HN user

ntide

461 karma
Posts10
Comments22
View on HN

Hmm, that is very wise. I've never thought about things that way.

My motivation for projects has always been kinda screwy. On the one hand, I want to make an income on my side projects in order to someday move away from my rather boring job. On the other hand, I want to make fun and personal things like games, that aren't necessarily things that people would pay for. Most of the project ideas in my list reflect this split of motivation.

Wow, thanks for the insight. :)

[dead] 12 years ago

Neat idea, reminds me of Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble.

By Drew's standards, Hacker News is yet another time suck. I don't mean to be incendiary, but it's debatable whether knowledge of Aaron Swartz's death has any actionable impact on my life.

I do agree with his thoughts on smartphones. While some smartphone apps are genuinely useful (e.g. workout apps, weather widgets, your smartphone's camera), there is a whole class of apps out there that facilitate mindless consumption. Every mobile game and social media app falls into this category.

Going off on a tangent, I haven't played a single, good mobile game (i.e. one that isn't a mindless time waster). There isn't a single mobile game in existence that naturally ties in with the hardware, the way that trading Pokemon was a natural fit for the Game Boy. I really wish there were these types of experiences on smartphones, because Pokemon was a significant slice of culture.

I would disagree. I personally used Dive Into Python to learn Python. If you know programming, Dive Into Python is a great Python primer. Besides, reading is useless. You want to write code as soon as possible.

What did you do to get started (with Django)? I understand nothing beats hard-earned experience, but were there any tutorials or books that stood out in particular?

I'm saying this as a complete newbie to web development.

Great post. Though I'd say that programming DOES make you less fun. Because after having programmed for awhile, you eventually learn that you can't bullshit a compiler. And that immunity to bullshit makes you immune to shitty friends who spew bullshit. So programming makes you less fun to those people. :D

But of course, any hobby changes you on the inside. I picked up running last December, and it's taught me the value of "one step at a time" and "focus on what's in front of you, not the end goal." I think everyone needs a serious hobby that teaches these essential life metaphors.