Ask HN: Are you working on interesting technical problems?

Post by bsenftner » Wed, Jun 06, 2018, 5:01 PM UTC

superasn wrote: post #381

bsenftner wrote: post #242

I'm hesitant to post because there is so much anguish here about winning the lottery for interesting work. I have been extremely fortunate in my career. I'd say I won the interesting lottery. I started very early by today's standards, taking my first programming class at the local university when I was in 5th grade, back in '76. At 17, in '82, I had a game company selling nationwide in Sears & KMart a few Vic-20 game…

Wow pretty amazing. A little OT but just reading about coding 10 hours a day is just making me think of back pain. Is it really possible to sit for that long everyday and not suffer from it. I know I'm probably focusing on the wrong thing but just the idea of being able to code for that long everyday without suffering any physical problems would be reward enough for me.

Post by superasn » Wed, Jun 06, 2018, 6:47 PM UTC

bsenftner wrote: post #421

superasn wrote: post #381

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow pretty amazing. A little OT but just reading about coding 10 hours a day is just making me think of back pain. Is it really possible to sit for that long everyday and not suffer from it. I know I'm probably focusing on the wrong thing but just the idea of being able to code for that long everyday without suffering any physical problems would be reward enough for me.

I actually code closer to 14-16 hours a day. But I have a standing desk / bar stool combination, plus a compile of my work typically takes 3-4 minutes, so I have a yoga mat, weights and stuff to work out while I think & wait. I'm 54, yet look 40 with a near six-pack. I'm really lucky.

Post by LamaOfRuin » Thu, Jun 07, 2018, 2:40 AM UTC

dmos62 wrote: post #384

swsieber wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My father-in-law mentioned something I find quite interesting to my wife: Don't look for a job that will fulfill every aspect of your life - that's what your family is for. And if you do find one, your family life might not suffer. Not all of us are raising families, but I think it highlights a bigger points. Work is not what builds societies (certain jobs do harm society I think, mostly by destroying it's moral virt…

I believe that the inability for business in our society to be socially aware or responsibile stems from the separation of private life and public life. I can't remember what book this was, but it looked at what war criminals were like in private life. Its main point was that, in private, war criminals were nice guys. According to the book, the transition from being war criminals by day and family men by night, was p…

Post by gm-conspiracy » Thu, Jun 07, 2018, 2:08 PM UTC

bsenftner wrote: post #344

gm-conspiracy wrote: post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

VideoToaster? BBSs? What was your first computer?

I first had access to a PDP-1170 at my local university, then a borrowed Apple II, then my first computer was a Vic-20. Then a C-64, then the beta Mac.

Post by bsenftner » Thu, Jun 07, 2018, 8:10 PM UTC

gm-conspiracy wrote: post #427

bsenftner wrote: post #344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I first had access to a PDP-1170 at my local university, then a borrowed Apple II, then my first computer was a Vic-20. Then a C-64, then the beta Mac.

Do you think if you had not started with a 16-bit computer, your learning would have progressed differently? I know this is a highly speculative question.