2026-04-26 –, Barn
Most programmers aren't also network engineers! Thus, they might unknowingly believe falsehoods about how networks work and the implications for their systems. What patterns can you follow to make the most of the network? What can you do when the network engineer says the network is fine, but your application is performing poorly?
Joelle is a network engineer for Netflix, where she uses Python to configure and monitor a network that spans the globe. She started programming on an Apple II when she was 5 and has worked in many different IT roles over her 30 year long career. She'll always enjoy infodumping to you about how computer networks work, about nearly any area of networking, such as how long-distance fiber communication works or what happens behind-the-scenes when you connect to a Wifi network (so feel free to ask her!). She holds dual degrees, one in Computer Science and the other in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, which help fuel her vision of a world where tech empowers rather than controls. Outside of work and her research interests (she is involved in research that benefits the neurodivergent and the queer communities), she loves to tinker with toy operating systems and old computing technology.