My grandfather built houses 50 years ago that are still standing, still homes to families.
What of my work will remain in 50 years?
— Matt Morris (@boxel) October 24, 2015
A few months ago, I was lamenting the impermanence of our work. As software developers, will anything remain long after we’re gone?
I’m taking a cue from Manton and have setup a complete mirror of this website at mmorris.github.com. I’ve decided to not enable a CNAME record to enable a custom domain for it, because when the domain registration lapses a year after my death, it would stop working. The repository would remain, but it wouldn’t be browsable.
I wrote a quick and dirty script to automate the process. This script is run by a cron job every night, keeping the mirror up to date.
I’d guess that over 90% of the work I’ve done is private, either for employers or contract work for clients, so I can’t archive it all here. But I’m going to try to update and add more of my personal projects. This even includes non-software projects like the cherry bookshelf I built for my wife after we got married, and the picnic table I’m currently building in our backyard.
The greater Memphis area is peppered with houses and other buildings that my grandfather built throughout his life. I can still go and see and touch things that he built. Given the nature of the career I chose, this is the best I can do.