looking for the Silicon Valley experience

一個獨立紀錄片團隊 採訪 Netscape 的軟體工程師

They arrive with one suit case in hand

他們正面臨公司與網路史上的關鍵時刻

when they head south on the 101.

我跟很多來矽谷追夢的人談過

Hoping to see it this place they've heard about

他們抵達的時候，只帶了一卡皮箱

and its freeways, and its office parks

當他們沿著 101 公路往南走

and its strip malls, and

期待看到這個聞名已久的地方

it looks like every place they've ever been

看著這裡的高速公路、辦公大樓

end up wondering where are they come,

購物商圈等等

why did they come here,

看起來跟他們去過的地方沒兩樣

what was that brought them

最後他們懷疑自己身在何處

Code itself is the underlying thing that makes computers work

為什麼來這裡、是什麼把他們召喚來的

Why is it important to the world, it's because

程式碼是電腦運作的幕後功臣

it's the blood of the organism, that's our culture now,

為什麼它對世界很重要？

it makes everything go

因為它就像是生物體內的血液

Technology has become a God of our society now

深植在我們的文化中

I mean I think that its--people stand in awe of it

讓萬物運作

and stand in awe of the people that make it

科技已經成為這個社會的神

There's a sense that software is a kind of new frontier

我的意思是人們敬畏科技

it's you know it's the old gold rush metaphor

也敬畏研發科技的人

the California gold rush all over again

有此一說：軟體是新的疆域

It's the kind of Hollywood of the Twenties.

有如以前的淘金熱

This very small set of people is really defining

加州的淘金熱又來了

how our world's gonna be like

就像二十多歲青年的好萊塢

I mean you know the computer becoming ubiquitous

這一小群人正在定義

and the way we interact with the world

我們的世界將成為什麼樣子

more and more mediated through the computer

我的意思是：你明白電腦將無所不在

is this very small group of people

我們與世界交流的方式

defining what that world's gonna be like.

也越來越仰賴電腦

Netscape !

就是這麼一小群人

everywhere !

正在定義世界未來的樣貌

team !

Netscape！無處不在！

fight !

團隊合作！並肩作戰！

Less than three years ago

不到三年以前

a small team of engineers at Netscape Communications

Netscape 裡的一個工程師小組

created software that made surfing the Internet easy

製作出讓網路瀏覽更方便的軟體

and in the process change the face of computing

開始改變電腦世界的樣貌

On this day however, the company is in big trouble

不過這間公司正陷於危機

driven to the ground by its rival and software colossus Microsoft

對手軟體巨人 Microsoft 已兵臨城下

Only a radical strategy will help save it.

只有一個激進的策略可能力挽狂瀾

"Let's hear a loud Mozilla !"

「讓我們大聲喊出 Mozilla！」

Mozilla ! Mozilla ! Mozilla !

Mozilla! Mozilla! Mozilla!

Netscape is giving away its source code

Netscape 要送出他們的程式原始碼

to programmers outside the company

給公司以外的程式設計師

The source code is the secret formula for browsing the web

這分原始碼是瀏覽網頁的秘方

The code is named Mozilla and if widely adapted

程式碼命名為 Mozilla

it will make Netscape's code the Internet standard

一旦被廣泛使用

drawing users to its other products

便能讓 Netscape 成為網路標準

and restoring the company's sagging fortunes.

讓使用者進一步採用它們的其他產品

Our story focuses on team of engineers

拯救公司的未來

who will come together in this building

我們的故事發生在一群

Over the course of the next year

即將在這棟建築中聚集的軟體工程師

they will turn their lives inside-out to create Mozilla

在接下來的一年中

and battle a giant competitor to save their company

他們的生活將徹底改變來打造 Mozilla

and shape the future of computing.

與巨人對手作戰拯救他們的公司

Right now we have a problem with the work looks like it can't possibly be done

形塑未來的電腦科技

for the date we announced

現在我們有個問題

so were just trying to

這些工作看起來

drill down on how doomed we are

不可能在我們公佈的日期前完成

and sometimes the only way to do that is

所以我們得試著

to get everybody in the room and stare each other in the eyes.

確定目前的狀況有多慘

We said were giving you Netscape Communicator on 3/31

有時要了解這點的唯一辦法

so if were not giving them Netscape Communicator on 3/31

就是讓大家聚在一起四目對望

we need a way to address that.

