Chris Lattner: The Future of Computing and Programming Languages [audio] • Hacker News Board

Re: Chris Lattner: The Future of Computing and Programming Languages [audio]

#101

Post by chubot » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 5:16 PM UTC

DSingularity wrote: post #60

Why are people so negative? I get that it is possible for people to dislike his style or find his voice triggering. What I don’t get is what those people get out of pointing this out. Especially when others have already done this.

Also I recommend just giving it a chance. To be honest, I disilked his first podcasts. I turned them off even though they had guests I really liked (Guido van Rossum, etc.)

But now I watch his podcast all the time, and I've gotten a lot out of it.

I agree with others in that he doesn't try to make himself the focus of the conversation, and that's a good quality in an interviewer.

He makes his subjects comfortable enough to talk freely, to say things I haven't heard elsewhere over 1-2 hours, and that is an incredible and valuable skill.

Re: Chris Lattner: The Future of Computing and Programming Languages [audio]

#102

Post by jlokier » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 5:16 PM UTC

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #86

jlokier wrote: post #67

(@dang) Other discussion about the same episode here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24823764

That discussion only has complaints about the interviewing style. This discussion has a few comments about the substance. Not many, but more than none.

That's a little unfair, some of the comments there are thoughtful praise, just like this discussion.

Re: Chris Lattner: The Future of Computing and Programming Languages [audio]

#103

Post by UncleOxidant » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 5:19 PM UTC

st1x7 wrote: post #2

Every time I run across an episode of this podcast I need to weigh in my interest in a great guest versus having to listen to Lex's monotone voice and meaning-of-life type questions. The disparity is amazing - the list of guests is easily the best out of any podcast that has guests that I've ever come across; and the delivery of the host is just about the worst I've come across too. I guess I'll listen to this one.

I have the same issues with Fridman. I wonder how he's able to get these A-list guests? Is it just that he's the only one in the space doing these kinds of podcasts? I heard his interview with Jim Keller (chip designer extraordinaire) and Fridman did ask some good questions, but there were also some very cringey questions and others that seemed to indicate he was out of his depth (at least with the topic at hand). In spite of it, Keller had a lot of good things to say. So I'll probably listen to this Lattner interview and cringe at points and find what Chris has to say interesting in spite of it.

Re: Chris Lattner: The Future of Computing and Programming Languages [audio]

#104

Post by bekantan » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 5:22 PM UTC

I love his podcast. Episode with Joscha Bach is the best one so far - Joscha is an excellent fit for type of questions Lex tends to ask

Re: Chris Lattner: The Future of Computing and Programming Languages [audio]

#105

Post by WanderPanda » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 5:27 PM UTC

I would never have guessed Lex would get so much hate here. No one forces you to listen to him and his guests. And it is probably not despite his interviewing style but because of it that so many excellent people talk to him. Can we please discuss the content? I have one hour to go and Julia has not been mentioned, though it seems to check many of the boxes they are talking about (high quality libraries that feel like they are part of the language, compiling natively to accelerators...). I think it is one big competitor (in the field of HPC / scientific computing) to „Swift world domination“

Re: Chris Lattner: The Future of Computing and Programming Languages [audio]

#106

Post by WanderPanda » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 5:28 PM UTC

bekantan wrote: post #104

I love his podcast. Episode with Joscha Bach is the best one so far - Joscha is an excellent fit for type of questions Lex tends to ask

Thanks, never heard that name but I will definitely listen to the episode!

Re: Chris Lattner: The Future of Computing and Programming Languages [audio]

#107

Post by UncleOxidant » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 5:29 PM UTC

melling wrote: post #51

Early in the interview Lattner does a great job of selling Swift. Value types (with copy on write), progressive disclosure, ... I think Swift is a great language but the lack of cross platform development is holding it back.

Isn't Google pouring lots of money/developers into developing Swift for AI?

Re: Chris Lattner: The Future of Computing and Programming Languages [audio]

#108

Post by cblconfederate » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 5:32 PM UTC

UncleOxidant wrote: post #103

st1x7 wrote: post #2

Every time I run across an episode of this podcast I need to weigh in my interest in a great guest versus having to listen to Lex's monotone voice and meaning-of-life type questions. The disparity is amazing - the list of guests is easily the best out of any podcast that has guests that I've ever come across; and the delivery of the host is just about the worst I've come across too. I guess I'll listen to this one.

I have the same issues with Fridman. I wonder how he's able to get these A-list guests? Is it just that he's the only one in the space doing these kinds of podcasts? I heard his interview with Jim Keller (chip designer extraordinaire) and Fridman did ask some good questions, but there were also some very cringey questions and others that seemed to indicate he was out of his depth (at least with the topic at hand). In…

I m trying to figure out what is it that throws people off? There are successful podcasters that are far more clueless than Lex (e.g. Joe rogan) and he s not interrupting much. In general the interviewee is usually the center of attention, and they seem to be actually going pretty deep on presenting their theses or personal ideas (e.g. sebastian thrun, joscha bach, george hotz, lisa feldman, james gosling). As for a few cringey questions in 1.5 hours, it's like a restful interlude, after all talking can become exhausting. Do people think the interviewees are offended by Lex's (few) obsessions (Musk,dostoyevsky,his soviet past)? It certainly doesnt seem so judging from their reactions during the interview and after (in twitter etc).

Being in MIT probably gave him easy access to the interesting people that started off his podcast, but beyond that i think his affable , empathetic and easy style is rather attractive, so people don't say no to him, and many have returned back.

Re: Chris Lattner: The Future of Computing and Programming Languages [audio]

#109

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 5:39 PM UTC

kaesar14 wrote: post #97

jcims wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think his affiliation with MIT probably helped to start with, but you still have to shoot your shot. He interviewed three billionaires before episode 20 (none of which would give a shit about plasma physics btw, lol).

Kyle Vogt and Elon Musk are explainable with MIT, being a researcher heavily involved with self driving. Schmidt, yeah dunno how he got him so early on. He seems pretty well connected in technology in general to be honest. Still has nothing to do with his dad.

[deleted]

Re: Chris Lattner: The Future of Computing and Programming Languages [audio]

#110

Post by UncleOxidant » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 5:46 PM UTC

cblconfederate wrote: post #108

UncleOxidant wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have the same issues with Fridman. I wonder how he's able to get these A-list guests? Is it just that he's the only one in the space doing these kinds of podcasts? I heard his interview with Jim Keller (chip designer extraordinaire) and Fridman did ask some good questions, but there were also some very cringey questions and others that seemed to indicate he was out of his depth (at least with the topic at hand). In…

I m trying to figure out what is it that throws people off? There are successful podcasters that are far more clueless than Lex (e.g. Joe rogan) and he s not interrupting much. In general the interviewee is usually the center of attention, and they seem to be actually going pretty deep on presenting their theses or personal ideas (e.g. sebastian thrun, joscha bach, george hotz, lisa feldman, james gosling). As for a…

I think blinkingled below in the comments put it really well:

"yes it is different and it can feel like stoned teenager with disorganized thoughts asking questions that form mid sentence"