gilesvangruisen

Joined 14 years ago

Karma
82
Submissions
34
Member since
Dec 23
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Recent submissions

Comment · 2 months ago
Comment · 2 months ago
Why does open source software tend to lack quality / usable design?
Comment · 2 months ago
All of the answers. None of the understanding.
Comment · 3 months ago
not being used by photographers
Comment · 3 months ago
Sol (high)

"[screenshot] there's a hidden message in this text what is it"

"The hidden message is “HAPPY HUMAN.”

The visible outlines say “SORRY ROBOT,” but if you blur or squint at it, the shading underneath reads “HAPPY HUMAN.”"

Comment · 7 months ago
I've been to Nepal a few times and started feeling AMS symptoms about 1-2 hours after arriving at our lodge in Namche. Diamox kept me going great for the nxt few days on our way to Tengboche where we maxed out about 13k feet, besides the heli flight back to Lukla. Similar symptoms even at a ski resort at 9k feet in the US. It's "not that high" but plenty high to induce AMS.
Comment · 8 months ago
Always has been! Lots of math/ML/regressions already being used to make kill decisions: homing missiles, kamikaze drones, naval defense/sentries. All use a combination of computer vision, signal classification, predictive tracking. LLMs just the latest solved math problem.
Comment · 4 years ago
Comment · 6 years ago
Comment · 7 years ago
Comment · 8 years ago
Hire an advisor, and buy some plane tickets for your family. There is, in my opinion, no greater education than seeing the world.
Comment · 8 years ago
That's a good question. I left that intentionally broad so as not to prescribe a certain type of learning system or self-education.

There's a lot of ways to learn anything, but I would say that the first step is pursuing a variety of subjects that you find interesting, and even some you think are boring. A lot of seemingly boring things I've found turn out to be quite fascinating when it comes down to it. (e.g. database design)

Over time, you will pick things up, and put them back down. You will return to some, and stay away from others, but eventually you will build a repertoire of knowledge and experience in a variety of different fields. I would also bet that at least one subject will interest you so much that you keep coming back and in which you will ultimately develop expertise.

Experimentation is the name of the game!

Comment · 8 years ago
:)
Comment · 8 years ago
This is awesome! Keep up the good work. As a fellow developer who began writing software around your age, I have some advice that is definitely subjective and biased, but which you may indeed find helpful.

1. Keep practicing. Practice makes perfect. Explore different languages, frameworks, and problem spaces (interfaces, servers, distributed systems, statistics, etc.) to see what you find most interesting. You will make mistakes, and that is okay. That is how you learn.

2. Take frequent breaks. Programming is hard work. It can be truly exhausting, and you should not be afraid to step away and go for a walk or something.

3. The most valuable people in the industry are called "T"s. I.e. people with a little bit of knowledge/experience across broad range of topics (the horizontal part of the letter T), but who have deep knowledge/experience in one or a couple particular topics (the vertical shaft of the letter T).

4. Begin to develop the skill of taking feedback and accepting criticism. There's a lot of people out there who will be quick to criticize everything you do if you put it out into the open. It's a whole skill in itself to be able to interpret this feedback and separate the signal from the noise. Try to empathize with the person or group providing feedback and understand that their motives/perspective may be different from yours. Sometimes that's a useful thing. Sometimes it's a distraction.

5. Dn't take things too personally. You are not your code. A criticism of your code is not a criticism of your character. The less you take things personally, the easier it is to work with others. After all, the most impressive systems require immense collaboration.

6. Don't take yourself too seriously. Have some fun with it! Programming is super fun, so you should ask yourself regularly "am I still having fun?". If the answer is "No", maybe find something else interesting to focus on for a bit.

7. Broaden your perspective. Along the lines of #1 and #2, it's important to maintain a broad perspective and push yourself to keep expanding your perspective. This doesn't just apply to technical problem areas or languages or frameworks. The best engineers are good problem solvers because they have a broad perspective not just of the problem space but also more generally of the world they inhabit. Try to learn about different industries, cultures, people, and places. You will become a more well-rounded character for doing so, with a higher ability to empathize with others and understand the complex mechanics of how the world works.

8. Be social. I made the mistake of hiding in my room on a computer for much of my childhood, and it wasn't until high school that I really began to understand the value of social interaction and maintaining strong solid friendships. It's as important to spend time away from the computer as it is too keep practicing.

All the best. Good luck!!

Comment · 8 years ago
ditto!

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