neilsharma

Thanks for the link -- I remember spending a good 10-15 minutes before giving up on the DIY suggestions. There were a few recipes that piqued my interest, but most seemed like a chemical sludge. And since I don't live off soylent, I figured it was too much effort to invest the time/energy in a drink that I consume maybe once a week.

I always have a bottle of soylent in my backpack for emergencies, or if I'm in SF for half a day and don't want to waste $10 on a sandwich I can finish in 3 bites.

That said, I'm not a big fan of its macros. I don't really care about following food pyramid guidelines and would prefer something with less sugar, fewer starches, and a different oil blend. I make "life-changing bread" [0] on occasion, and its basically my all-natural soylent alternative (I substitute out most of the oats for more seeds + bran and add protein powder). It doesn't taste great, but that's not the point here.

Was looking into getting the powder when my current batch of drinks finish, but I suppose I'll revisit this decision after soylent addresses these issues.

Still not sure if soylent actually replaces meals -- I end up chugging a bottle and then buying food most of the time. 400kcals makes for a nice snack, but simply isn't enough food to replace a meal.

[0] https://www.google.com/search?q=lifechanging+bread&oq=lifech...

I live in the Bay Area and never understood the coffeehouse work culture. Libraries have better internet (usually), more available desks, are quieter, often have better parking, don't have a coffee tax just to use it, and doesn't reek of coffee.

I recently discovered the local library, and it's probably my favorite spot in the city. It's brand new, and internet speeds hit 200mbps. I shelved my unused kindle and picked up reading real books -- got nearly 50 books in the last 2 years.

There are lots of perks to having a free membership too -- I get free online access to dozens of magazines, the NYTimes, ridiculously cheap book sales ($5 per bag full). Plus, there are the occasional exhibits with 500K+ year old human remains, artists sharing their work, and live local orchestras playing inside.

The best news I've heard all month is the city allocated another $400K/year to increase its hours/week by ~14.

Disclaimer: I didn't read the article. I just wanted to share.

How do they get traffic to it? I'd imagine the vast majority of time is spent on marketing and not on content creation.

Slight tangent, but if someone were getting started in JS today and wanted to build medium-complexity, async-heavy, web apps with decent-sized backend, what stack should he invest his time on? React, angular, node, elm, express, etc?

Let's assume he wants the skills/tools to still be relevant in 1-2 years time in a sizable percentage of the job market (noticed that many startups don't like people with web experience that isn't in React/Angular/Node).

Yeah, the scope of possible questions is unreasonably vast. Have you come across any exhaustive list of CS (algorithms) and SWE knowledge needed to adequately prepare for interviews? Or better than a list, a high quality end-to-end resource with Q&As?

At times struggled with all of these:

1) learning the data structures / algorithms

2) finding enough problems with quality, step-by-step answers in a language I use

3) being able to write code on a whiteboard without the help of google

4) being able to code in front of other people without freezing up

5) getting in the practice of talking about my code before/while writing it

6) identifying which data structures/algorithms are needed to solve the problem

7) learning all the little non-algorithmic tricks to puzzles

I want more practice coding in front of strangers since I tend to lose half my IQ and critical thinking skills under pressure. Plus, despite the myriad of leetcode-like websites out there, I want a more exhaustive list of high quality practice problems with well-explained solutions.

Not an expert here, but I have dabbled with both R and Python.

For learning and even publication purposes, I'd consider looking at Jupyter Notebooks: http://jupyter.org/

There's still some configuration involved to get it to work, but most of the required libraries should come bundled in the installation.

As for learning those tools -- probably just do a few quick tutorials to get the gist of Pandas/Numpy, and then slowly try migrating small data projects that you'd normally do in R to Python.

I think you're on to something. Know of any ways to make a desktop experience enforce a single context? Essentially build a smartphone-like interface, except for desktops?

What about the ipad made it so special to my dad? Better resolution than whatever monitor a 12-year-old computer could power? Portability? Easier to use?

Seems like parent's seem to be responding better to mobile tech than computers.

Was that the defacto way of communicating tech products to non-tech people within the company? Do fortune 500 companies not have training on how to use all the software they'd need to use, or is this just for in-house tech that might not be well documented or designed?

A lot of my non-tech friends are given google docs that are essentially if-else chains on how to query databases or work with custom tech.

For a moment, I thought we had the same parents. My mom doesn't know when to single vs double click, and both my parents lack the ability to visually parse through a screen's worth of buttons, links, and text quickly. Looking for a specific thing to press is like playing "where's waldo."

Hmm, i was thinking about building a chrome extension that can highlight the link/text-field you want to click on. You either can ask it what you want to do (ie: add to cart, bookmark the page, comment, up vote, share, etc), and it would highlight the action on whatever website you're on.

Sometimes I just want to build a chrome extension that standardizes and simplifies the UI on every commonly used website, even if that means cutting their functionalities, but that would be a silly thing to do.

I hear you about newer generations knowing how to use these things. But then I think that my parent's generation will be around for another 30 years, esp since lifespans are increasing. Sure, their demographic may literally be dying off, but that's the richest 10-20% of the population that is crippled using technology.

