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Random Chat, Thoughts, Posts, and/or Rants Thread

Dean Irwin

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What do people recommend these days for getting into programming? Aim for backend or front-end jobs? I'd imagine front end jobs are the quickest way in but probably lowest paying as well.

Hope I can answer this post with general advice that will be helpful to anyone asking this question...

Just starting out? Java Course at TeamTreehouse.com - Craig Dennis teaches this course and has made the best "learn to program" course I have experienced after tutoring many CS students both as a TA and privately. Java is the language to learn when you want to learn how computers think, as it has very few abstractions, but it has enough to not bog you down (C++ would require you to learn memory management, and how to consistently reinvent the wheel). Learning Java lets you learn a lot of the concepts of programming that you might miss if you jump straight to a scripting language such as Python or Javascript.

So now you know what you're doing around code because you learned Object-Oriented Concepts with Java.... what's next?

This depends a bit on intentions.

If you are looking to build a startup or product as a one-man-band

Frontend: There is nothing that will treat you better than React and React Native. You get to build apps and websites with a skillset that's about 40% transferrable with React. Of course, other solutions exist, Flutter, Angular, etc. The reason React is popular though (in my opinion) is that you become a very good React developer at the same time as you become a good Javascript developer.

Backend: If you enjoyed the experience of learning Java and decided you didn't hate it, you can build industry-ready application backends with Spring Boot for Java. You will feel entirely overwhelmed, but once you get the concepts down, you will realize that the way Spring Boot works actually takes a lot of the guesswork out. If you are looking to just get started as fast as possible and not worry about the semantics, go with Rails. Rails gets you an application ready to go faster than any other web framework I have used.

In the event you're looking for a job

if you want to do front-end development, I recommend going down the route of native front-end development for iPhones. Learn Swift with SwiftUI and UIKit, and dive deep into the ecosystem. These UI frameworks from Apple are both very finicky and therefore developers that know them in & out and their quirks are in high demand, and will be paid very well in the industry. There are tons of front-end developers making plenty of money but it varies wildly, backend development tends to vary less in pay range.

If you want to do back-end development
, take your Java skillset and learn Spring Boot with Hibernate. Tons of companies use this in their stack, and it is a very mature ecosystem that leaves you to do very little guesswork. Little guesswork is good when you're looking to build back-end applications. If you learn Spring Boot, you will feel learn from the most anal developers in the industry at the same time, which is a good thing when it comes to servers.

If you want to just build cool stuff for the fun of it
Javascript/Typescript is so versitile now
, you can build servers with NestJS, you can build cloud functions, you can script with it, make frontends, mobile apps, you can do pretty much anything. It is probably the most practical language you can learn now because of the general tooling behind it. You really should learn a strictly-typed language such as Java first though (Some people will disagree with me there of course).

If you want to get into the AI or simulation space
Python is a better pick because the libraries it provides are top-notch in these fields (Tensorflow!). I do not have a lot of experience in these two fields, so I do not do very much Python work.
 
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UK_Mike

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Still not a word from Telus on pricing or anything though, and you can't even get a quote from their website. You have to put your address in and it says "not available in your area" or "coming soon" or some crap like that. It is insane. They are literally spending what may be millions putting these lines in and they don't even have a rep coming around telling us the prices and benefits and stuff. Seems like a giant missed opportunity.

We've had similar near me in the UK. I needed a new BB connection in March, had a flyer through the door in February with the local rep contact details and "contact me for special offers" so I sent an email asking about start dates, prices etc. I heard nothing, so went with a standard FTTC connection which is good enough for what I do. In May I got an email saying "phone me 07xxxxxxxxx for prices", which was months too late. And if I wanted to talk about it on the phone, I'd have phoned in Feb when I first got the leaflet. Weird, an internet company that doesn't want to use email, when they finally bother to reply.
 

Bekit

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All this talk about terrible ISP's is getting me fired up!

I'm currently working on building an ISP with a few friends, and it is so fulfilling. It's a real fastlane business.

We're doing none of these tricks. Laying fiber in the neighborhood? Door hangers on every door, showing the prices. Plus, you can sign up for service right on the website.

Also, straightforward pricing - the price you see on the website is exactly what you'll see charged to your card. You can get all that information without needing to talk to a person on the phone, because we don't have all these sales gimmicks and tricky billing where we have to hide the price.

Also, no contracts - we don't think customers should have to pay for the service any longer than they continue to be happy with it.

And AMAZING customer service - you call and the phone is answered!!??!! And it's answered by a cheerful, intelligent human being who is not being held to stupid call center metrics but who is actually empowered to help you.

I'm having so much fun. We're growing really fast. And we're devastating the competition in every neighborhood where we operate.
 

Antifragile

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MattR82

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Yesterday a business coach was given access to a Google Ads account I set up for a friend. Even though I instructed them to only give view only access, the next phone call started off with... "Hi Matt, I need to apologise first up..." lol

They randomly removed a bunch of negative keywords from some skags and thought that doubling the daily campaign budgets on campaigns that don't max out or lose share due to budget was instantly going to double their leads yo!

