Tim Ewald - Clojure: Programming with Hand Tools

ClojureTV · 47.7K views · 2014-01-08 · 58:39

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Overview

Tim Ewald's Clojure/conj talk uses furniture making with hand tools versus machine tools as an allegory for software. It explores how automation changes what we make and how we think about our work, and why Clojure's small set of simple tools matters.

On Hacker News

HN repeatedly names it among the best programming talks, loved for its craftsmanship message that complex tooling can hide simpler solutions.

Recommended by 9 HN people across 10 months · HN mentions 2014–2024

Topics

Functional programming Software practice, open source & careers Woodworking, metalworking & workshop skills

What people said

ludwa6 · 2020-06 · Strong recommendation
Must-see presentation (~1hour) for anyone interested in this topic is "Programming With Hand Tools" by Tim Ewald: [VIDEO]
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spacemanmatt · 2016-12 · Strong recommendation
I gotta throw in one of my favorites, because I have not seen another that really speaks so directly to the value of craftsmanship in development. I also deeply enjoyed the allegory with woodworking tools. [VIDEO]
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refset · 2024-02 · Recommendation
"Programming with hand tools" (Tim Ewald, Clojure Conj 2013) is a very memorable talk on this theme: [VIDEO]
Read the original HN comment ↗

Sources

Video by ClojureTV, played through YouTube.

HN Library · Source license

Data and selection notes

HN summaries and labels may contain AI errors. HN dates refer to discussions, not video publication.

HN Library: HackerTube export (2026-10-31) and open-index/hacker-news. Upstream summaries and classifications may contain AI errors.

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