我們已經宣佈 Netscape 將在 3 月 31 日釋出

The goal is to get Mozilla to developpers by March 31th

所以如果我們無法在 3 月 31 日辦到

a few shorts weeks from now

也得想辦法處理

it is one of the most ambitious schedules in the company history.

目標是在 3 月 31 日釋出 Mozilla 給開發者

- It's a joke

距今只剩下幾個禮拜

- I think we have been very exclusive

這是公司有史以來最具雄心壯志的時程

Michael Toy one of Netscape's first employees

這是在開玩笑

heads the team that will prepare Mozilla for public release.

我想我們得非常專注

We're probably doomed, we're probably gonna fail

當你犯了一個錯誤人們會說……

Microsoft is probably gonna squish us like bug anyway

Michael Toy — Netscape 最早的員工之一

but just cause were doomed doesn't mean

負責帶領團隊準備 Mozilla 的公開釋出

you know we cant get up in the morning and do work

（錯過 3/31 會非常糟糕）

All rise

我們也許死定了、也許會失敗

the honorable Michael Toy presiding.

Microsoft 或許會把我們像蟲子絞得稀巴爛

I'm pretty flip with my kids about what I do.

不過就算是死定了

What do you do at work dad? Oh I don't know I sit in meetings

也不代表我們不能早起做點事

and feel depressed and I read e-mail.

- 全體肅立

Oh oh you got me !

- 偉大的 Michael Toy 降臨了

But they think my office is the greatest place in the world though

我對孩子描述工作時，總是油腔滑調

It's like "Oh were going to your office ?"

「爹地工作時都做什麼？」

"Oh yeah yippie I love going to your office !"

「不知道耶，有時愁容滿面開會、有時看看 E-mail」

They play with the guns and there is free soda

啊啊，你打到我了！

and there is the giant balls

他們仍然覺得我的辦公室是世界上最棒的地方

basically I work at Disneyland as far as they're concerned.

他們會說「我們真的要去你的辦公室嗎？」

I talk about marathon versus sprint.

「太棒了我超愛去你的辦公室！」

The hard part is to run with significant intensity the whole way

他們在那裡玩槍，也有免費的汽水

knowing that if you ever start walking

還有大球可以玩

you're not going to make it and just keep the end in sight

他們大概就覺得我在迪士尼樂園工作

and know that there's this urgency.

就像是馬拉松跟短跑的差別

Jim Roskind an expert on software security

最難的是得全程保持一定的速度跑

is brought in to enforce rigorous standards of engineering precision.

你知道一旦停下來走路

Imagine if you had a project

就沒辦法完成，只能看著前方的終點懊悔

where you felt doom was imminent

現在就是這種緊要關頭

all the different players wondering

Jim Roskind —軟體安全專家

are they pushed beyond their level

負責確保開發工作符合嚴格工程標準

can they think of way of running faster,

想像你擁有一個計畫

can anyone help them ?

你覺得它必死無疑

So there's lot of tension

所有的參加者都在想

and anxiety over making the schedule.

「這是不是超過我的能力了？」

Jamie Zawinski, free source code evangelist

「還有更快的方法嗎？」

will enlist outside developers to Netscape's cause.

「有人可以幫忙嗎？」

The free source thing is trying to change the rules, right.

所以趕進度的過程中瀰漫緊張、擔憂的氣氛

There are people who have the free software religion,

Jamie Zawinski —自由原始碼提倡者

the one thing they have in common is they're all hackers

負責招募 Netscape 之外的開發者

they're all like writing code

自由原始碼正在試圖改變規則

so you hoping to tap in to all of those smart people

有些人對自由軟體擁有信念

and get something from them, you know, so that everyone benefits..

這些人的共同點之一是都是駭客

I talk about 2 millions and 2 half millions lines of code

他們都……喜歡寫程式

and everyone of them has to be gone over

所以你希望能接觸這些聰明的人

carefully and in some cases twice.

從他們身上獲得些什麼，對大家都有益

With hundreds of engineers converging on Mozilla,

我講的是兩百…兩百五十萬行程式

with new code to enable its release,

每一行都得小心看過

Tara Hernandez make sure

某些時候得看上兩次

that their changes do not crash Mozilla

數百位工程師為 Mozilla 計畫工作

and brings everyones work to a halt.

