certified Devops Engineer, Certified Kubernetes Administrator, and Microsoft Certified Azure Devops Engineer are popular and demonstrate expertise in key tools and methodologies. While practical experience is crucial, certifications validate skills and commitment to continuous learning, making candidates more attractive to employers.

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    InfoWorld·1y

    The programming language wars

    Programming language wars often involve heated debates about which language is superior. Nick Hodges reflects on the historical rivalry between Delphi and Visual Basic and notes that while such disputes are common today, a definitive answer on the best language is elusive. He emphasizes the importance of choosing a language that works best for an individual's needs and dismisses the notion of a universally superior language.

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    InfoWorld·1y

    What you need to know about Go, Rust, and Zig

    Go, Rust, and Zig are emerging programming languages each with distinct advantages. Go, known for its simplicity and minimal syntax, excels in network services and standalone applications. Rust prioritizes memory safety and speed, becoming popular in server-side apps and replacing C/C++ in certain scenarios. Zig, a modern alternative to C, focuses on low-level programming with better memory safety features and easier integration with C projects.

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    InfoWorld·29w

    Perplexity’s open-source tool to run trillion-parameter models without costly upgrades

    Perplexity AI released TransferEngine, an open-source tool that enables trillion-parameter language models to run across different cloud providers' GPU hardware at full speed. The software solves vendor lock-in by creating a universal interface for GPU-to-GPU communication that works on both Nvidia ConnectX and AWS EFA networking protocols. This allows companies to run massive models like DeepSeek V3 and Kimi K2 on older H100 and H200 systems instead of purchasing expensive next-generation hardware. TransferEngine achieves 400 Gbps throughput using RDMA technology and is already powering Perplexity's production AI search engine, handling disaggregated inference, reinforcement learning, and Mixture-of-Experts routing.

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    InfoWorld·40w

    Is the generative AI bubble about to burst?

    The generative AI boom shows similarities to the dotcom bubble, with massive investments ($364 billion expected in 2025) flowing primarily to companies like Nvidia. While Goldman Sachs argues current AI investments are justified by profits, critics point to structural limitations in large language models that prevent true reasoning capabilities. Developers using AI tools daily recognize their utility for code generation but also experience their shortcomings, suggesting the technology may be more incremental than revolutionary. Even if an AI bubble exists, survivors will likely drive lasting changes in the industry, similar to how some dotcom survivors became today's tech giants.

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    InfoWorld·1y

    4 tiny Docker images for lightweight containers

    This post explores how small you can make a Docker image, focusing on four tiny but powerful base images: Alpine, BusyBox, Debian Slim, and Red Hat UBI Micro/Minimal. It discusses the advantages of lightweight containers, such as reduced attack surfaces, fewer dependencies, and faster build times. Additionally, it highlights a bonus repository by Jérôme Petazzoni, which offers experimental minimal Docker images for various tasks.

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    InfoWorld·22w

    Microsoft is not rewriting Windows in Rust

    Microsoft Distinguished Engineer Galen Hunt clarified that his LinkedIn post about eliminating C and C++ code by 2030 was a personal research goal, not a corporate strategy. His team is developing AI-powered tools to automate code translation between languages at scale, aiming for "1 engineer, 1 month, 1 million lines of code." The research project uses Rust as a demonstration target but isn't specifically focused on rewriting Windows. While pressure exists to adopt memory-safe languages due to security vulnerabilities, research shows AI-generated code typically contains more issues than human-written code.

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    InfoWorld·1y

    Technical debt is just an excuse

    Technical debt is often misused as an excuse for poor coding practices. Originally, it represented deliberate decisions to write sub-par code temporarily, with a plan to address it later. However, it has become a label for all bad code, which can stem from accidental complexity or rushed development. To reclaim its true meaning, only code with a planned fix should be labeled as technical debt. Anything else should be recognized as code rot.

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    InfoWorld·43w

    JetBrains working on higher-abstraction programming language

    JetBrains is developing a new higher-abstraction programming language that would allow developers to write code in English-like syntax to describe program architecture and functionality. The language aims to make AI code generation more controllable and transparent, enabling developers to create cross-platform applications by writing specifications that AI agents can then translate into platform-specific code for iOS, Android, web, and other platforms.

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    InfoWorld·36w

    Software developers aren’t buying it

    Developers resist traditional marketing approaches and prefer straightforward, hands-on evaluation of tools. They value peer recommendations over advertising, want clear pricing without sales calls, and need easy access to documentation, free tiers, and sandbox environments. Successful developer tool marketing focuses on letting developers try products independently rather than using typical marketing tactics like webinars or sales pitches.

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    InfoWorld·36w

    AI developer certifications tech companies want

    AI certifications are becoming increasingly valuable for developers as companies integrate AI into mainstream workflows. While not a guarantee for landing jobs, certifications from major platforms like AWS, Google, Microsoft Azure, and NVIDIA can help candidates stand out, especially for early-career developers. Industry experts emphasize that certifications work best when combined with practical experience and serve as validation of baseline competencies in rapidly evolving AI technologies. Popular certifications include AWS Machine Learning Specialty, Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer, and Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate.

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    InfoWorld·26w

    Software development has a ‘996’ problem

    The push for high-volume code generation through AI tools mirrors the problematic '996' work culture, prioritizing quantity over quality. Research shows AI-assisted development increases code churn by 55% while reducing refactoring, creating bloated, unmaintainable codebases. Every line of code is a liability requiring maintenance and security oversight. Effective AI usage should free developers to focus on critical thinking—problem framing, ruthless editing, and system ownership—rather than generating endless code. Innovation requires mental space to determine what not to build, not just faster typing.

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    InfoWorld·46w

    What you absolutely cannot vibe code right now

    Large language models excel at generating repetitive, well-understood code like CRUD applications and web development, but struggle significantly with algorithmic problems and novel implementations. Through practical experience porting a patch system from Python to TypeScript, the author demonstrates that LLMs fail at medium to hard difficulty problems where they cannot rely on well-known templates. While LLMs are valuable tools for routine development tasks, they require human oversight and cannot autonomously handle complex algorithmic design or domains with limited training examples.

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    InfoWorld·31w

    AWS DNS error hits DynamoDB, causing problems for multiple services and customers

    A DNS resolution error in AWS's US-EAST-1 region caused widespread DynamoDB API failures, affecting multiple AWS services and customers including Perplexity, Canva, Venmo, and others. The incident began shortly after midnight Pacific Time and was resolved within three hours through initial mitigations. The outage highlighted how single points of failure in cloud infrastructure can have global consequences, even when the root cause is isolated to one region.

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    InfoWorld·32w

    Java or Python for building agents?

    Choosing between Java and Python for AI agents should depend on your team's existing expertise and technology stack, not trends. While Python dominates AI development due to its accessibility and rich ecosystem, Java developers can build equally effective agents using frameworks like Embabel. Organizations will achieve faster AI adoption by leveraging their current tools and skills rather than switching to unfamiliar technologies. By 2028, 80% of generative AI applications will be built on existing data management platforms, reinforcing the value of working with what you already have.

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    InfoWorld·28w

    C# rises in Tiobe language popularity index

    C# has become the fastest-growing language on Tiobe's popularity index with a 7.65% rating, gaining 2.67 percentage points year-over-year. The language now trails Java by less than one percentage point and could overtake it for the first time, driven by its cross-platform capabilities, open source nature, and Microsoft's strong backing. Python continues to lead the index at 23.37%, though its growth has plateaued. C# is a strong contender for Tiobe's 2025 Language of the Year award.

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