I'm 17 and wrote this guide on how CPUs run programs • Hacker News Board

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

#71

Post by cprecioso » Wed, Aug 09, 2023, 2:32 PM UTC

Doesn't the idiom "girls do not exist on the internet" itself point to the "standard" that, in this circles, men think of the people are interacting with as men, as "default", and the not-default is women. And we come back to the invisibilization of people who are not a white young guy in tech.

I'd wish to get as far away as possible from such an attitude, and thus really enjoy when I see people outside of this "norm" to make themselves known and attract more heterogenous people that can enrich the community.

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

#72

Post by KolenCh » Wed, Aug 09, 2023, 2:32 PM UTC

If you want people judging you, mention that, if the goal is for others to judge the work, don't.

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

#73

Post by yawnxyz » Wed, Aug 09, 2023, 2:33 PM UTC

If the HN community was kinder, this kind of caveat would not be necessary

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

#74

Post by verisimi » Wed, Aug 09, 2023, 2:35 PM UTC

[flagged]

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

#75

Post by danparsonson » Wed, Aug 09, 2023, 2:35 PM UTC

Your care and attention to detail are rare things in my experience, and will stand you in good stead in your future career. The effort and love you've put into this project really shine through!

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

#76

Post by wesapien » Wed, Aug 09, 2023, 2:36 PM UTC

Agreed. Honestly, I thought it was always about humble brag. For example: Look at me I'm a 5 yr old cat living in a $2M loft in Soho while I go to school in MIT riding my private helicopter. I'm such a success at cat.

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

#77

Post by yboris » Wed, Aug 09, 2023, 2:36 PM UTC

A lovely piece of advice I came across from Larry King in his book How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere:

If you're about to give a public speech and you don't have much experience (and are thus anxious), come out and state as the first thing (something like) "Hey, I don't talk publicly and this is scary, but I'll try my best".

This immediately can make you less anxious as any mistakes you make can be understood (rather than criticized) by the audience.

When commenting outside my area of expertise I often mention my lack of qualifications so as to invite gentle corrections to my mistakes (and to make others not assume I speak from great knowledge).

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

#78

Post by ibiza » Wed, Aug 09, 2023, 2:37 PM UTC

Also, 17? At that point young adults have reached cognitive maturity[1], so perhaps that's a good time to drop the qualifiers.

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30762417/

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

#79

Post by kriro » Wed, Aug 09, 2023, 2:38 PM UTC

I only browsed this but it seems like a pretty cool primer. Loving the style as well.

It's also a very good idea to write these types of resources when you teach yourself something new because it clarifies your thought process and helps you identify parts that are still unclear even though you initially thought you understadn them etc.

I also liked this at the end:

""" I talked to GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 a decent amount while writing this article. While they lied to me a lot and most of the information was useless, they were sometimes very helpful for working through problems. LLM assistance can be net positive if you’re aware of their limitations and are extremely skeptical of everything they say. That said, they’re terrible at writing. Don’t let them write for you. """

Congrats, cool project.

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

#80

Post by GloomyBoots » Wed, Aug 09, 2023, 2:38 PM UTC

I know what you mean, but I see it a little differently.

1. I was a precocious kid, and as much as it might rub people the wrong way, there’s nothing wrong with being proud of yourself for that and bringing attention to it. The downside is that you can (at least some of us) have one hell of a shock once you’re out of the wunderkind age range and you’ve made that a core part of your identity.

2. Different standards are warranted with youth. That was a big reason why I prefaced everything with my age growing up. Programmers are notoriously nitpicky and curmudgeonly, but they do tend to have a special place in their heart for youthful curiosity and enthusiasm, and are more willing to give constructive feedback to someone in that phase than a mature adult who won’t just RTFM. I know I feel that way.