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astroalex

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One obvious difference I can see at a glance is that Maker.js doesn't support 3D models, while FluidCAD does. I assume Maker.js is a lower level library aimed at interfacing directly with CNC machines, while FluidCAD is focused on 3D design.

A Decade of Slug 4 months ago

I used Slug at a previous job. It is an excellent, artfully crafted library; really the pinnacle of software engineering in my opinion. Thanks to the author for donating the algorithm to the public domain!

This is exactly right.

I taught myself coding, but struggled through some of my CS computer science classes because I hadn't learned some (important) boring details. My peers who hadn't coded before, but were otherwise bright, excelled in these classes and have had impressive career trajectories after school.

Based on my personal experience, I don't believe prior experience with programming before college is that predictive of engineering talent.

I found the preamble at the beginning of the announcement charmingly dated:

The Minor Planet Electronic Circulars contain information on unusual minor planets, routine data on comets and natural satellites, and occasional editorial announcements. They are published on behalf of Division F of the International Astronomical Union by the Minor Planet Center, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. Prepared using the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network

Looking up the Tamkin Foundation Computer Network: https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/Ack/TamkinFoundation.h...

The OpenVMS cluster consists of nine single-CPU workstations and one four-CPU server. All the machines are running the extremely robust and secure OpenVMS operating system. The twelve Alpha-based machines are arranged as an OpenVMS Cluster, allowing all machines to share disk storage, execution and batch queues and other resources, as well as simplifying system management.

Assuming "Alpha-based machines" is referring to the DEC Alpha, these computers are ~30 years old. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEC_Alpha

In my personal experience I couldn't use Zed for editing python.

Firstly, when navigating in a large python repository, looking up references was extremely slow (sometimes on the order of minutes).

Secondly, searching for a string in the repo would sometimes be incorrect (e.g. I know the string exists but Zed says there aren't any results, as if a search index hasn't been updated). These two issues made it unusable.

I've been using PyCharm recently and found it to be far superior to anything else for Python. JetBrains builds really solid software.

I took 2 years off where I made 0 income. Insurance was covered by the government and my healthcare was quite good. I didn't pay taxes because I didn't make any income. Getting back into the workforce happened literally within a single day (this was ~4 years ago when the market was different, not sure the same thing would happen now). I had no trouble switching jobs multiple times afterwards, either—recruiters and interviewers have never seemed to care that I took a break.

I was able to take some much needed time off to focus on personal projects and I'm extremely grateful I was able to do it.

My friends who didn't take time off were able to advance more in their careers, but I think it is a fair trade.

Nobody cares 2 years ago

Have been to the DMV? It sucked? There is a human being whose job it is to be in charge of the DMV. They do not care that it sucks.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've actually never had a bad experience at the DMV here in Seattle. The staff have been efficient, fast, and friendly every time.

One major difference I’ve seen in shader graph type tools is that they are stateless, or almost stateless. The output of the shader graph is a function of time and some fixed parameters, and there are rarely feedback loops. When there are feedback loops in shader graphs, they are represented explicitly via nodes like TouchDesigner’s feedback TOP.

This way of expressing computations lends itself well for shader programming where the concurrency of the GPU discourages manipulation of arbitrary state.

In contrast, business logic programmed for the CPU is generally more stateful and full of implicit feedback loops. IMO these types of computations are not expressed well using node based visual programming tools because the state manipulation is more complex.

I totally agree. The video does actually show the product, and it looks interesting, but the other parts of the website are a big turn off.

I couldn't disagree more. I found the tone charming, funny, and accessible. I think it would particularly resonate with kids and beginners. It reminded me, in the best way, of why the lucky stiff's writing.

I will henceforth be referring to CPUs as "shazam alakablams" and there isn't anything you can do to stop me!

I agree! Which is why I'm excited by an award promoting small personal websites. It's like an oasis in a barren desert of people trying to sell you things.