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SergeyHack

119 karma · joined December 4, 2008

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SergeyHack··on Google paper comparing performance of C++, Java, Scala, and Go [PDF]
> These are factors not related directly to the language, but level of understanding, time, and money. An experienced C++ programmer can probably implement the 'better' algorithm equally quick in C++.

There are programmer performance factors directly related to language differences.

The mainstream example is efficiency of DSLs. Try writing a complex regexp in a standard regexp DSL that originates from Perl and in plain C/C++.

The less known example is writing complex business logic in Clojure vs Java. The very fact that Clojure version lets you examine much more business logic in one screen without scrolling puts much less pressure on programmer's concentration and memory.

Thus the very ability to write complex business logic without lots of bugs in tight time constraints depends on a language.

SergeyHack··on Depression, Burn Out and Writing Code
I noticed the similar effect in my past, though I did not let me drink very often.

1. I came to conclusion that there are things that induce/ fixate short attention span patterns and things that help induce/ fixate long attention span.

The first are news, jokes and basically everything that makes you switch topics very often. The second are playing a few hours of Civilization, reading long books, basically things that are enjoyable and require a long focus on the same topic.

So you can at least move the first type of activities to the end of your work day, and do the second type before the work.

2. There are problems with concentration related to deep hidden fears that you used not to notice for years. "Core Transformation" by Connirae Andreas is a great tool to fix that and a lot of other mental blocks.

3. There is some noticable effect from taking nootropics like Piracetam. Expecially the first time if you never did it before.

SergeyHack··on You're Using JSON, Why not MessagePack?
There is also Thrift.
SergeyHack··on Maybe Americans aren't dumb enough to keep buying houses?
The catch is "if you invest wisely". :)
SergeyHack··on Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal)
I'm so regretting upgrading to 11.04.

There are a lot of small but annoying bugs. It has just lost my custom keyboard shortcuts.

It installs privacy-questionable program and don't give any warning about that (zeitgeist package).

SergeyHack··on LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug
Good psychotherapy can heal him. I suggest "Changing Personal History" or more powerful (but harder to learn) "Core Transformation" from NLP.

P.S. There is a huge amount of inefficient and even dangerous psychotherapy schools, and there is quite a lot of inefficient stuff in "NLP", that's why I recommend exactly the above techniques.

SergeyHack··on Russia's Crime of the Century
> (there's a reason Sergey Brin didn't stay in Russia to build it!). "Brin immigrated to the United States from Russia at the age of six." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Brin
SergeyHack··on Hacking The Status Game
There are a lot of subtle details required to make this effective, so it is indeed art.
SergeyHack··on Hacking The Status Game
>... status is something that you give to someone else and not something a person can create on their own. Ie, someone elses status requires your active participation.

The pitfall here is the words "your active participation". Huge amount of people have parts of their minds which are out of control of their consciousness. It is often that reacting to someone status signs happens automatically (subconciousnessly). Some people stop doing it after some time passes by, some never stop these uncontrollable reactions.

SergeyHack··on Rackspace cloud beats Amazon EC2, by a lot
In fact I think so too. But I suppose there are some cases for some people when the brand hardware would be better.
SergeyHack··on Rackspace cloud beats Amazon EC2, by a lot
Thanks.

BTW, server4you have a lot of horrible stories. Hetzner reviews are better, but it's important to understand that this deal hardware is of "desktop quality" and not as reliable as "standard server" one. And it is in Germany.

SergeyHack··on Rackspace cloud beats Amazon EC2, by a lot
Could you share where you get these prices?
SergeyHack··on Peter Thiel: We’re in a Higher Education Bubble
Even the founders of SO acknowledged that their (up-to-date) reputation does not reflect "smartness" :) So this is just another example of corruption as I see it.

But I agree with you that future online community reputations can improve the situation.

SergeyHack··on Larry Page's first blunder
> Google has a blind spot about the "human element" in usability

I agree with that. I reported a problem with search localization 3 times for the last 2 years to my friend who is working at Google. And monthes after the last time I saw the bad localization behaviour in the search.

I also had to involve my friend for this bug and a few gmail ones because I just could not find the feedback form.

1. That was a one-three years ago. 2. The bad behavior is that Google search invited a new user (without its cookie) with a locale based on geolocation instead of much better indicator - browser accepted languages. 3. This behavior is extremely annoying when you search from the Linux console in Links (or Lynx) that has no yet native language installed.

SergeyHack··on Secret Fears of the Super-Rich
The key to happiness for us grown unhappy is really good psychotherapy/ personal growth systems.
SergeyHack··on Secret Fears of the Super-Rich
> Corporations are notorious for externalizing costs but where they really shine is in the externalization of low-frequency, high-impact risks that most people can't evaluate.

So true. This reminds me Feynman's investigation of the Challenger crush.

SergeyHack··on Another Java Disaster: Jobs
The bare Java is not very fine as I see after comparing it with more concise languages, like Clojure.

The enterprise Java conventions are even worse, like a convention for mandatory getters/ setter.

Good framework in a good language can save a lot of work even for a big complex application.

SergeyHack··on Jokob Nielsen: Guesses vs. Data as Basis for Design Recommendations
Typo: 'Jokob' must be 'Jakob'.
SergeyHack··on Slicehost is smarter than I am
Your examples do not offer >2Gb of RAM. Some of them are not based on Xen. Their pricing is not much better too.

Slicehost is not the cheapest, but it is known for the great attitude to the customers. And it is not expensive too.

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