Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure • Hacker News Board

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#191

Post by lispm » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 5:31 AM UTC

mehrdadn wrote: post #114

lenticular wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mathematica is literally the worst PL I've ever used, especially since you effectively have to use their built-in editor that doesn't even have multiple undo. Of course, it is the least-worst symbolic system out there currently. But, it's not like lisp wouldn't have developed similar capabilities if Mathematica didn't come around.

I mean, I wouldn't make a website with it, but for computational/mathematical code I'd choose Mathematica and its editor over a Lisp language any day, even if it's just for the syntax (though it most certainly is not). Some of us actually find it easier to understand and write math when it looks like math and not just a wall of parentheses or ASCII art.

That's why basically all Lisp systems in that area (Macsyma, Maxima, Axiom, REDUCE, ...) provide non-lisp syntax programming.

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#192

Post by coldtea » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 5:33 AM UTC

ericd wrote: post #170

SomeHacker44 wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use JS1’s exact process, software and hardware. That is just too eerie. I however only shred once I have a full banker’s box, which I take to a commercial shredder for a big toss for $100, once or twice a year.

Why a commercial shredder rather than a $100 crosscut (Amazon Basics makes some pretty good ones)? I actually find the shredder pretty fun to use.

Or a fireplace...

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#193

Post by nevi-me » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 5:39 AM UTC

Stephen mentions that his mouse is on the left because he's left-handed. I'm left-handed, and I don't think I've ever seen someone put the mouse on the left.

How much difference would it make to accuracy, or does the other hand eventually learn to compensate?

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#194

Post by canada_dry » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 5:43 AM UTC

chubot wrote: post #138

Some pretty cool things: - He's a CEO who dogfoods his own software! Not only that, he seems to be one of its most prolific users. That's amazing. Having worked for over a decade at Google, I sometimes wonder if the founders still use the products. Larry Page used to always harp on latency (rightly), and now Google products are slower than ever. - He's a remote CEO, and supports remote working! It sounds like the com…

My son and I met Stephen and his son at the NY Maker Faire a few years ago.

As you might imagine, his son (I think he was around 11 then) takes after his father and was heavily into programming already.

Imagine having him as your father! Lucky bugger.

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#195

Post by drefanzor » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 5:44 AM UTC

This is the best thing I've read in a long, long time. Mr. Wolfram, how does it feel to be a god? :D

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#196

Post by ardy42 » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 5:45 AM UTC

nevi-me wrote: post #193

Stephen mentions that his mouse is on the left because he's left-handed. I'm left-handed, and I don't think I've ever seen someone put the mouse on the left. How much difference would it make to accuracy, or does the other hand eventually learn to compensate?

> I'm left-handed, and I don't think I've ever seen someone put the mouse on the left.

I'm left-handed. I mouse left-handed at work and right-handed at home. I used to mouse exclusively right-handed, but I started developing wrist-aches and realized I could prevent them by not using one wrist so disproportionately.

> How much difference would it make to accuracy, or does the other hand eventually learn to compensate?

Zero. I got used to using my left hand very quickly, in no more than a day or two.

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#197

Post by fredrix » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 5:48 AM UTC

chubot wrote: post #138

Some pretty cool things: - He's a CEO who dogfoods his own software! Not only that, he seems to be one of its most prolific users. That's amazing. Having worked for over a decade at Google, I sometimes wonder if the founders still use the products. Larry Page used to always harp on latency (rightly), and now Google products are slower than ever. - He's a remote CEO, and supports remote working! It sounds like the com…

Hahahaha ... what an oxymoron here . Wolfram and rehabilitation. The company has not been doing well for a while. Having 800 employees at a macdonald wAge doesn’t seem like a hard thing to accomplish for a cult like corporation.

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#198

Post by mhdhn » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 5:53 AM UTC

_lbaq wrote: post #179

kevinventullo wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be honest, the conference call linked lower in the thread has increased my skepticism for remote work. Another commenter pointed out how much smoother everything would have gone if everyone had been in the same room.

I've been working remote for decades and my observation is that whats standing inbetween great communication in remote teams are often trival, easily fixable things like poor software and hardware. When it comes to hardware, people use whatever headset and camera they have, connected to wifi served by the a cheap SOHO router. More or less the stuff you use to call your parents over skype once a week.

Have you noticed how incredibly resistant people are to doing a thing about it? Just getting anyone to put on a headset is like pulling teeth.

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#199

Post by ivalm » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 6:00 AM UTC

levesque wrote: post #163

kevinventullo wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be honest, the conference call linked lower in the thread has increased my skepticism for remote work. Another commenter pointed out how much smoother everything would have gone if everyone had been in the same room.

Don't kid yourself, it's not going to be as efficient. Audio and delay are big issues, as not everybody can talk at the same time. But the point is that it is doable, and some companies have good success with that. They are usually small-medium companies though, my guess is we won't be seeing any 100% remote unicorns popping up.

Wolfram has 800 employees, most of them tech, which puts payroll at ~160m. Suppose 30% margin, thats about $50m earnings, at 20p/e thats about $1b/unicorn.

Re: Some Details of My Personal Infrastructure

#200

Post by thestepafter » Fri, Feb 22, 2019, 6:06 AM UTC

ardy42 wrote: post #196

nevi-me wrote: post #193

Stephen mentions that his mouse is on the left because he's left-handed. I'm left-handed, and I don't think I've ever seen someone put the mouse on the left. How much difference would it make to accuracy, or does the other hand eventually learn to compensate?

> I'm left-handed, and I don't think I've ever seen someone put the mouse on the left. I'm left-handed. I mouse left-handed at work and right-handed at home. I used to mouse exclusively right-handed, but I started developing wrist-aches and realized I could prevent them by not using one wrist so disproportionately. > How much difference would it make to accuracy, or does the other hand eventually learn to compensate?…

Do you use a left handed mouse or the same mouse you would use for your right hand? Also, which mouse are you using?