Crossloop seems interesting -- I'm seeing old links to it still hosted on cnet and other software download sites.

What about smartphones? Do your parents struggle with them? How do you help teach them?

haha oh man this is a toughie. I can't imagine the number of people who get confused about toggling wifi or data off while traveling.

Haha I can relate. I have a post-it note on the TV on how to switch from Chromecast to cable. Unfortunately, she doesn't know how to cast things in the first place...

What about hooking up an old computer to the TV instead of using a smart TV? That way, the interface can be familiar. I made the mistake once of getting them a Roku and using the ipad as a remote. Waste of $50.

One of my good friends has repeatedly said that "consistency is the most important feature." Even I, as a 20-something, struggle to be effective in any windows product with flat design and keep installing windows 7 on every new overpowered PC I build.

I think another problem is the fact that there are multiple interfaces to every product. For example, Google Drive has the desktop website, the desktop app, the mobile site, and the mobile app.

Or the fact that competing products have different design patterns. Coming from an Android background, even I become functionless if given an iphone, despite the fact that I've been using a macbook pro for years and have multiple ipads.

That's interesting. What do you think it is about smartphones that made it easier?

My mom has had her own successful small fashion business for the past 25 years, and it frustrates me watching her do anything on the computer -- her business doesn't even have a website. The ironic thing is that she spends all day on it managing her thousands of photos, sending out sales emails, etc. Here are some concepts I've repeatedly helped her with:

PC:

- Navigating the file system is confusing, esp on a PC with a lot of default folders that don't need to be touched

- Drag + Drop relocates local files, but copies if you're uploading to the web/external device. Same action but different results.

- Setting up a new device with the essential software

- Debugging printer and wifi problems.

Web:

- Password recovery/management (she can't use skype anymore)

- Figuring out google drive (finally migrated her business on this)

- the concept of shared files vs attaching everything in emails

- to her, the internet is youtube, gmail, and google search.

- tabs are like browsers in browsers. How do you remember what page is opened in each tab?

- product names are non descriptive. Why aren't they called "Chrome Browser" and "Firefox Browser"?

Smartphones:

- discovering her mobile number (i taped a sticker on the back of her phone with her #)

- making text larger (if she needs glasses to read, she won't read)

- managing push notifications and clearing voicemail (notification overload --> ignores all messages)

- She confuses the concepts of apps, icons, links, buttons, and thumbnails.

What are some ways for technologists to address climate/environmental issues in a high-impact way? Would love to do something in the space, but the 8/10 companies that show interest in me have to do with ads or luxury services in one way shape or form.

Ask him for a list of concepts he doesn't understand well and post them here. Maybe the crowd can find some good blogposts online that you can print out and give it to him.

Thanks a bunch for the resources :). Gonna play around with some of these.

Modeling software is definitely something that's interesting, but also just helping these organizations not seem so unappealing. Their websites are old unusable, their career tracks are pretty bad, pay is low -- they sell these jobs terribly.

I wouldn't even mind working a degree away from environmental endeavors just to get smart people motivated to solve these problems and learn more. Think data journalism on environmental educational pieces. Or helping local governments preserve the nearby environments. Kinda just shooting around in the dark hoping to hit something, but thanks for the start :)

This is sad. I could see this causing a lot more problem than all the fires we're getting in CA.

This is a slight tangent, but are there jobs for people in tech to help fight this (or drought, logging, etc)? Wouldn't mind spending a few years trying to protect the environment, but want to put the engineering skills to use.

I live in the suburbs of south bay, and near my house used to be a Mervyns -- a clothing store that had a relatively large building but went out of business nearly 10 years ago. A few stores came and went, but for the majority of those 10 years, it has been sitting vacant. It's too big for the average brick and mortar entrepreneur, but too small for a big chain. Someone should section it off into smaller units, but maybe the construction is not profitable. There's not that much foot traffic in the shopping center for most retail stores to stay in business either.

Makes sense for the government to intervene if the free market can't identify a sustainable business to utilize the space.

I was physically most at risk after I had put on 50lbs of muscle and was routinely breaking lifting goals:

Too heavy benchpress / lifting under fatigue to promote growth --> high risk of accidents.

Too little stretching and lots of heavy squats /deadlifts made my back very tight and prone to injury.

A workout biased towards a high back:chest ratio didn't offset all the time I spent at a computer, so my shoulders would round forward but now my muscles/tendons are even bulkier and have more friction with my joints

I realized if I'm not strict with correct form, range of motion, rest between sets, proper progressions, stretching, etc, hypertropic workouts are more dangerous than beneficial. And if I am strict with everything, I can recover and get stronger at a much healthier pace even if I never lift more than half the weight I used to (just slow the tempo down). I might not get as muscular as before, but I got no benefits from being bulky.

I feel like the best mentor/mentee relationships aren't based on incentives, but a friendship/concern for one another. A small handful of senior ex-colleagues who I've worked with genuinely look out for me and my career interests. It takes time from their day and often unrewarded intros to their network. Aside from goodwill (and maybe a referral bonus if it leads to a job), there isn't much incentive for them.

