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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: January 28th, 2023

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  • If you don’t already, use version control (git or otherwise) and try to write useful messages for yourself. 99% of the time, you won’t need them, but you’ll be thankful that 1% of the time. I’ve seen database engineers hack something together without version control and, honestly, they’d have looked far more professional if we could see recent changes when something goes wrong. It’s also great to be able to revert back to a known good state.

    Also, consider writing unit tests to prove your code does what you think it does. This is sometimes more useful for code you’ll use over and over, but you might find it helpful in complicated sections where your understanding isn’t great. Does the function output what it should or not? Start from some trivial cases and go from there.

    Lastly, what’s the nature of the code? As a developer, I have to live with my decisions for years (unless I switch jobs.) I need it to be maintainable and reusable. I also need to demonstrate this consideration to colleagues. That makes classes and modules extremely useful. If you’re frequently writing throwaway code for one-off analyses, those concepts might not be useful for you at all. I’d then focus more on correctness (tests) and efficiency. You might find your analyses can be performed far quicker if you have good knowledge about data structures and algorithms and apply them well. I’ve personally reworked code written by coworkers to be 10x more efficient with clever usage of data structures. It might be a better use of your time than learning abstractions we use for large, long-term applications.








  • Yep, employers under capitalism only understand leverage. Job hop, play multiple offers against each other, negotiate a higher salary and have the power to walk. It feels sleazy but it’s self preservation. It’s only as sleazy as their incentive to pay you as little as possible.

    “Hard work” was the wisdom passed down but I think it came from confirmation bias. If your employer gives you good raises just to keep you, you’ll feel you deserve it instead of attributing it to a very good job market for workers.

    It’s cool, we figure it out after a year or so in this environment (if nobody has told us.)


  • obscure corporate jargon like KPIs (key performance indicators), KRIs (key risk indicators) which, after having thrown them at me during an interview for a college intern position, made the interviewer wonder why i got so flustered. i would hesitate to throw any acronyms around in any interview, let alone for a college student.

    by the way, i got the internship. the acronyms weren’t even used in my position.



  • The biggest issue most people have with it is the dynamic DNS feature, which is automatically enabled and contacts their server to create the record. If you turn this off before connecting the router to the internet, you’re probably good.

    The simplified DoH client also only allows either Cloudflare or NextDNS, which aren’t the most privacy-oriented options. Still, it’s possible to set up your own.

    Otherwise I’ve never heard of anything major; the devices are cheap and reliable. I’ve had one running constantly for years and only had to reboot it manually once.





  • A decent blender. Not anything industrial like a Vitamix, it’s a Magimix which was about half as much but still durable and has replaceable parts. It’s fine for what I need and is lasting much longer than the pile of crap I had before.

    Vacuum pack bags for clothes is another one. I like to keep my wardrobe seasonal but I don’t have much space, so packing it down helps.

    Also anything reusable: PTFE/silicone baking sheets, rechargeable batteries, reloadable floss handles. All of these have saved recurring purchases, money over time and reduced waste (which made me feel good.)