The BileBlog

So it looks like Atlassian has finally bought out Cenqua. Unlike all the public cheering, I’d like to shed a tear for something lost, something precious, something noble.

Cenqua was the little guy that could. They produced beautifully functional tools that worked, and worked well. They knew their strengths though, and remained focussed on their core products. They never wanted to be consulting monkeys (and so remained a handful of developers), nor did they invest in anal dilators to promote ease of entry for their clients. They just wanted to code in peace and support themselves doing so.

On the other hand, we have Atlassian, the little guy that’s now a behemoth through sleight of hand tricks and flashy gizmos. A company whose informal motto is ‘make it pretty, sell it, then maybe ponder making it work if some turds pay enough for it’.

To the discerning, there is a huge gulf between the attitudes and approaches of these two companies. Atlassian is the expensive dirty whore spreading her creamy thighs for all comers, while Cenqua is the cute girl next door who sometimes says no. Sure, the whore is, sadly, a better lay. Business-wise, it’d be foolish to go after the cute girl, the whore will do all you want her to do to all genitalia and orifices no questions asked. The girl on the other hand is likely politely decline your demands for a cleveland steamer, hot lunch, or even the odd angry pelican.

Despite the appeal and convenience of the whore, it certainly was a nice thought that the innocent, well intentioned and selective can thrive in our industry. There’s something very romantic and gratifying about a little company that focusses on quality and intentionally holds out against crazy growth or rampart hiring, and has that indefinable ‘quality of life’ thing focus. By quality of life, I dont mean the google bullshit of mindfucking you into working harder and making work more sexually gratifying to be at, but that quality that says that working hard is NOT the ultimate goal in life, and that it’s merely a means to an end.

So here’s to Cenqua, and to the happy few years of your merry existence. May you become the ‘legendary’ whore you’ve resisted for so long.