The headline is a bit of a shame - makes it seem like an article from the past, but it's not. This was also a bit more than harassment - the article says the offender pulled a knife.
KDE has spoiled me. I installed a Gnome distribution a short while back, but used it for a couple of hours and missed KDE so much that I wiped the hard drive and went back to Manjaro and KDE.
His book made a big impression on me back in the day. And, to be honest, I still prefer the minimal and predictible style of web site that he recommended.
Lars, I opened this comment box because I have been through some of what you are going through. I hoped to offer you some comfort. However, as I try to type this, I realize I cannot. Ambigous grief is a bitch. There are no platitudes I can offer. I am sorry you are going through this.
I believe companies should be forced to pay H1B visa employees the top rate that they have for that job position (actual top rate paid to citizens and green card holders). If the theory is that they're desperate for these skills because people here don't have them, then companies should be more than willing to pay a premium to get those people they so desperately need.
He also taught me something pretty critical - you don't need a huge fancy kitchen to execute great food. Most of the work he does happens on a large cutting board, the sink, or the stove. When I moved into my current place with a tiny kitchen, I wasn't nearly as freaked out about it. I knew I would be able to work in it just fine.
The fact that it's using devs from 'remote countries' says to me they want to pay low wages. If this project paid market wages and was for devs worldwide who met minimum qualifications, I'd think it was cool. As it stands now, it just comes across as borderline exploitation.
I believe amateurs can definitely contribute to science because advancements in knowledge often come from remixing existing ideas or incrementally improving something. I contend that the guy who built obstacle courses for squirrels in his backyard and shared it could be advancing science by inspiring a biologist to explore how animals solve problems.
There IS a certain amount of creativity required in science because you have to be able to form a hypothesis. A hypothesis is nothing but an idea - and the best ideas tend to come from people who are exposed to a lot of things that they can draw from.
I also block ads - BUT I do go pay for services that I use daily and get benefit from. Otherwise, the sites that I love would go away because it's not sustainable to employee people to write code and run servers without some sort of revenue.
The sad thing is, people won't do the one thing that could probably create the community or village they crave. They won't pay a fee to belong. If the business model was a small profit - not growth - paid communities could offer a lot. One that comes to mind is the old BB The Well. It definitely had community and longevity.
People want free, so they flock to the new free thing that replaces the old free thing that got bad because it either had no business model and collapsed, or the business model drives it to sell user data and eke out every dollar it can for its investors. Inevitably, the free things go bad. Sometimes, people tolerate it for a very long time, but it seems eventually they all implode.
I wonder if something like "The Well" would work these days? Start a Reddit/Digg kind of place to share on specific topics, but charge a few dollars a month to belong. No ads, no tracking, just a place to share stuff with ohers.
It would be good for users - not sure it would make sense for a company though. The third party apps stripped ads. You have to be able to make money. I think the actual mistake was having it open in the first place. You can't give away things for free from the start and then take it away.
A better model might be to start out with a small cost from the outset. Manage expectations.
The question in my head has always been, is what I'm seeing as 'red' for example, the same that others see? And, in the end, does it matter? I see what I recognize as 'red' and I use the word 'red' to describe what I see. You see what you perceive as 'red' and use the same word for it. We would have a shared word for the color, but what we are actually seeing is not the same at all.
I'm trying to stay away from having people sign in using Google, Facebook, etc. because even though their convenient, it feels a bit like selling my soul to the devil these days.
So cold, announcing layoffs to employees this way. A blog post saying "yeah, if you work for us, you're about to get an email telling you if you still do or not"
I would honestly start looking for places that make software for music people. You have some domain knowledge that could be useful. Believe it or not, being able to pick up domain knowledge quickly, being able to write and speak well, and other soft skills will go a long way to helping you get employed in the field.
I do suggest being careful with your selection if you decide to try an online provider. Some of the online options seem to just be pill mills.
There are some things you can try while you wait to see a doctor though. There are some good books to help education you on ADHD itself. Trying to add a few microhabits into your life can also help you prepare for when you do get medication. If you start to try to build a foundation, you'll have a few tools in place.
Finally, I've had some success with B vitamin supplements such as Primal Mind Fuel. (I honestly don't think you need an expensive version of it. Vitamin Water or 5 Hour energy have some of the same vitamins). They are sort of an over the counter stimulant that may give you a bit of help. Be careful though. They might mess with your sleep or anxiety. They tend to increase my heart rate, which feels a bit like stage fright or low level anxiety.
When I took Trigonometry in high school, it was all about memorizing a bunch of stuff and I did horribly. When I took it in college, the professor taught us how to derive everything based on the Unit Circle. It just clicked. I ended up doing so well in that class that the professor got me to change my major to mathematics and got me a scholarship too.