That is absolutely excellent work - the very best of DL. Keep crushing it, Lyrebird team.
406 karma · joined September 2, 2012
On the whole, pretty disappointed in this article from Mozilla.
These institutions do a damn good job at making you very very strong on your foundations of CS and problem solving and architecture. They deserve a ton of credit. They focus much lesser on teaching you cool and trendy stuff, and much more on grounded understanding of everything that forms the foundational basis of computing technology, especially in the first 2 years of the 4 year programs.
(am I naive to believe that having a private email server wasn't much of an offense, she was just doing her job in the Benghazi case, and that the Clinton Foundation has only ever meant to do good?)
And yes, things like React, Redux, Flux, Backbone (if people still use that) etc etc etc are based in some solid grounding CS and technology architecture principles. Let the burden of engineering load not get mixed up with your ability to embrace and understand application of the fundamentals that underlie here.
I complained about something similar about a year ago, and the Facebook guys told me they felt the pain, but said that the investment would pay off, and it already has in the shortest amount of time. Just. hang. in. there.
The saddest part is that a large number of young techies (you are 19) feel like you. Nevertheless, I want to empathize with you, and suggest that you step away from your computer and spend just any small amount of time within our public education system to see the challenges and complexities of serving our students. It is a complex problem and you are grossly understating and trivializing the importance and purpose of existing institutions. The founders of Uber and Bitcoin and Airbnb got nothing on education. Serve even 10 underserved students and drive them to prolonged success, and then come back and talk.
I don't take offense as much as someone running an edtech company, as much as I take for being a part of an outstanding community of people improving education.
Honestly, I start remembering all the times I spent around very very poor people and people from my country who don't have much. I frequently watch documentaries on what is going on in Syria and Iraq, and the refugee crisis. Often that's accompanied by thinking about where I was 6-8 years ago, and where I am today. I watch a lot of Vice too, and there is a clear space in my mind for the disadvantaged people in need. I only need to tap into it a slight bit to realize how much peace, security, and well being I am lucky to have. I start appreciating the smallest things: being able to wake up in freedom, to have clothes, to have food and be able to cook, to be able to speak, see, listen, walk, dream, etc. It's humbling, and it helps you practice empathy every day.
Tbh, I am a very poor person by American standards even today; but it really doesn't matter because I don't compare myself to people in Silicon Valley (even though that's where I live).
Every day I reflect on how much I have and how happy I am and how grateful I am for everything. I think about those who don't. Every day. It solves all my problems instantly. It's the most beautiful problem solver.