@Andy Black I don't know whether to feel annoyed that I have to figure out and fix what they've done or happy that I'm not as crap at Google Ads as I thought I was :happy: I always feel weird when someone like that wants to go in and look over my work. Bloody hate it.

I'm definitely more annoyed about it actually. I'll never talk shit about any kind of competitor and the whole idea of that really turns me off the entire website and marketing industry altogether.
 
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BizyDad

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Yesterday a business coach was given access to a Google Ads account I set up for a friend. Even though I instructed them to only give view only access, the next phone call started off with... "Hi Matt, I need to apologise first up..." lol

They randomly removed a bunch of negative keywords from some skags and thought that doubling the daily campaign budgets on campaigns that don't max out or lose share due to budget was instantly going to double their leads yo!

@Andy Black I don't know whether to feel annoyed that I have to figure out and fix what they've done or happy that I'm not as crap at Google Ads as I thought I was :happy: I always feel weird when someone like that wants to go in and look over my work. Bloody hate it.

I'm definitely more annoyed about it actually. I'll never talk shit about any kind of competitor and the whole idea of that really turns me off the entire website and marketing industry altogether.

Be annoyed.

Let that annoyance be reflected in your bill.

Give the friend discount if you must, but still charge for extra time. This wasn't your mistake, but you have to take time to fix it...
 

Andy Black

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Yesterday a business coach was given access to a Google Ads account I set up for a friend. Even though I instructed them to only give view only access, the next phone call started off with... "Hi Matt, I need to apologise first up..." lol

They randomly removed a bunch of negative keywords from some skags and thought that doubling the daily campaign budgets on campaigns that don't max out or lose share due to budget was instantly going to double their leads yo!

@Andy Black I don't know whether to feel annoyed that I have to figure out and fix what they've done or happy that I'm not as crap at Google Ads as I thought I was :happy: I always feel weird when someone like that wants to go in and look over my work. Bloody hate it.

I'm definitely more annoyed about it actually. I'll never talk shit about any kind of competitor and the whole idea of that really turns me off the entire website and marketing industry altogether.
What @BizyDad said.

Yes, it's annoying, but I'd say it's not a reflection of the website and marketing industry. Your friend didn't listen to your advice to give read-only access. Hopefully they've learned their mistake.
 

MattR82

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I haven't heard a lot about the Joe Rogan podcast as of late (news, vid posts, etc.). We used to get someone commenting about it (or posting a vid) here weekly, usually about some topic. Is he on hiatus? (I just saw someone posted a vid in my HBOT thread, the first I've seen around here in months).
I feel like Lex Fridman has taken over in that space lately, since Rogans clips are more limited than they used to be. Lex also seems to be getting more interesting guests lately. Maybe Joe is laying low.

VERY timely podcast from Lex 2 days ago with an ex CIA agent that was awesome. Far better than the CIA guy Rogan always has on.



I also really enjoyed Lex's podcast with the ex cartel drug pilot that worked with Barry Seal and was released from prison last year.

 

MTF

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Anyone into following various business/technology trends? I've been following Trends.vs and Exploding Topics for a long time and recently became a pro subscriber of both.

I find it fascinating how much there's to learn about new stuff and how companies like Exploding Topics can identify new trends before they blow up.
 

MJ DeMarco

I followed the science; all I found was money.
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Anyone into following various business/technology trends? I've been following Trends.vs and Exploding Topics for a long time and recently became a pro subscriber of both.

I find it fascinating how much there's to learn about new stuff and how companies like Exploding Topics can identify new trends before they blow up.

Is there an end goal to this? A new business? Or just like to discover what's new and hot?

I like that it seems to aggregate pop culture's short attention span into things that breakout, then I don't have to immerse myself in pop culture.
 
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MTF

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Is there an end goal to this? A new business? Or just like to discover what's new and hot?

Both.

I'm looking at new industries I know little about to see if any catch my interest and prompt me to learn more.

I'm also learning about software/startups/tools that are exploding in popularity now. This way, if I ever see a business for sale that competes with any of these startups I'll know (possibly before others) that it can be a good acquisition.

For personal interest it's also fascinating. I'm not much of a consumer of new gadgets and stuff but it's interesting to know what's going on.

For example, today I learned about agrivoltaic energy. The concept is genius and it's exploding in popularity.

I like that it seems to aggregate pop culture's short attention span into things that breakout, then I don't have to immerse myself in pop culture.

I ignore many of the social media trends and stuff like that. But there's some gold in new lifestyle concepts.

For example, I learned about barndominiums today. They're exploding in popularity now yet it doesn't seem like there's a lot of competition yet. I found one site with organic traffic that Ahrefs values at $59k a month.
 