為了完成它而撰寫新的程式碼

This is how we keep track

Tara Hernandez 的工作是

of all the changes that are going in.

確保這些修改不會讓 Mozilla 當掉

Green is good.

讓大家的工作陷入停滯

Lot of changes going on right here,

這就是我們追蹤所有變動的方法

and wham, the build all died.

綠色是正常

Ok, alright, bye.

這邊改了很多地方

We're doomed.

哇，編譯都爛了

Some of the worst crashes are reserved for Scott Collins

OK，沒問題，掰

a veteran code writer who stands by

我們死定了

for late night troubleshooting.

某些最嚴重的問題保留給 Scott Collins

I've been here for about

資深程式設計師

I don't know, 60 hours or so.

在此準備徹夜除錯

Writing software is different from

我已經待在這邊將近…

selling real estate.

不知道…60 小時之類的

Selling real estate you sell the people

撰寫軟體與賣房地產不太一樣

the people sleep at night.

你賣房地產給顧客

When they go to sleep you have to stop selling real estate

顧客晚上會睡覺

Computers never sleep.

他們睡覺時你就得停止販賣

You can see my cube is decked out a little bit better than

…電腦永遠不睡

all the people's.

你可以看看我的工作間

I have a nice couch

比大部份人都好些

little mattress under there I can sleep in

我有個不錯的躺椅

artwork from my children

可以讓我睡覺的小床墊

I have control the light switches.

我孩子的畫

This is what I'd like to get if my wife truly love me

可以控制電燈開關

she'd let me have one.

這是我想要的東西

Life is good.

如果我老婆真的愛我，就會讓我弄一台

Ok

生命多美好

Bug count.

OK

Alright, there are a ton of bugs on here that

Bug 統計

people just aren't doing anything about.

好，這裡有一大堆沒人顧的問題

To give away its code

要公佈程式碼

Netscape engineers must make thousands of bug fixes

Netscape 的工程師需要修好上千個問題

Often minute changes that will allow the code

通常是一些小調整

to be used by outside developpers.

讓外界的開發者可以使用

Jeff Weinstein has, one, two,

Jeff Weinstein 要負責的有…

three, four, five, six,

一、二、三、四、五、六、七、八

seven, eight, nine, ten,

九、十、十一、十二、十三

eleven, twelve, thirteen.

一個錯誤，隱藏在這堆程式中

One bug hidden in the mass of code

可以阻礙每個人的工作

can stop everyone else's work

威脅預定發佈日期

and can threaten the ship date.

誰來傳個訊息給 Jeff Weinstein

I need someone to page Jeff Weinstein

叫他打 2024 找我

and get him to call 2024.

就算是二十人的團隊打造一台車

Even a team of twenty people building a car

也很容易先後退四十英呎看看

it's easy to step back fourty feet and look and go

找出「那個人還沒把輪子裝上去」之類的問題

"Hold it, that guy has not putting on the wheel"

你有四十個程式設計師在工作

You have fourty programmers working

他們通通帶著程式碼來找你

they all come to you with code, a gigantic morass

許多微小細節組成的龐大泥濘在磁片中

of little details piled up on a disc

通常無法單獨判斷是否正確

usually can even see the pieces whether they're doing it correctly

你需要組合這些程式

You have to assemble it into a whole

再看看整體能不能動

and then see if the whole works

你甚至不確定誰寫了那些錯誤的片段

and then you're not even sure of who gave you the bad bits.

這一定很慘，我們下樓吧，來吧

That would be bad. Let's go downstairs, come on!

就像是食譜

You're talking about a recipe.

有人給了你壞的麵粉

Who gave you the bad flour.

某些人在外面磨麵粉

Someone went out to grind flour,

每一粒都得磨成正確的尺寸

and they had to all be exactly

其他人製作巧克力片

the right size chunks of flour.

每一片也都得是正確大小

Someone else made chocolate chips,

和在一起出爐前，你無法確定一切正常

they all had to be exactly the right size chunks.

你拿出蛋糕，然後大家來了

You can't figure it out until you put it all together

「我不太喜歡這個味道」

you hand it out, and people go.