If we treat it as transactional, then certain relationships will never foster. For example, if some high school kid got admission to a university I went to a few years ago and wanted my perspective on how to make the most of his education, I have no discernible incentive whatsoever to answer (assuming he can't pay me). Giving a quick response is either useless or hurtful without taking the time to understand his needs and wants. But that kid could probably benefit tremendously if someone took him under their wing.

I think some people want to feel they have accumulated a lot of skills and experience and simply want an outlet to give back in a manner that feels effective to them.

Maybe universities can tell their alumni network that if people mentor new students, they get access to premium recruitment opportunities on campus? Or cities can give tax rebates to people who take an underprivileged youth under their wing. Employers can promote more externship/shadowing opportunites and give invites to the employees. Or maybe senior positions at companies should have "train junior employees" as one of their top job objectives, and alter promotion criteria to bias towards that.

glad meditation has helped ya -- i think everyone gets different things about it. It helps me slow down and be more present instead of worrying about all those career things. It makes me feel a little more connected to the world. It helps me reflect on who I want to be.

haha perhaps matrimony would address some of the issues (I am starting to approach THAT age). I'm just a big picture guy and over the years, I don't think that tech has helped that much in addressing some of the more fundamental life problems. Some exceptions (skype to chat with relatives abroad, facebook/social apps to a small extent, my hospital finally creating a website, youtube fitness tutorials, etc). Tech can totally help solve these problems, but there's a ceiling I hit on all of those categories that require me to continuously exert a high amount of willpower to break.

What I want someone to "build" is the cultural environment to make it easier for me to be proactive about my wants. I want a sense of community with my city. I want friends who make themselves more available (and to be one myself). Maybe these are the things that an idyllic small city supposedly offers that big cities do not? I don't know why people don't really talk about these topics often, but maybe it's just me.

1) More high quality news analysis content. Think NASA Earth Observatory, The Information, or the best articles you've ever read, and put them behind a paywall. Consistently making top notch content is hard, but I suspect it can be easier if writers are paid good wages to explore their interests and the news industry decouples itself from advertising. I'd pay for it, and I suspect that over time, enough people would.

2) A personalized learning resource. None of this AI adaptive learning nor passive MOOC lecture watching. Get people who know what I want to know (usually job-related skills) and have them sit down and teach me things 2-3x a month. I want structured, supportive, long-lasting mentorship from people who genuinely want to see me grow.

3) A doctor that proactively cares about my health. I hurt my shoulder, but aside from a 30 min physical therapy appointment once every other month, I'm on my own. My posture sucks despite having a split keyboard, standing desk, and doing exercises to fix weak muscles. I need someone to make me diligent about my own well being, day after day. I want workout buddies. I want someone who will pick up yoga just so I'd have someone to do it with. I can get more health benefits from a concerned friend than a licensed medical professional.

4) Life training. Working in tech makes me feel detached from humanity. I want to be a more loving person (I am one, but the culture distorts things and makes me think about my skills/career/startups/work/money too much and life too little). I want someone to help me take 8 weeks off a year to spend time with family and go on vacations. I want someone to help me be a better parent when I have kids (my parents aren't great role models). I want someone to remind me to appreciate all the things I have in my life.

What products I use, how I store my data, etc are just sweating the small stuff. Health, education, happiness, sense of community, etc -- fix my big, recurring problems that truly matter to me as a human. Go above and beyond to do so and pay way more attention to detail than most software products do today. Relentlessly follow up on everything. Keep it human and personal.

These are probably not the answers you wanted to hear, but these are needs that grow bigger and are usually unaddressed over time.

snapseed looks slick -- just downloaded it!

1. Unroll.me - Easily unsubscribes to newsletters. I currently have over 500 unsubscribed newsletters through them, and sign on every 2-3 weeks to keep it updated

2. Adblockers - I cannot use the internet without them. I actually use two -- adguard and ublock

3. Yelp - Cause knowing where to eat is a perpetual need

4. Video Speed Controller - Chrome Extension that speeds up all html5 videos. Youtube already supports this, but now I can speed up Netflix, Amazon Prime, Vimeo, etc

5. Venmo -- still the best way of paying friends

6. MightyText -- because typing on phones is slow

7. Google Drive, because enough docs/downloads/sheets already sync with it, and dropbox is redundant

8. Costco/Amazon.com/Farmer's Markets. I'm a massive consumer (mostly foods), but get 99% of everything I buy from those three sources. The last 1% probably comes from time-sensitive runs to a local pharmacy/drugstore.

9. Youtube for music. Still has more selection than all the other services combined

Oh yes, you are right. I missed it way up top the list of filters.

I'd love that podcast subscription capability, though listening to it in HTML5 means I can speed up the playback without having to download the audio file first (my podcast app, PocketCast, doesn't let me do this).

A while ago, I was thinking about doing a search engine on top of audio. The startup deepgram seemed to offer interesting tools, but didn't get a chance to play with it: https://www.deepgram.com/