Ask HN: Desperate Python Hacker Seeking Help and Suggestions • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Desperate Python Hacker Seeking Help and Suggestions

#181

Post by codeslush » Mon, Aug 01, 2011, 12:11 AM UTC

wcarss wrote: post #162

Natsu wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any ambiguity in item 3 is not a problem, because no matter how you parse it, the number of letters will always be a positive integer.

This is to both you and your parent reply -- have I completely misread statement 3? '3. If the number of letters in the product's name shares any common factors (besides 1) with the number of letters in the customer's name then the SS is multiplied by 1.5.' To me, this says that if len(pname) is split into prime factors, and at least one of those is found in the list of prime factors for len(cname), then you multiply…

You're fine, I'm the crazy one...err...ignorant one! I was just wrong. In viewing some of the other comments on this thread, it's clear to me that milo would have done a fine job of filtering me out! :-)

FWIW, I looked at the problem differently - I interpreted "factors" completely the wrong way. I'm humble enough to say that my bad interpretation is based on my own lack of education in mathematics. I have none! Zero, outside of what you get in high school. I'm definitely not the low-level algorithm guy. My lack of math skills has not held me back professionally, but I get healthy doses of humility, like this, on occasion. "One day" I want to go back and study math and see what I've been missing all these years.

I wanted to give you the respect of a reply since you took the time to comment.

Re: Ask HN: Desperate Python Hacker Seeking Help and Suggestions

#182

Post by jmcantrell » Mon, Aug 01, 2011, 12:11 AM UTC

justin_vanw wrote: post #75

Your description really isn't enough to give you advice. You should post your resume online somewhere and link to it. But, based on what you said, I can tell you: Using Python in school and at a job doesn't make you a Python Hacker. From your description of yourself it sounds like you mostly play with programming. It may just be the way you worded it, but what was the last 'major' software project you have worked on,…

Arghh. That CodeEval problem is driving me nuts! I'm happily employed, but I love a good challenge. Is there any way you can send me more example input? CodeEval keeps coming back as a failure, but my output matches the challenge description.

jmcantrell@gmail.com

Re: Ask HN: Desperate Python Hacker Seeking Help and Suggestions

#183

Post by tootlol » Mon, Aug 01, 2011, 12:55 AM UTC

justin_vanw wrote: post #75

Your description really isn't enough to give you advice. You should post your resume online somewhere and link to it. But, based on what you said, I can tell you: Using Python in school and at a job doesn't make you a Python Hacker. From your description of yourself it sounds like you mostly play with programming. It may just be the way you worded it, but what was the last 'major' software project you have worked on,…

The OP said he knows graph theory, it should be trivial for him then.

Re: Ask HN: Desperate Python Hacker Seeking Help and Suggestions

#184

Post by jjohn » Mon, Aug 01, 2011, 2:12 AM UTC

jmcantrell wrote: post #182

justin_vanw wrote: post #75

Your description really isn't enough to give you advice. You should post your resume online somewhere and link to it. But, based on what you said, I can tell you: Using Python in school and at a job doesn't make you a Python Hacker. From your description of yourself it sounds like you mostly play with programming. It may just be the way you worded it, but what was the last 'major' software project you have worked on,…

Arghh. That CodeEval problem is driving me nuts! I'm happily employed, but I love a good challenge. Is there any way you can send me more example input? CodeEval keeps coming back as a failure, but my output matches the challenge description. jmcantrell@gmail.com

plz send mail to support @ codeeval with any questions/support issues about the platform. thx...

Re: Ask HN: Desperate Python Hacker Seeking Help and Suggestions

#185

Post by wcarss » Mon, Aug 01, 2011, 4:36 AM UTC

Natsu wrote: post #175

wcarss wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uh, I didn't mention the algorithm at all. As someone else mentioned, the hard part of this problem is finding an optimal solution; there's some minor stuff with keeping information together and building a modular program, but what I said is completely unrelated to that. As we're entirely just discussing the spec, and not the secret hidden hardness of this problem, could you tell me what I missed? If you're concerned…

I'm referring to yet another algorithm. It probably won't matter for numbers that small, but the ancient Greeks invented a better way. And yes, even it was discussed on HN recently.

Ah, you mean the algorithm re: factors. Okay, thanks.

Re: Ask HN: Desperate Python Hacker Seeking Help and Suggestions

#186

Post by Natsu » Mon, Aug 01, 2011, 5:22 AM UTC

Estragon wrote: post #163

Natsu wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An external library? Some sort of linear algebra, I assume? I believe that a very simple algorithm that solves problems like this was featured on HN something like a week ago. I hope that's not too much of a hint, but anyone who can figure it out from that was probably a good candidate, anyhow. I should also mention that I did code a solution in Perl, or at least most of one, though I did not submit it. I have a gran…

Not linear algebra, although the optimization problem can be expressed in terms of linear programming, I think. I wish you well in caring for your grandmother. That stuff is way more important than programming techniques.

It's weird how full-circle I've gone on this. I went from "the naive solution is easy enough to write" to "I bet there's a more efficient way" to "oh crap, my solution doesn't actually work, because the preferences can have ties."

I did have the fun of coding up the algorithm I saw on HN a while back, though, so it was fun.

