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Ask HN: Does reading HN ever make you feel like shit?

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Re: Ask HN: Does reading HN ever make you feel like shit?

#201

Post by gaza3g »

Wow, I've been feeling like this for the past month or so.

I'm glad(should i be?) that someone felt the same way. I love reading HN but some days, I really dread typing HN's URL and visiting the site since I know fully well that I haven't done anything significant recently.

Reading the awesome posts here kinda demotivates me as there is a lot of pressure to run a startup, make it successful, and to get FU money.

Btw, I know fully well the things I need to do, I'm just ranting, thats all.

Re: Ask HN: Does reading HN ever make you feel like shit?

#202

Post by abp »

DanielRibeiro wrote: post #157
neilk wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you want to feel less overwhelmed, try reading the comments starting at the bottom of the page instead of the top This should be a preference. Ego-boosting sort.

I'd also suggest reading The Pragmatic Programmer ( http://www.pragprog.com/the-pragmatic-programmer , written by @pragdave) and the The Passionate Programmer ( http://pragprog.com/titles/cfcar2/the-passionate-programmer ). People who are passionate about what they do have a tendency to stand out (pg makes a similar argument on Amateur section of http://www.paulgraham.com/opensource.html ). If you are passionate enou…

If you are passionate enough about software development aspects, most HN articles will not feel overwhelming, as you will be constantly improving on your craft. But then you will know how much more there is to learn. Just don't feel overwhelmed then.

I sometimes feel like I'm dragged into too many directions at the same time. Damn interest. But that's it. I love to spin, reading about 3 or 4 frameworks in 2 or 3 languages serially until I feel something like information satisfaction or I'm getting tired.

I think I actually need the diversity of information. Sort of brain stimulation through information overflow. ;)

But it works. Diversity is very good for the brain, i think it's irrelevant in wich form.

And when you're talking about pragprog: http://pragprog.com/titles/ahptl/pragmatic-thinking-and-lear...

My favourite pragprog book so far.

Re: Ask HN: Does reading HN ever make you feel like shit?

#203

Post by mhartl »

I suggest you pick a direction and keep pushing. There's a particular set of projects I sometimes look at, and I find them overwhelming. I think, "This guy is way ahead of me", or "This guy is way smarter than I am". But here's the thing—they are projects I did myself:

* This guy is way ahead of me: http://railstutorial.org/book

* This guy is way smarter than I am: http://thesis.library.caltech.edu/1940/

I only feel overwhelmed because, in a single moment, I'm looking at the cumulative effect of months or years of effort.

Pick a direction, and just keep pushing.

Re: Ask HN: Does reading HN ever make you feel like shit?

#204

Post by Restart-Button »

1) It takes time to get "damn good" at programming languages. Take it one step at a time and do your best to stay enthusiastic about your work. Always have that vision

2) Do not fear the competition. Eliminate that fear by any means necessary, It is only a hindrance to your progress. 2A) Also: Better diet = Less stress = Less fear,= More Productivity = Happier you

3) Programming requires a certain personality and a lot of hard work but it pays off if you don't burn out. For me, expressing my ideas comes easier and easier the more blogging/posting/updating I do.

Re: Ask HN: Does reading HN ever make you feel like shit?

#206

Post by malkia »

photon_off wrote: post #192
malkia wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We use MySQL for example for logging a lot of stuff coming out of the game - for example texture usage, error messages, where people were shooting mostly, anything. Also MySQL, SQLIte are being used for the caching on the server, and caching locally of the converted data. PHP has been used for getting few internal sites, but I can't tell much. So these technologies are not used in the actual games (at least ours), bu…

Very interesting. Anything like this that you know is needed in NY?

I don't know, I'm working at Treyarch, which is in Los Angeles, but our company (Activision) has studio in New Jersey (or New York).

But I think any big enough game developer studio would be happy to employ someone with such knowledge. From my narrow (have been for 10 years in the same studio) view - we often need people that do know MySQL, SQL in general, and other things that are not generally needed directly in game development - drivers, monitors (file, network, etc.), web servers, etc.

Just imagine if every PRINT() in your game actually dumps all that info in some server, and does not slow down you. You can do a lot of with that info - it can log what level you are playing, when, who is playing, which build, various settings, what you've killed, what textures were used, etc. Later there might be tool pulling that data and analyzing it.

Re: Ask HN: Does reading HN ever make you feel like shit?

#207

Post by all »

What the OP is doing is similar to a fatal flaw that messes up many companies. If everyone is your customer/market, then nobody is your customer/market. You can't market to everyone, and you can't focus on everything at the same time. You must say 'yes' to some and 'no' to others, working a niche in order to have a successful business. Similarly, in programming and pretty much all of life, you must say 'no' to most things and be selective about the domains for which you say 'yes'. I have more degrees and certifications than any human being should ever have, but I know what I can do and stay away from what is just plain beyond me - kernel dev, embedded s/w, and the like. Those guys are rocket scientists to me, and I respect them for it. But I would be deluding myself and them if I tried to hang with them as one of their ilk. There are different clans. You have to figure out what yours is/are and say 'no' to the rest. And that 'no' should not be a completely exclusory 'no' but rather a moving of that topic to the fringe of your focus. Like a dart board, you pick what you're about and focus on that as the middle. The priority of everything else should be relative to that.

Re: Ask HN: Does reading HN ever make you feel like shit?

#208

Post by mikecaron »

saratogacx wrote: post #183
elblanco wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"However, there are people way more talented than me" Oh, and one thing that you have to learn to become comfortable with (or at least Zen about)...there is always somebody better at something than me.

What is great about that is that there is always someone to learn from.

Unless you're Jon Skeet.

Re: Ask HN: Does reading HN ever make you feel like shit?

#209

Post by mian2zi3 »

mian2zi3 wrote: post #196
phaedrus wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a need then for a stackoverflow-based site for practical or less research-level math, for questions like, "How do I do this Laplace transform?" or "How do I do this difficult integral?"

Agreed, if there isn't one already. artofproblemsolving.com might fit the bill, for example.

http://math.stackexchange.com/ is now in beta. From the FAQ: "Mathematics - Stack Exchange is for people studying math at any level & professionals in related fields."
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