This consternation is definitely common. It’s hard to apply skills to something with no long term impact of benefit. I’ve improved my skills by finding stuff I can help on in the communities I participate in.

It’s natural to be overwhelmed, so deciding on a project does scope what you can learn, but a hard part is architecting the foundation of that project.

Introducing new features to an existing project is a great way to get your feet wet - it has multiple benefits, for one of you do take a position as a developer in the future, you likely won’t be architecting anything initially, primarily improving on existing projects. So participating in OSS projects is a similar mechanism to that - you have to learn their codebase to a degree, you have to learn their style and requirements, etc.

Even if you don’t ultimately contribute, it’s still a learning experience.

When it comes to commits, single feature / scoped commits are quality. So this git history is actually underwhelming if the author is full time. This is a good read.

Reject UUID embrace ULID.

I really like the way my current company handles things. Aside from annual raises that take effect July 1st (currently waiting for approval, but if that happens after July 1st the raises are retroactive to the first), we have open bars (free drinks) every other month, company wide lunch events a few times a month, other general events (had a Juneteenth and Pride event this month). Oh, and all these events are paid time (you still have to hit your KPIs though).

A fairly well stocked kitchen (you could make your own lunch if you wanted to), coffee and espresso machines, sparkling water / flavored water one as well, snacks, the whole deal. Yes it’s not perfect but I’ve been happy so far.

I see we have like minded bosses lol

IMO the ones with the degree and the aptitude are fine. It’s the ones who struggle despite spending the time who are probably unhappy.

When I create an event I can set an email reminder. Not a great workaround and I’m sure you’ve been told it but an option nonetheless.

If you have it rendered permanently inoperable per ATF guidelines you can technically throw it away. Still alot of hassle when buybacks are a thing.

Most guns don’t really wear out in a reasonable timeframe. Properly maintained they can last quite a while. My first gun was from the 80s.

For gun owners in the U.S. if we no longer want a gun, don’t want to go through the hassle of selling it, or the gun is unsafe (due to wear and tear or defects), or wherever reason really if we just want to get rid of it we have many options.

We can surrender a gun to our local police, though they may run its serial which might lead to awkward situations if you aren’t certain of its history. There are also gun buybacks which are essentially events where you can discard a gun for cash incentive, and are typically no questions asked. You could also donate it to a local gunsmith for practice. And finally, you could render it inoperable (the ATF has guidelines that basically boil down to “weld the important stuff”) and simply discard it like trash, use it as decoration, or whatever really.

Ultimately they either end up melted down, welded inoperable, or simply discard / forgotten.

That’s where I thought the joke was going when I first read it.

I figured, but wanted to clarify in case others saw it that way 😅.

I assume the thing a degree usually covers that a self taught lacks is accepted best practices, teamwork, and alot of principles that are better learned before diving into it. So a lot of bad habits to unlearn.

IMO, in today’s information world a degree isn’t necessary for learning, only as proof of learning (which is still very relevant). But a formal education also puts the tools you need to practice in front of you. Software development is an easy field to learn and prove your skills in. Chip design you’d definitely be better off getting a formal education, though you still see people making microcontrollers in games like Minecraft without formal education.

I’m definitely not agreeing with the joke either, I find it confusing at best because someone who finished a boot camp and got a job as a software engineer is still a software engineer.

IMO education plays a smaller role in software development proficiency than aptitude does. But I’m biased, I’m self taught - no boot camp nor college.

I think it’s a joke for the people who pay into those 6-month software engineering bootcamps.

As someone who despises ads, if adblock on YouTube were to stop working tomorrow I wouldn’t use YouTube until it’s fixed. So creators I do watch aren’t missing out on ad revenue they’d otherwise get with me. If I recommend a video to a friend who doesn’t block ads, a friend who otherwise wouldn’t see it, the creator still benefited from my view. For creators I enjoy often, I support them in other ways - subbing if they stream, buying merch, etc.

A heat gun is also inexpensive and very useful. 3M mount you need to remove (and/or reuse)? Heat gun. Sticker? Heat gun. Frazzled threads on clothes? Heat gun. No time to properly blow dry? Heat gun! (the last one is a joke, don’t do that).

deleted by creator

Audiobooks have been a great coping mechanism for my ADHD, they’ve also made me a better driver.

For the latter, if I listen to my music I definitely feel a bit more aggressive, whereas if it’s an audiobook (and I’ve given myself sufficient room), I’m much more forgiving.

For the former, I can mix them with menial tasks and it makes them so much more doable.

While I agree with this, the one except I’ve found is Sprite. Different genetics have different tastes but I’ve found I like my Kroger generic Sprite more than the name brand.

Not sure if it counts, but a web server I took over had a checkout process that took about 10 seconds. I added a queue and offloaded everything not a required verification step and took the request down to under a second.

Licensing code is a pain and realistically you need to consult a lawyer who specializes in the area.

When I do freelance work I sell them the code and a perpetual use license that allows them to do pretty much anything outside of selling the code. If they want to own the code itself that’s extra. But I also haven’t consulted a lawyer either and I’ve only done that sort of transaction twice.