Reciprocality Authors
Alan G. Carter
Alan G. Carter is the principal author behind the Reciprocality essays, The Programmers’ Stone, and the long-form series The Third Age of the World. His writing focuses on how programmers actually think, why software projects fail, and what software engineering reveals about human reasoning more broadly.
Carter worked as a professional software engineer and technical consultant during the formative decades of modern computing. His career included operating-system-level development, telecommunications infrastructure, encryption systems, and reliability-critical software used in national and commercial environments.
Projects included work connected with British Telecom infrastructure, defence research organisations in the United Kingdom, financial transaction systems, and large multi-user networked systems. He also taught C and UNIX programming and advised organisations on software reliability and engineering practice.
The Reciprocality project grew out of his observation that many persistent failures in software development were not primarily technical problems but cognitive ones — misunderstandings of systems, communication breakdowns, and incorrect mental models of work.
His essays treat programming as a thinking discipline rather than simply a technical activity. While the tools of computing have changed, the cognitive problems faced by programmers have not, and much of the material remains directly relevant to modern software work.
Steph Malone
Steph Malone writes practical technology explainers and digital skills guides. Her articles focus on helping everyday users understand modern software tools, online services, and common technology tasks without unnecessary jargon.
Her work concentrates on applied computing: how people actually use technology in homes, schools, and small organisations. Topics include cloud software, online safety, digital productivity, and the skills needed to function confidently in a technology-dependent environment.
Rather than covering technology from an engineering perspective, Malone approaches it from the user side — what a person needs to know to use systems competently and avoid common mistakes. Many of her articles are written for beginners, career changers, and people returning to the workforce.
This practical focus complements the more theoretical material on the site by connecting abstract ideas about systems and thinking to everyday digital life.
Jason Taylor
Jason Taylor writes about computing careers, industry roles, and pathways into technology employment. His articles explain what different IT jobs involve, what skills employers actually look for, and how people move from learning into real work.
His material focuses on the structure of the technology workforce rather than the technology itself. Topics include data analytics roles, systems administration, software development careers, and training routes into the industry.
Taylor’s work is aimed particularly at students, career changers, and people considering entering the computing field. He emphasises realistic expectations about job responsibilities, required skills, and long-term career development.
Together, these career guides connect the cognitive and technical discussions on the site to decisions about education, training, and employment.