Just a regular Joe.

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  • 14 Comments
Joined 3 years ago
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Cake day: July 7th, 2023

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  • Don’t bet on it. Senior devs tend to know there is complexity and pitfalls over time, and hope that by using library X (or following pattern Y) they can future proof the product. So instead of writing 50 lines of self-contained code + tests, some people will happily write 60 lines of integration code + tests, and pull in a dozen dependencies.

    However: With appropriate interfaces and a little forethought, you can start with the simple solution and extend it or complement it with libraries or needed abstractions down the road if and when the need arises.

    Another bug-bear of mine is being asked to review/run over-engineered one-off programs (eg. simple ETL scripts). I remember replacing about 1000 lines of java (many years ago) with a 20 line python script, and passive-aggressively asking the senior developer to review the new script.



  • Why? Because DOS and Windows 3.11 kind of sucked and I wanted to learn and experiment.

    Even though I started out working mostly with the console, it was amazingly refreshing. X came a year or two later, when the web made it worth it. OS/2 Warp 3 also slipped in there for a while. Great times.









  • You have an opportunity. Give him a pre-installed Linux and a terminal, along with a page of commands that he can run to do neat things… including starting the GUI to watch his favourite (ideally pre-downloaded) videos, running some demos, etc.

    Don’t make it too easy, but not too hard (2 you said? Can type a few characters though…)… Add to it over the years, unlocking the power, and guiding him to discover more by himself.

    Kids won’t become tech savvy if we hand everything to them on a silver platter, with touch screens, controllers, and flashy games. It can be bland and boring, until they do something.

    It might just be the most life changing gift they ever receive.