Mathuin

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jdm667

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For example, I learned about barndominiums today. They're exploding in popularity now yet it doesn't seem like there's a lot of competition yet. I found one site with organic traffic that Ahrefs values at $59k a month.
Looks like barndominiums went crazy after the pandemic started. The trend probably won't cool down if housing prices and rent keep rising. Nice find!

Are people renting these out on AirBnB yet?
 
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eramart

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There was a topic about disrupting suit industry. It is not really disruptive, but yesterday I’ve read about business that increased its revenue from 3m to 20m by offering wedding tuxedos for women.
 

GPM

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What do you guys use for pens when writing? I have switched 100% to writing everything down rather than using a computer. My brain works better, I have 0 distraction, and it just feels good.

However, 100% of the pens I have used are trash. They write poor, or they don't last more than a week, or the ink smears, or some sort of BS issue.

I know some of you guys are hardcore writers, any best pen that you swear by?
 
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StrikingViper69

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BIC style from poundland :rofl:

Not sure if it counts, but I've been doing a lot of note taking using a tablet and stylus for the last few months and love it. Things like my schedule and planning my day have to be pen and paper; but note taking, brain storming, studying I do tablet and stylus.
 

eramart

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What do you guys use for pens when writing? I have switched 100% to writing everything down rather than using a computer. My brain works better, I have 0 distraction, and it just feels good.

However, 100% of the pens I have used are trash. They write poor, or they don't last more than a week, or the ink smears, or some sort of BS issue.

I know some of you guys are hardcore writers, any best pen that you swear by?
The one that I can find around me, there are several usually. Cheap ones.
 

The Sandman

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What do you guys use for pens when writing? I have switched 100% to writing everything down rather than using a computer. My brain works better, I have 0 distraction, and it just feels good.

However, 100% of the pens I have used are trash. They write poor, or they don't last more than a week, or the ink smears, or some sort of BS issue.

I know some of you guys are hardcore writers, any best pen that you swear by?

Pilot G2.

Side note, I once had a boss that banned click-pens from the site because he couldn't stand the sound. I had some smuggled in anyways.
 
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MitchC

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Screen Shot 2022-08-12 at 4.00.31 am.png
These bad boys are the best

The slightly fancier pens are scratchy and the ink always bleeds and smudges, I've always assumed the really expensive ones would be the same.

Lamy is a good pen brand if you really want something a bit nicer, but I bought my gf a really cool one for her work and she never uses it, she prefers the cheaper ones too.
 
G

Guest-5ty5s4

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What do you guys use for pens when writing? I have switched 100% to writing everything down rather than using a computer. My brain works better, I have 0 distraction, and it just feels good.

However, 100% of the pens I have used are trash. They write poor, or they don't last more than a week, or the ink smears, or some sort of BS issue.

I know some of you guys are hardcore writers, any best pen that you swear by?
These are my fav by far. The ink just flows so nicely. I know, I'm a nerd.

71b8Yscj+QL._AC_SL1500_.jpg


You probably would hate these though, because they are rollerball pens. The ink absolutely smears. But it's not a bug, it's a feature. I like it for drawing and writing quickly, like painting with a pen.
 
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MTF

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Looks like barndominiums went crazy after the pandemic started. The trend probably won't cool down if housing prices and rent keep rising. Nice find!

Are people renting these out on AirBnB yet?

These houses are quite huge and usually located in the countryside so I'm not sure how profitable it would be to rent them out. Maybe for some events or as luxury retreats.
 
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G

Guest-5ty5s4

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These houses are quite huge and usually located in the countryside so I'm not sure how profitable it would be to rent them out. Maybe for some events or as luxury retreats.
Bardominiums would be great for Airbnb if in the right location. It's allllll location. Build one near a tourist attraction like a beach or a river, put some string lights and a hot tub in the back with a deck, and you're in business.

This is big down on the Texas coast.
 

loop101

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Hard to believe Anne Heche is terminally injured. She was always really cute. I didn't know about her childhood, her dad was a demon. I hope she had some peace in her life.

Anne-Heche-1.jpg
 

UK_Mike

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What do you guys use for pens when writing? I have switched 100% to writing everything down rather than using a computer. My brain works better, I have 0 distraction, and it just feels good.

I use a pencil. I always used to have trouble with pens running out at the wrong time, clogging up, and just refusing to write. A nice sharp pencil never really has that kind of a problem.

My main problem is that after years of typing, my writing is atrocious - some of it even I can't read after a few weeks, once I can't remember what I wrote.
 
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Antifragile

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Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz


One of the fundamental aspects of leadership, I realized more and more, is the ability to instill confidence in others when you yourself are feeling insecure.
 

Parks

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Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz


One of the fundamental aspects of leadership, I realized more and more, is the ability to instill confidence in others when you yourself are feeling insecure.

Was a decent book, I read it a few months ago. Respect to the original owners of Starbucks, too bad they were stuck in their own ways. Showed me McDonald's similarities.
 

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