Re: Ask HN: Desperate Python Hacker Seeking Help and Suggestions

#187

Post by zmoazeni » Mon, Aug 01, 2011, 2:43 PM UTC

justin_vanw wrote: post #75

Your description really isn't enough to give you advice. You should post your resume online somewhere and link to it. But, based on what you said, I can tell you: Using Python in school and at a job doesn't make you a Python Hacker. From your description of yourself it sounds like you mostly play with programming. It may just be the way you worded it, but what was the last 'major' software project you have worked on,…

> No matter what happens, you aren't going to find work in Michigan. You aren't connected and from the sound of it your resume is very light, and you don't have a network, so contracting and freelancing just isn't realistic for you

I disagree with this. Speaking from experience, it is very possible to fill up on remote freelance gigs. In fact, I work in Northern Michigan, which has a much slower economy than West Michigan and the Ann Arbor area. You don't have to take work from only Michigan.

If you're starting out, keep your rates lower until you get a feel for the work. You may find that you like being a full time remote freelancer.

Re: Ask HN: Desperate Python Hacker Seeking Help and Suggestions

#188

Post by danielmorrison » Mon, Aug 01, 2011, 2:56 PM UTC

helmehn,

I founded Collective Idea (http://collectiveidea.com) a successful and growing Ruby shop in West Michigan (Downtown Holland). We are actively looking for programmers, and I know many other companies in the area that are too. The ones I've talked to recently are looking for Ruby, Objective-C, and PHP, but I'm sure there are many, many more.

West Michigan is actually a fantastic place to be a programmer right now. We have dirt-cheap cost of living, beautiful scenery and a number of top-notch software companies working for major companies. (We count Fortune 100 & 500 Companies in our active client list.)

How do you get a job here?

1.) You could have emailed me. My email is on our website, and so are the heads of companies at our competitors. I have interviewed a number of people over the years even when we weren't hiring. I talk with our competitors frequently, so I know who's hiring and will gladly recommend people we can't hire.

Software companies are hiring. Ad agencies are hiring. Manufacturing & Medical companies are hiring. Nobody needs to leave Michigan to get a great job.

2.) Go to meetups.

Grand Rapids has a large number of great meetups and user groups for Ruby (http://www.meetup.com/mi-ruby/), Python (http://www.meetup.com/grpython/), Linux (http://grlug.org/), .NET (http://wmdotnet.org/) a new and huge Web Dev group (http://grwebdev.org/), Software Craftsmanship (http://softwaregr.org/), and many more (http://conga-wm.org/group-list/). The annual BarCamp is in a few weeks (http://barcampgr.org/) and we even have Y-Combinator style seed accelerator, http://momentum-mi.com/.

Go to any of these. Talk to people. You don't need to know "contacts in the industry" you need to meet people. They'll tell you who to talk to, where to apply, and how to brush up your skills.

3.) Write some code.

In the age of GitHub and SourceForge (who has coders in Grand Rapids and is often hiring http://geek.net/about/careers/) there's no excuse for not having code that you've written. Find some small project and make it better, or contribute documentation. Don't get discouraged if you can't find a project to hack on right away, you will. Blog about it. Talk about it.

Michigan, and especially West Michigan has some amazing programming shops, some of the best coders I've met anywhere, and everyone is hiring. I know many people have moved away, but there is no reason to anymore. This is a great state, a bit underrated, with an under-the-radar software scene that is ready to explode.

Anyone know Ruby and want to work for a Michigan company in a lakeshore town? Talk to me.

Re: Ask HN: Desperate Python Hacker Seeking Help and Suggestions

#189

Post by jvanenk » Mon, Aug 01, 2011, 3:41 PM UTC

This post is a day old now, so I'm guessing this won't be getting too much visibility, but AtomicEmbedded (my employer) is hiring experienced embedded software developers.

http://www.atomicobject.com/pages/Embedded+Developer+Applica...

If the Embedded group doesn't look like your thing, you can also submit an application to our parent company, AtomicObject. They are also hiring.

http://www.atomicobject.com/pages/Working+at+Atomic+Object

AtomicObject normally hires generalists (which it sounds like you are), so experience with many languages and programming concepts is a huge plus. AtomicEmbedded needs a more specific developer who can get their hands messy with microcontrollers, oscilloscopes, and low level C code while still playing in the land of ponies and fairies (Ruby/Rails/Python/C#).

If any of this sounds like your thing, don't hesitate to submit a resume. We're always looking for the right people.

Re: Ask HN: Desperate Python Hacker Seeking Help and Suggestions

#190

Post by sitkack » Mon, Aug 01, 2011, 9:02 PM UTC

sitkack wrote: post #94

samarudge wrote: post #35

Maybe being blunt, but if you're seriously about to be out of house and home because you can't find a job, you need to lower your fence. Aspiring to be a programmer/hacker/startup guy is great, but even a job stacking shelves in a shop would give you enough money to survive on while you continue looking for a job you'd enjoy (Or working on your own projects). Put it this way, living on the street gives you hardly any…

This country is harsh and there is NO safety net for the able bodied at the end of a rope. Deliver pizza (and get shot), stock shelves, what ever it takes. You are not your job. It is illegal to be homeless in the USA.

I don't really understand the downvotes. Please explain.