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Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?

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Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?

#141

Post by todd3834 »

msluyter wrote: post #127

Readline —- I’m sometimes amazed at the number of relatively seasoned developers who don’t know simple commands like ctrl-r. This one really pays off because almost all shells and repls like ipython or the mysql client implement it. Sample cheat sheet: https://readline.kablamo.org/emacs.html You don’t have to learn it all, but mastering the basics like moving to the end/beginning on the line, moving/deleting by word,…

Nice! I’ve been at this game for a while and ctrl-r must have slipped right past me till now. I’ve regularly do ‘history | grep ___’ but ctrl-r looks like a far better solution.

Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?

#142

Post by mattlondon »

Computer Science degree.

Sure, lots of us "learnt" programming in our bedrooms or whatever by doing our own thing and messing about in whatever language. I went into my compsci degree arrogantly thinking that I pretty much knew how to code already so please just give me the bit of paper saying I have the degree and I'll be on my way thanks very much.

I was very wrong.

Although I was pretty good at the coding (or at least I like to think so), I learnt so much more of the theory that is as relevant today as it was then, and as it was decades before that too. It stretched me in ways I did not even know I could be stretched - I dont think I would never have learnt the "hard" theory that transcends specific programming languages if I was just tinkering around on my own or reading a "How to program Python/Visual Basic 6/PHP/C#" books etc (aged myself there with VB6!).

More or less every day I still use those skills/knowledge I learnt on my degree, but not only that I came out beaming with confidence and the knowledge that I knew my stuff.

As a direct result of my degree I enjoy a pretty cushy, well-paid, well-perked, and secure job at a company that many people dream of working at, and have done for years. Sure it was 4 years and a few thousand GBP (at the time in the UK - more expensive now) but totally 100% worth it - I genuinely dont think I'd be where I am now if I had not done the degree.

Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?

#144

Post by person_of_color »

goodstuff9 wrote: post #114
monster_group wrote: post #55

Learning Sanskrit. I have spent the last few years learning it and it's been tremendously rewarding. Sanskrit is a beautiful language. Learning it is a great mental challenge and gives great satisfaction (to me). Before learning Sanskrit I had never really pursued a hobby this seriously. Since I have been doing this I no longer feel like a machine who just goes to work, eats and sleeps. Before this, I used to feel gr…

कुत्र पठसि संस्कृतम्?

Egenes.

Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?

#145

Post by maroonblazer »

sridca wrote: post #120
wallflower wrote: post #71

Going to a gym two to three times a week for small group training sessions. In terms of investment, it is not as expensive as private training and it keeps you on track. The real investment is in you. Your most important asset is your ability to produce income. Having a healthier body helps maintain that ability. The damage that I do through typing is only barely counteracted by these training sessions. I don’t take…

I'd recommend calisthenics instead of going to a gym. Far less chances of getting injuries with bodyweight exercises. This book is a good start: https://www.reddit.com/r/overcominggravity

Author's website: http://stevenlow.org/overcoming-tendonitis/

His book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Gravity-Systematic-Gymnast...

Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?

#146

Post by person_of_color »

enitihas wrote: post #129
monster_group wrote: post #55

Learning Sanskrit. I have spent the last few years learning it and it's been tremendously rewarding. Sanskrit is a beautiful language. Learning it is a great mental challenge and gives great satisfaction (to me). Before learning Sanskrit I had never really pursued a hobby this seriously. Since I have been doing this I no longer feel like a machine who just goes to work, eats and sleeps. Before this, I used to feel gr…

I too have been interested in learning Sanskrit for some time. Can you tell me what resources you used?

Egenes book

Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?

#147

Post by m90 »

mattlondon wrote: post #142

Computer Science degree. Sure, lots of us "learnt" programming in our bedrooms or whatever by doing our own thing and messing about in whatever language. I went into my compsci degree arrogantly thinking that I pretty much knew how to code already so please just give me the bit of paper saying I have the degree and I'll be on my way thanks very much. I was very wrong. Although I was pretty good at the coding (or at l…

I'd be interested in a few real world examples of these cases where you are able to apply the CS knowledge in your day job. Would you mind sharing one or two?

Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?

#148

Post by elorant »

bemmu wrote: post #111
elorant wrote: post #90

The subtle art of small talk. There are so many benefits, from flirting to sales and whatnot. Especially in business relationships it helps smooth the process and make people feel comfortable with you. Over the years I've noticed that people who are very good at sales are masters of small talk.

How did you go about learning this art?

By trying to empathize. Make the other guy feel like you understand them and if possible have something to say that correlates to his experience. It's just that simple. You don't have to agree with what they're saying just don't openly oppose them. Just tag along.

Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?

#149

Post by maroonblazer »

psiegman wrote: post #121
bemmu wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How did you go about learning this art?

My algorithm: 1. Start by saying something, something neutral/positive or a compliment: "Nice weather, eh?", "Great party!", "Nice tie" 2. Ask questions: "How are you doing ?", "What brought you here ?", "What line of work are you in ?" 3. Repeat #2 until you find something that you have something to say about. Could be that you discover you're in the same line of work, grew up in the same town, etc 4. Keep your talk…

I love this approach. Step 4 is key. I've found tremendous success simply asking questions about what people do, their interests & opinions, etc.

It's cliche but it's true: "Interested people are interesting."

Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?

#150

Post by taneq »

mattlondon wrote: post #142

Computer Science degree. Sure, lots of us "learnt" programming in our bedrooms or whatever by doing our own thing and messing about in whatever language. I went into my compsci degree arrogantly thinking that I pretty much knew how to code already so please just give me the bit of paper saying I have the degree and I'll be on my way thanks very much. I was very wrong. Although I was pretty good at the coding (or at l…

There's a difference between the trade of programming and the science of programming. The former, you learn on the job. The latter, you generally learn at university. And for some things (fewer things than I'd like, honestly) the latter is going to help you a lot. For the rest, it's not really necessary.
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