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I'm 17 and wrote this guide on how CPUs run programs

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Re: I'm 17 and wrote this guide on how CPUs run programs

#231

Post by kazinator »

The guide is stuck in some false then versus now thinking.

A preemptible kernel isn't "modern". Cooperative multitasking isn't "old".

These are just choices in the design space that can be relevant at any time.

Fully preempted real-time operating systems existed many decades ago.

Meanwhile, today, there seems to be a renewed interest today in coroutines and fibers and such, and they are showing up in programming languages. Those mechanisms are forms of cooperative multitasking.

If you need an embedded system to do a few simple things, why would you threaten its stability with preemptive, interrupt-driven task switching?

Re: I'm 17 and wrote this guide on how CPUs run programs

#233

Post by yamazakiwi »

trogdor wrote: post #204
archmaster wrote: post #14

Hi! I'm Lexi, I wrote this article/mini-book. There's a classic question of "what happens when you load a website?", but I've always been more interested in "what happens when you run a program?". About 3 months ago, I was really annoyed at myself for not knowing how to answer that question so I decided to teach myself. I taught myself everything else I know in programming, so this should be easy, right? NOPE! Appare…

Having read the first couple of pages, my only feedback is a strong suggestion to drop the cutesy language. >The central processing unit (CPU) of a computer is in charge of all computation. It’s the big cheese. The shazam alakablam. It starts chugging as soon as you start your computer, executing instruction after instruction after instruction. Given the context, that would read much better as: >The central processin…

Your feedback is opinionated, which is fine, but it really depends on who is reading the content.

I enjoy some personality thrown into technical writing. Most of it is so soulless.

Re: I'm 17 and wrote this guide on how CPUs run programs

#234

Post by throwaway49391 »

trogdor wrote: post #204
archmaster wrote: post #14

Hi! I'm Lexi, I wrote this article/mini-book. There's a classic question of "what happens when you load a website?", but I've always been more interested in "what happens when you run a program?". About 3 months ago, I was really annoyed at myself for not knowing how to answer that question so I decided to teach myself. I taught myself everything else I know in programming, so this should be easy, right? NOPE! Appare…

Having read the first couple of pages, my only feedback is a strong suggestion to drop the cutesy language. >The central processing unit (CPU) of a computer is in charge of all computation. It’s the big cheese. The shazam alakablam. It starts chugging as soon as you start your computer, executing instruction after instruction after instruction. Given the context, that would read much better as: >The central processin…

Funny coming from trogdor. Don't you have other countrysides and peasants to burninate?

Seriously though, that's kind of a nitpick.

Re: I'm 17 and wrote this guide on how CPUs run programs

#235

Post by bobboies »

topaz0 wrote: post #141
bobboies wrote: post #15

The only thing is I hate titles like this—the title is bragging a bit too much. Maybe a title more like: “How I’m helping my high school peers learn about CPUs”. That way it implies you’re young, smart, and care about others—all of which I imagine are true :)

It's not clear whether you're referring to the HN post title or the article title itself ("Putting the You in CPU"). In either case I think your proposed edit makes it much worse. The HN post title is accurate and describes what they did. It makes a choice to center the writer rather than the guide, which has certain consequences about how readers will approach it, but is perfectly appropriate. Of course, your propos…

The HN title I meant!

Re: I'm 17 and wrote this guide on how CPUs run programs

#236

Post by bobboies »

freedomben wrote: post #153
bobboies wrote: post #15

The only thing is I hate titles like this—the title is bragging a bit too much. Maybe a title more like: “How I’m helping my high school peers learn about CPUs”. That way it implies you’re young, smart, and care about others—all of which I imagine are true :)

I didn't really like the title of the HN post either, but I don't think it needs much change. Just drop the "I'm 17 and" part and do "I wrote this guide on hwo CPUs run progra..." The "I'm 17" part just felt irrelevant to me in a technical work. I.e. it's either technically correct or it's not. However, I can see a strong argument about why it should be in the title. If you care about meta details of the work, it's c…

Well—it could go either way but I do think it is notable that the author is young and helping peers. Based on original post seems important to them. But the exact number 17 not important either way!

I might click through and read an article to see what the youth of today are creating, but not so much care about an adult writing something on CPUs haha

Re: I'm 17 and wrote this guide on how CPUs run programs

#237

Post by thiht »

archmaster wrote: post #14

Hi! I'm Lexi, I wrote this article/mini-book. There's a classic question of "what happens when you load a website?", but I've always been more interested in "what happens when you run a program?". About 3 months ago, I was really annoyed at myself for not knowing how to answer that question so I decided to teach myself. I taught myself everything else I know in programming, so this should be easy, right? NOPE! Appare…

Impressive work.

I usually don’t comment on « I’m xxx years old and did yyy » because I’m not interested in material that would be « good/great for an xxx years old ». In this case, this is great work, period. Adding « for an xxx years old » would be insulting.

Some sections remind me of the material of my college courses, which were quite extensive as my degree historically had a dual electronics/software specialization.

> Apparently everything online about how operating systems and CPUs work is terrible.

Agree with that! As a pro tip, when online resources are scarce for a subject, try adding keywords to find college degree resources (slides, websites, homework, etc.). The material is usually badly referenced on Google, but can be pretty good depending on what you find.

Re: I'm 17 and wrote this guide on how CPUs run programs

#239

Post by vunderba »

ranting-moth wrote: post #51

OP, don't excuse your work by prefixing it with your age. Your write-up is better than most people will ever do. Nice work!

Prefacing self promotional material with an age (either skewing young or old) is a marketing angle that's worked for well... ages, so I don't begrudge her leveraging it.

Re: I'm 17 and wrote this guide on how CPUs run programs

#240

Post by milesvp »

paulmilligrams wrote: post #225
trogdor wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having read the first couple of pages, my only feedback is a strong suggestion to drop the cutesy language. >The central processing unit (CPU) of a computer is in charge of all computation. It’s the big cheese. The shazam alakablam. It starts chugging as soon as you start your computer, executing instruction after instruction after instruction. Given the context, that would read much better as: >The central processin…

If I was your editor, I'd add the following with a red ballpoint pen: Out of touch, tone deaf take. Revise.

Please don't ever edit anyone's work with such terse comments. There is not one actionable improvement in this red ballpoint pen comment. If you want someone to do better at writing something, you need to give them things to at least consider. You may not know what would improve the writing, but just saying "this sucks, fuck off" is never productive. At the very least, find one example of a tone deaf paragraph and give an example of a rewrite that at least you would find better. You may not be the author's target audience, but at least you've given input that may lead to a better revision.

edit: It occurs to me this is replying one more nesting than I realized. The comment stands, but I thought I'd note that I missed the sarcasm

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