# Grokking a Foreign Codebase

## grok (grŏk)

> . . . to understand so thoroughly that the observer becomes a part of the observed . . .  
― *Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein*

> To understand. Connotes intimate and exhaustive knowledge. When you claim to ‘grok’ some knowledge or technique, you are asserting that you have not merely learned it in a detached instrumental way but that it has become part of you, part of your identity. For example, to say that you “know” LISP is simply to assert that you can code in it if necessary — but to say you “grok” LISP is to claim that you have deeply entered the world-view and spirit of the language, with the implication that it has transformed your view of programming.  
― *The New Hackers Dictionary, Eric S. Raymond*

### References

- [Definition and Origin of ‘Grok’ by Jess Johnson](https://www.grokcode.com/95/definition-and-origin-of-grok/)
- [Grok - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grok)

## Conference Talks

- [Software Archeology and The Code Of Doom - Kerri Miller (OSB 2015)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YlO9MGlrXY) `50:34`
- [Down The Rabbit Hole: An Adventure in Legacy Code by Loren Crawford (RailsConf 2018)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm2LdXLFrxw) `38:37`
- [Working Compassionately with Legacy Code by Amar Shah (RubyConf 2015)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC4mS7sYQlU) `35:39`
- [Reading Other People's Code by Patricia Aas (NDC Sydney 2018)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrXHf71lYrs) `55:43`

### Mentioned Talks

- [A Common Taxonomy of Bugs and How to Catch Them by Kylie Stradley (RubyConf AU 2017)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J5OWi65rTI) `22:58`

## Podcast Episodes

- [Reading Other People's Code with Patricia Aas (.NET Rocks! Podcast)](https://player.fm/series/net-rocks-2353294/reading-other-peoples-code-with-patricia-aas) `56:21`