Keynote for the 2021 SeptembRSE conference! This talk reviews the kind of stories that we tell ourselves as research software engineers (RSEs) that influences our thinking, behavior, and the community. https://septembrse.github.io/#/event/K1002

1. THE STORIES
WE TELL OURSEL
VES
SeptembRSE
Vanessa Sochat, PhD

3. B
A

4. B
A

5. B
A

6. B
A

7. B
A

8. B
A

9. B
A

10. I am too different.
This is hard.
I’m too old.
I can’t do this.
B
A

11. An RSE is...
researcher programmer

12. An RSE is...
researcher programmer
web developers
system admins

13. An RSE is...
researcher programmer
web developers
system admins
PhDs and high school graduates
biologists and farmers

14. An RSE is...
researcher programmer
web developers
system admins
PhDs and high school graduates
biologists and farmers
user support
librarians

15. An RSE is...
researcher programmer
web developers
system admins
PhDs and high school graduates
biologists and farmers
user support
librarians
managers
data science

16. An RSE is...
researcher programmer

17. An RSE is...
researcher programmer
I guess I’m not an RSE.

18. I am too different.
This is hard.
I’m too old.
I can’t do this.
B
A

19. I am too different.
This is hard.
I’m too old.
I can’t do this.
A

20. What about the stories of people that are absent?

21. Why so hard on yourself?
Environment

22. Why so hard on yourself?
Environment
Thinking

23. Why so hard on yourself?
Environment
Thinking
Behavior

24. Stressors of being an RSE
Stressor
Funding
Job Security
Sense of Direction
Remote Working
Global Pandemic

25. Stressors of being an RSE
Stressor
Funding
Job Security
Sense of Direction
Remote Working
Global Pandemic

26. Why so hard on yourself?
Self-compassion
Mark Leary, Duke University Psychology ~2007

27. Why so hard on yourself?
Self-compassion
Mark Leery, Duke University Psychology ~2007
I can’t do this.
I’m not very good

28. Why so hard on yourself?
It’s just a bad day, Peach!
You can do it!

29. When you are feeling down on yourself
give yourself advice and support
like you would to a good friend.

30. Why so hard on yourself?
I can’t figure out this algorithm.
I can’t do it.

31. Why so hard on yourself?
“I can’t do it”
I can do it!
I’ll try again tomorrow!
I can ask for help..
What are my assumptions?
Am I missing some important knowledge?
I’m going to take a 20 minute nap.
I’m going to go for a run or walk.
I’m going to call my friend to say hello.
I’m going to make myself a really good dinner.

32. The Stories We Tell Ourselves
What is the story? “I’ve given up”

33. The Stories We Tell Ourselves
What is the story?
Why do we tell it?
“I’ve given up”
Environment -> Thinking -> Behavior

34. The Stories We Tell Ourselves
What is the story?
Why do we tell it?
“I’ve given up”
Environment -> Thinking -> Behavior
What should we try instead? Self-Compassion

35. The Stories We Tell Ourselves
What is the story?
Why do we tell it?
“I’ve given up”
Environment -> Thinking -> Behavior
What should we try instead?
Implications for our RSE Community
Self-Compassion
Retaining Research Software Engineers

36. 01
I’M DIFFERENT
And I don’t belong here

38. The thing!

44. I’m different...

46. The Academic Path
Master’s
PhD

47. The RSE Path
Postdoc
PI/Faculty
Research Associate
Master’s
PhD
Industry

48. The RSE Path
Postdoc
PI/Faculty
Research Associate
Master’s
PhD
Industry
I don’t belong.

49. The RSE Path
Traditional Academia
“I want to work on
Research software”
Industry
I’m going to be
an RSE!
Research Software

50. Change the expected story in your
institution so you’re a part of it.

51. Share your interests
Reproducible
build systems
are great!

52. Share your interests

53. Share your interests

54. 02
I’M NOT QUALIFIED TO...