現在你得開始想

"I don't like the way this tastes"

這麼多細節組合起來

And now you have to wonder,

到底哪個環節出了問題

with all these details coming together

是誰出的錯？要怎麼修好？

which was the problem

你得在某個時間點前完成

who's causing the problem, how can you fix it?

你有這些人力

You've got to ship on a certain time.

還有正在流逝的緊迫時間

And now you have all this people,

從 Netscape 啟動計畫

you have the clock ticking and it gets pretty intense.

Mozilla 的程式總量增加了近 30 倍

Since Netscape began

撰寫程式跟除錯的工作

the amount of code making up Mozilla

仰賴科學與藝術之間隨時可能顛覆的平衡

has increased by a factor of 30.

他們說他們所做的事

The job of programming and debugging it

有點像是鍊金術、某種巫術

rests upon a precarious balance of science and art.

某些部份讓我想起運動員

They talk about what they do as if

為什麼某些人棒球打得好？

it was a kind of alchemy, a kind of wizardry.

通常選手自己也沒辦法解釋

It does remind me of athletics in that way.

一如好的軟體人

You know why is someone a good baseball hitter?

通常不了解自己為何擅長此道

Often the hitters themselves can't really explain it.

我想好的程式設計師 都是電腦兒童變成的

And often the best software people

就像我在 Netscape 的團隊 我想我們小時候都是電腦兒童

cannot themselves understand why they're so good at it.

我們都在電腦包圍的環境中長大

But I think make a great programmer is being raised techie.

在成人前我們早已習慣電腦

My particular team at Netscape, I think we all grew up techie

如果我們之中有誰真的算是成人…

We all grew up with computers around us somewhere,

Jim 是我們當中最成熟的

so that we were exposed to them before we became

我大部分的童年時光

adults, if any of us are really adults

大概 6 歲到 17 歲左右都在這裡度過

Jim is the most grownup of us.

生活就像場惡夢，非常非常可怕

A lot of my childhood from roughly age 6 to age 17

在這兩間學校的生活還不算太差

was around here.

嗯，那也表示

Life was just a nightmare, this is a very, very scary place

你必須解決各種謎題跟問題

the two school wasn't too bad.

所有的謎題都是數學

Ah, but it meant it

解這些謎題時的感覺

you'd get to work on puzzles and problems.

跟寫程式時一模一樣

All of the puzzling is math,

我小時候用積木與樂高做東西

and that puzzling is the exact same feeling

而現在則在軟體裡建立結構

the exact same problem that you go through

我媽也是頂級的技客（Geek）

when you're programming.

所以跟我媽聊天、陪我媽購物

When I was young it'd be building with erector sets and Lego

是我擁有的獨家體驗

now the structures that you build are in software.

她是 Sun 內非常重要的人物

My mom is a first class geek too.

在 Netscape 有一個名詞代表「一般人」

And so I have a unique experience of being able to talk

也就是那些要用我們軟體的人

shop with my mom, cuz' she's a director of

「我媽會用這個嗎？」

really important stuff at Sun.

我媽當然會用

At Netscape one of the code words for is the average person

我媽還可以自己寫最佳化編譯器勒

who is going to be able to use this software is,

我 12 歲的時候

"Well can my mom use it?"

寫程式一小時就可以賺 50 美元

Yeah, my mom can use it.

別人問我長大想幹什麼

My mom can write optimizing compilers.

我會說「程式設計師」

By the time I was 12 years old I was making 50 bucks an hour

這會成為以青年為主的文化

programming computers.

因為個人可以投入一生在這些公司的能力

People say what should I be should I grow up to be a...

終身的投入代表

I say computer programmer.

二十四小時、一週七天、全年無休工作

The thing about that makes it a youth culture

把你自己丟進一份

is one's capacity to throw one's entire life on the line

無法確定能持續多久的工作裡

with these firms

這裡沒有所謂的穩定

Entire life commitment meaning

所以這是非常諷刺的事：

24-7-365 work commitment.

這群創造未來的人

It's throwing yourself into a thing

無法看見自己的未來

where you don't know if that job

這是僧侶般的組織

is going to be around soon.

圈子裡很少有女性

There's no stability in here.

是個男性社會

So the very kind of weird irony