Abstract
From developer to architect, from business analyst to user, there are a number of big questions whose answers shape the systems with which we engage. As individuals, we each play many roles in our lives and as such there are some even bigger questions that haunt us in our journey: questions that transcend any specific role, questions that can't be answered by technology. The Web extra at http://youtu.be/elirN-WSq1g is an audio podcast of author Grady Booch reading his On Computing column, in which he discusses the big questions whose answers shape the systems with which we engage. © 2014 IEEE.