Must-Read Software Engineering Blogs

Software engineering is a constantly evolving field with new technology and tools emerging all the time. And even for the most enthusiastic developers, it can be hard to keep up with the pace of technology when you’re swamped with work and trying to figure out how to fix that bug or troubleshoot an issue. Or, if you’re just starting out in the industry, you might be wondering: what’s the best way to find out about the most recent research and developments in the field? In both cases, the answer to your problem could be summarized in one little word: blogs.

Blogs bring you the latest trends and news from the industry and are usually written by experts in the field or people who are highly passionate about the subject. They’re quick and easy to access from your phone, and most allow you to subscribe, so you’ll get the freshest news delivered straight to your inbox. This article takes you through all the benefits of checking out the latest software engineering blogs, as well as our list of top blogs to follow. So get ready to fill up your bookmarks.

Top Software Engineering Blogs to Read

We’ve put together a quick guide to our favorite software engineering blogs—they’re packed with great tips, advice and inspiration for anyone interested in software engineering, from beginners to pros.

Scott Berkun: This is one of the most popular and well-respected blogs on the internet. Scott Berkun is a former Microsoft and WordPress employee who regularly posts about software engineering and technology, as well as design and creativity in general. He offers valuable advice and expertise he’s cultivated over the years for free—sometimes posting multiple articles and blog entries in a single day. He’s also authored a number of popular books, which you can buy in hardcopy. But if you’d rather hold onto your cash, visiting his blog is a great way to get acquainted with concepts that software engineers use and other useful insights on the profession.

Martin Fowler: This is another well-known name in the software engineering field. Martin Fowler has been associated with software engineering since the 1980s. Not only does he consistently post helpful guides about all things software development, but he also posts articles from other experts on his blog, making it a truly versatile platform. He is a published author of books on software development, and his blog offers plenty of updates on topics like refactoring, design, microservices, NoSQL, continuous delivery, agile, and DSL.

The Practical Developer: This blog makes a broad range of advice and expertise accessible to a global audience, and offers exciting and detailed articles on relevant topics. The Practical Developer has information about software design consulting, workshops, and training. The platform focuses on a practical approach to teaching with topics like microservices architecture (with Spring Boot), event-driven systems, RabbitMQ, reactive programming, functional programming, cloud, continuous integration, and continuous delivery.

DEV Community: DEV is an open-source platform and development environment for Elixir + Phoenix with Docker and Docker-compose. As the name suggests, it’s a place where software developers and engineers come together for mutual help. Programmers can use the forum to ask questions and share opinions and expertise with peers. It’s a truly altruistic platform that allows anyone and everyone to take advantage of the tools and advice offered. It also encourages experts to come together and help beginners and learners.

Coding Horror: This blog is written by Jeff Atwood, one of the most prominent bloggers in the field of software technology. Jeff’s spent years researching topics and making them accessible for a broad spectrum of readers. The blog takes an entertaining and light-hearted look at human perspectives on dealing with software development. The posts are easy to understand and will actually help you to delve into emerging technology. Although the blog doesn’t have tutorials and courses, Jeff also runs StackExchange, which provides tutorials on similar topics.

Facebook Engineering Blog: Facebook Engineering Blog is an open source forum run by Facebook Engineering, where you’ll find the latest updates from the team behind the world’s most popular social media platform. You can use this helpful guide and resource to stay up to date with the latest news, trends, team updates, project releases, and upcoming events. The blog deals with topics like API-compatible rewrite, front-end UI library, and React.js development. It also boasts video resources and tutorials, making it super easy to tap into their knowledge-base.

Sentry: Sentry is a valuable platform to follow as a beginner or entry-level software engineer, as it’s an error tracking service. Because it’s also open source, anyone can benefit from it without having to shell out cash for its services. Not only does it monitor errors, but it also monitors performance and assists coders and developers to diagnose, rectify, and optimize their code. The blog section deals with a varied range of topics that cover the basics as well as advanced tech knowledge. Through Sentry, you’ll be exposed to tech culture in general, while picking up useful tips on overcoming challenges in your professional career.

Toptal Engineering Blog: This professional network resource has been built by professional software engineers in the Toptal community. It’s geared toward assisting freelancers—whether they’re engineers, programmers, coders, or developers—to get in touch with companies. It’s a detailed and well-established blog providing in-depth information on topics like front-end, back-end, mobile, and web development, as well as data science and databases, written by experts in the field.

Slack Engineering Blog: This company’s blog is better known as ‘Several People are Coding’ and it consists of content dealing with the full spectrum of engineering, from junior team members to senior-level staff. The blog features posts on expert technical issues and challenges in the engineering world. The aim is to simplify engineering workflows for faster deployments, coordinate code deploys and continuous integration, and provide current news from the software development world.

Joel on Software: The eponymous writer of this blog is Joel Spolsky, who has built a reputation in the software blogging world through grit and dedication. With a career spanning the past 40 years, Spolsky has been on the blogging scene since 2000. He often teams up with Jeff Atwood of Coding Horror on StackExchange. Although not as active as he once, Spolsky’s previous posts still come in handy for developers and software engineers seeking to understand complex concepts and find ways to solve difficult issues. Having been one of the initial Microsoft employees, he was involved in the creation of OLE Automation or IDispatch. A lot of his posts also focus on business and management software.

More Resources for Software Engineers

The above list represents some of the best blogs out there to help boost your software engineering journey, be it on the career front or education. You can start from here and take it forward to find other blogs or forums that pique your interest. There’s really no end to how much you can learn from these resources and with time, hopefully, add to the knowledge pool to help other beginners.

You can also check out the range of great software engineering podcasts, books, and YouTube channels hosted by industry insiders. For more tips and tools, be sure to check out our guide to software engineering skills. You can also check out groups on social media sites and discussion platforms like Reddit, Medium, and Facebook, which hold discussions with students and experts in the field.

If you’re ready for more in-depth study in the area of software engineering, or if you’re looking to make a transition into the field, maybe it’s time to check out a software engineering course that suits your goals and schedule. Our courses come with high post-graduation employment rates, and set you up with an interview-ready portfolio. Find out more about the most proven path to a tech career.