55. Why Not?

56. Starting with one Person

57. You never know on what adventures an
idea will take you!

58. 03
I WON’T GET ANY CREDIT

59. 1. History of RSE

60. 1. AHHHHH
(~R∊R∘.×R)/R←1↓ιR

61. 1. AHHHHH
(~R∊R∘.×R)/R←1↓ιR

62. 1. AHHHHH
(~R∊R∘.×R)/R←1↓ιR

63. 1. AHHHHH

64. 1. AHHHHH
(~R∊R∘.×R)/R←1↓ιR

67. “I’m tired!”

68. Create experiences or initiatives
to share our ideas and work collectively!

69. Research Software Engineering Community Blogs, Conferences,
Events, T-shirts, Holidays? etc.

72. Ask for forgiveness, not permission.

73. 04
I’M CONFUSED

74. 04
I’M CONFUSED
Leading to “I’m stupid”

76. Kinds of Confusion
The Programmer’s Brain, Felienne Hermans
Knowledge
You haven’t encountered
an idea yet.

77. Kinds of Confusion
Knowledge
You haven’t encountered
an idea yet.
Details
There is a piece of
information you don’t
have details for.
The Programmer’s Brain, Felienne Hermans

78. Kinds of Confusion
Knowledge
You haven’t encountered
an idea yet.
Details
There is a piece of
information you don’t
have details for.
The Programmer’s Brain, Felienne Hermans
Quantity
It’s too much to process in
my head at once

79. Kinds of Confusion
Knowledge
You haven’t encountered
an idea yet.
Details
There is a piece of
information you don’t
have details for.
The Programmer’s Brain, Felienne Hermans
Quantity
It’s too much to process in
my head at once
Goals
I don’t even know what
I’m supposed to be doing.

80. Confusion is a part of my daily work!
I’ll figure it out.

81. 05
I HAVE TO BE PERFECT
And only share things that work!

82. Group A
Group B

83. Group A
Group B
X
X
X
X

84. Group A
Group B
X
X
X
X
A
B

85. Group A
Group B
X
X
X
X A B

86. Group A
Group B
X
X
X
X A B
“I have to be perfect.”
“We have to look smart”

87. Group A
Group B
X
X
X
X A B
“We want to be leaders.
“We want to be collaborators”

88. “We want to be leaders.
“We want to be collaborators”

89. Today I Learned Culture?

90. We can be drivers of new practices
or traditions that we want to become a part
of our RSE culture.

91. What I Learned in August
● Printing raw json to the terminal for a C++ library
● Singularity SIF can be pushed to GitHub packages with ORAS
● SLURM has a RESTFul API!

92. 06
I’M TOO OLD.
I’m not 25 anymore!

94. Mindset > Age
● Get excited about ideas and people
● Come up with a new initiative or goal
● Completely make a change in your life.
You are never too old to….

95. Prioritize having fun.

96. 07
The Last Story…

97. 07
The Last Story…
I’M OK

98. B
A
I am too different.
This is hard.
I’m too old.
I can’t do this.

99. B
A
I’m ok.

100. B
A

101. Call to Action!
1. Speak up at least once.
2. Support someone.
3. Meet someone new.
4. Find a new piece of software or technique to try

102. Call to Action!
1. What stories do I tell myself?
2. What is the underlying cause?
3. How can I change that story for myself?
4. How can I change that story for the RSE Community?

103. Call to Action!
1. What stories do I tell myself?
2. What is the underlying cause?
3. How can I change that story for myself?
4. How can I change that story for the RSE Community?
https://rseng.github.io/stories-we-tell-ourselves/

104. Call to Action!
1. What stories do I tell myself?
2. What is the underlying cause?
3. How can I change that story for myself?
4. How can I change that story for the RSE Community?
https://rseng.github.io/stories-we-tell-ourselves/

105. Let’s decide the stories for the next generation.

106. Let’s be intentional to choose stories for our RSE
community.

107. THANKS!
@vsoch
Twitter and GitHub
Mario and friends are created by Nintendo
Slides background credit to SlidesGo.
Icons provided by Freepik
This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy
by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract
DE-AC52-07NA27344. Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC

108. Disclaimer
This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States
government. Neither the United States government nor Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC,
nor any of their employees makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or
responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or
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herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark,
manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement,
recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or Lawrence Livermore National
Security, LLC. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect
those of the United States government or Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, and shall not be
used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.