Ask: How do you apply “programmer’s” efficiency in everyday life things? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask: How do you apply “programmer’s” efficiency in everyday life things?

#21

Post by Cieplak » Mon, Aug 06, 2018, 1:58 AM UTC

wskinner wrote: post #12

I store physical items in my home in an LRU cache. Items I use all the the time are close to the places where I use them. Less frequently used items are stored further from the place they are used, for example in a closet or the garage. This clashes badly with my roommate, also a programmer, who strongly prefers to store items by category. He will put all the kitchen gadgets on a shelf by the kitchen even if those ga…

This reminds me a lot of Marie Kondo's book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which had a huge impact on how I organize things.

Re: Ask: How do you apply “programmer’s” efficiency in everyday life things?

#22

Post by toomanybeersies » Mon, Aug 06, 2018, 1:59 AM UTC

Rjevski wrote: post #7

Don't have much to say about how to do things, but I'd say try to reduce the number of things to do, so the little you still have to do won't be a big deal. For example, I only communicate with companies/suppliers via email/phone (and change suppliers if they can't accommodate that). This means any physical mail that arrives must be spam, and goes in the trash without even being opened - anything I care about would i…

I wouldn't call using Ubereats and hiring cleaners to be increasing efficiency, but rather outsourcing your work.

Throwaway plates and forks are also terrible inefficient from an environmental point of view. Also, don't you find it less enjoyable to eat with plastic tableware? What I've found works best for me is to minimise the number of plates and forks you have in the house. If you only have one plate, you just wash it every time you use it, takes 30 seconds max. If you have a bunch of plates, then you always put off washing them, and then you have a whole stack.

Re: Ask: How do you apply “programmer’s” efficiency in everyday life things?

#23

Post by asah » Mon, Aug 06, 2018, 1:59 AM UTC

kimdotcom wrote: post #15

wskinner wrote: post #12

I store physical items in my home in an LRU cache. Items I use all the the time are close to the places where I use them. Less frequently used items are stored further from the place they are used, for example in a closet or the garage. This clashes badly with my roommate, also a programmer, who strongly prefers to store items by category. He will put all the kitchen gadgets on a shelf by the kitchen even if those ga…

What an excellent answer!

I have the same problem.

IMHO do both: multiple LRU caches by category.

Re: Ask: How do you apply “programmer’s” efficiency in everyday life things?

#24

Post by _8j50 » Mon, Aug 06, 2018, 1:59 AM UTC

projektir wrote: post #8

tchaffee wrote: post #2

You are task oriented, while your wife is goal oriented. If there are twenty dishes to wash and you only have time to wash seven, the goal oriented person washes the seven. Goal oriented people actually tend to be better organized and get more things done. All of the time you spend planning doesn't add up to enough savings for it to pay off. Try timing a few things and see for yourself. Loading the dishwasher in a di…

Such claims are very major and significant, but rarely have strong evidence behind them, and as such I would recommend that they are not made, and that the OP continues to do whatever it is that they find efficient.

Opinion does not require evidence. He was commenting based on experience.

Re: Ask: How do you apply “programmer’s” efficiency in everyday life things?

#25

Post by jolmg » Mon, Aug 06, 2018, 2:01 AM UTC

Rjevski wrote: post #16

nso95 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disposable forks and plates seems wasteful

Plates are paper so the environmental impact should be relatively low. I agree that the plastic forks are still a problem but haven't really found a solution. I do wonder though, would never having to wash dishes offset the impact of disposable cutlery? Edit: never mind, see below. Apparently paper still has a ton of impact as far as manufacturing it goes (it's not just renewable trees, there are chemicals involved).

Offset the impact on the environment? I don't think so. How is it harmful to the environment if you wash dishes?

Re: Ask: How do you apply “programmer’s” efficiency in everyday life things?

#26

Post by asah » Mon, Aug 06, 2018, 2:01 AM UTC

Rjevski wrote: post #7

Don't have much to say about how to do things, but I'd say try to reduce the number of things to do, so the little you still have to do won't be a big deal. For example, I only communicate with companies/suppliers via email/phone (and change suppliers if they can't accommodate that). This means any physical mail that arrives must be spam, and goes in the trash without even being opened - anything I care about would i…

Why not go all the way, and live on Soylent?

Re: Ask: How do you apply “programmer’s” efficiency in everyday life things?

#27

Post by toomanybeersies » Mon, Aug 06, 2018, 2:02 AM UTC

Rjevski wrote: post #16

nso95 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disposable forks and plates seems wasteful

Plates are paper so the environmental impact should be relatively low. I agree that the plastic forks are still a problem but haven't really found a solution. I do wonder though, would never having to wash dishes offset the impact of disposable cutlery? Edit: never mind, see below. Apparently paper still has a ton of impact as far as manufacturing it goes (it's not just renewable trees, there are chemicals involved).

I had to figure this out for an assignment at university. The answer is no, it doesn't offset the impact of disposable cutlery. Plates are a bit trickier, since they break, but cutlery lasts practically forever, I've got 30 year old knives and forks that are still going strong.

This is especially true if you use a dishwasher, modern dishwashers are very efficient.

Re: Ask: How do you apply “programmer’s” efficiency in everyday life things?

#28

Post by flukus » Mon, Aug 06, 2018, 2:03 AM UTC

wskinner wrote: post #12

I store physical items in my home in an LRU cache. Items I use all the the time are close to the places where I use them. Less frequently used items are stored further from the place they are used, for example in a closet or the garage. This clashes badly with my roommate, also a programmer, who strongly prefers to store items by category. He will put all the kitchen gadgets on a shelf by the kitchen even if those ga…

I've always done this but I always find my cache being polluted because I didn't estimate the frequency of use correctly. Regular purges are important otherwise it ends up as a fragmented mess.

A good alternative is how I handle my clothes, many would call it a pile but my clothes are stored as a few LIFO stacks, one for work, one for weekends, one for underwear, etc. For work the shirts are all the same so it's just the simplest option, for weekends it works out well because my favorites are always at the top. I suspect most people manage their pantries the same way.

Re: Ask: How do you apply “programmer’s” efficiency in everyday life things?

#29

Post by Topgamer7 » Mon, Aug 06, 2018, 2:04 AM UTC

Rjevski wrote: post #16

nso95 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disposable forks and plates seems wasteful

Plates are paper so the environmental impact should be relatively low. I agree that the plastic forks are still a problem but haven't really found a solution. I do wonder though, would never having to wash dishes offset the impact of disposable cutlery? Edit: never mind, see below. Apparently paper still has a ton of impact as far as manufacturing it goes (it's not just renewable trees, there are chemicals involved).

The creation of paper is chemically intensive, from processing to dyes to color it. It is not environmentally friendly.

Re: Ask: How do you apply “programmer’s” efficiency in everyday life things?

#30

Post by nso95 » Mon, Aug 06, 2018, 2:06 AM UTC

Rjevski wrote: post #16

nso95 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disposable forks and plates seems wasteful

Plates are paper so the environmental impact should be relatively low. I agree that the plastic forks are still a problem but haven't really found a solution. I do wonder though, would never having to wash dishes offset the impact of disposable cutlery? Edit: never mind, see below. Apparently paper still has a ton of impact as far as manufacturing it goes (it's not just renewable trees, there are chemicals involved).

https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Stix-Cutlery-Kit-200ct-Dispos...