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I quit my job to focus on SerenityOS full time

awesomekling.github.io

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Re: I quit my job to focus on SerenityOS full time

#141

Post by insulanus »

krapp wrote: post #83
tachyonbeam wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just Opera though. Microsoft Edge is using also Webkit. I'm legit worried that if Mozilla ever tanks, we could have a complete WebKit browser monoculture.

>I'm legit worried that if Mozilla ever tanks, we could have a complete WebKit browser monoculture. Does that really matter much, if it's open source? A lot of software converges on one or a few standard libraries or applications.

Yes, it matters a lot. One of the reasons people want open source is to be able to "fork away" from a popular project, if the leadership team of that project takes a direction that people disagree with. Obviously this goal is impossible to meet, if the project is closed-source, or has an onerous license.

There is another cost that people don't talk about as much, and that is the cost to understand a large, alien codebase enough to be able to understand and change it. If the effort to contribute is too high, you can't get a second group of programmers to rally around the fork, and the new project will fizzle.

As an example, Google understands the economics of code very well. They know that there is little threat to market dominance for them to release Android or Chromium as open source.

Re: I quit my job to focus on SerenityOS full time

#143

Post by phaemon »

jagger27 wrote: post #101
phaemon wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's appropriate because it will improve your thinking to consider that I might just be right. Edit: I happened to see your response since deleted. Don't worry, I'm not offended. I will say that HN at its best invites intellectual exploration. Take all your comments in this thread and look at them. What thoughts did you provoke? What did you add?

I'm sorry, do you think you're being "intellectually explorative" with unsubstantiated statements like "atheism is for the mediocre mind"?.

My apologies for upsetting you. Please see upthread for my apology to yourself and Dan.

Re: I quit my job to focus on SerenityOS full time

#144

Post by asddubs »

forgotpwd16 wrote: post #73
DC-3 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless anyone can name a counter example it's probably the most advanced open source browser engine except for the WebKit family, the Gecko family, and NetSurf. Never mind the whole OS - that alone is worthy of Andreas being able to work full time on the project!

Don't know about SerenityOS' but Dillo (predating even NetSurf) is pretty nice minimal browser with independent layout engine and there's Abaco (for Plan 9) which supports most of HTML4. That said from your list you miss KHTML (WebKit's parent; have diverged significantly since), Trident, EdgeHTML, Presto, and of course, Servo. All without doubt advanced engines. It's disappointing that both Microsoft and Opera didn'…

KHTML is dead since 2016 though

Re: I quit my job to focus on SerenityOS full time

#146

Post by LeonM »

dpbriggs wrote: post #119

I highly recommend checking out his YouTube channel [0]. He's an _incredibly_ thoughtful person and provides good lessons in staying focused and keeping scope down. I consider him a mentor and his approach to software is something I really resonate with. He has a keen focus on software quality but understands he can't make everything perfect in one sitting. This approach helped me get away from decision paralysis in…

+1 on this! The game porting series is what got me into watching his videos.

Normally, I can't focus longer than 5 minutes on programming videos, but Andreas's are fantastic to watch! Porting Diablo was just inspiring to see, missing a syscall? No worries, we'll just implement it!

Re: I quit my job to focus on SerenityOS full time

#147

Post by ficklepickle »

As someone who also traded drugs for programming, I find this incredibly inspiring.

Programming has become my purpose and the thing that brings me joy. Unfortunately, they way I have to program at work really sucks the joy out of it. I would gladly take a pay cut to be able to work on things and in a manner that bring me joy again.

Re: I quit my job to focus on SerenityOS full time

#148

Post by dpbriggs »

thn-gap wrote: post #133
brodo wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don‘t know much about OS development or C++ but I still watch his videos because of his thoughts on life as a software engineer.

Any specific video you would recommend that highlights his thoughts on life as a software engineer?

Not the person you're replying too, but I think you might find this video [0] interesting. He's describing his motivations and worries around making a web browser for SerenityOS.

A quote from that video (3:25) really stuck with me. He describes how he saw people joking online that the web-standards are so insane that it's impossible to build a new web-browser:

"The way I respond to that type of energy is to just really want show people that this is silly, not too complicated... mythologizing something that humans have done and humans will do again"

He clarified with a reflection on the hubris of it - new browsers can be made; not impossible; just takes an incredible amount of work taken a step at a time [1]. I really respect that.

Not exactly his thoughts on life _as_ a software engineer, but contains some thoughts on software engineering.

[0] https://youtu.be/-YlVex4nbfw

[1] http://serenityos.org/

Re: I quit my job to focus on SerenityOS full time

#149

Post by nwsm »

krapp wrote: post #118
whatshisface wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The one other example is obviously either FreeBSD, whose mascot is a demon, or OSX, which itself is a religion. ;)

Also, for better or worse, TempleOS.

This is what I was referencing. Though I think the other poster may know and was making a joke.

Re: I quit my job to focus on SerenityOS full time

#150

Post by jagger27 »

MetaWhirledPeas wrote: post #128
leg100 wrote: post #112

Windows NT/9x/2000 represented the high point for aesthetics. Light grey, rectilinear, clear delineation, all contributed to being easy on the eye and functional. Glad to see it make a comeback.

That style is a bit too brutalist for my tastes. I prefer a splash of color, like with BeOS or something like that.

Check out the included themes! There are throwback themes for various 90s operating systems.
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