Caveat Task: Hacker Culture #450
Comments
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Reading (Non-Fiction): (1 point each)
I'd compare Atwood's article to ESR's article to show the benefits and harms of gatekeeping. As ESR noted, in sociological research, gatekeeping is seen as a differentiator between a collection of people vs. an actual community. I agree with @jbecker7 that the standard that Atwood puts out for a good developer is not great. He argues:
I preferred ESR for accepting more types of people - he also loved "geek culture", but generally seemed more accepting of different types of programmers. His standards promoted more people coming into the community, and his filters only made the community seem more accessible (such as the promotion of open source software, telling people they can start at any age, etc.) Then, I read Norvig's POV - he says 10 years! So I suppose he'd disagree with Atwood/Bill Gates' idea of knowing if you've got that ~x-factor~ within 3-4 years. Overall, I'm seeing there are lots of different opinions between CS experts on what they consider to be "what it takes," and I appreciate being exposed to the differing views! total: +4 |
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Reading (Non-Fiction): (1 point each)
I was inspired to read this article after seeing @buffeinstein's comment above. I too enjoyed the frank delivery quite a lot and was unsure of how to feel toward his argument about intellectual fashions. I certainly agree that the social sciences are apt to change and that that can frequently undermine the shelf life of what they teach. That said, I think the experience of taking classes in these subjects can largely depend on one's professor and one's own perspective. If your professor (or you) think of, say, psychology as on par with math with regard to how grounded it is, you are set for failure. Rather than focusing on learning a new theory or perspective as a fact, I would say it is more valuable to think of a broader logical approach to learning about new things. If one can do this, I feel that these topics which he dismissed can be valuable.
This was an awesome article, which I enjoyed much more than this one. ESR does a great job laying out a clear image of hacking culture, which he contrasts well with cracking culture. In addition, it does not have anywhere near the gatekeeping feel that the other article has. It focuses on norms and skills that hackers have instead of trying to peddle some bogus narrative about some people having what it takes and that being it. Watching (non-fiction): (1 point each)
I really enjoyed this documentary as someone who greatly enjoys FOSS but has not dipped too far into the culture in history. It was really interesting and honestly inspiring to hear Linus Torvalds, Richard Stallman, and other key figures discussing not only the history of GNU/Linux but also the movement surrounding it. I find the emphasis on accessibility and transparency exceptionally cool, and I think that those values have a chance to become even more widely accepted in the future (but also are threatened by overreaching companies and such).
This documentary was, honestly, a bit depressing but also inspirational at points. Aaron Swartz did so many incredible things for dying at such a young age, and the creativity and passion he had for technology was very clear from clips of him talking as well as everything people said about him. |
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The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz I learned how detrimental SOPA would have been had it passed, and I find it egregious that the Office of Technology Assessment was closed. I had never heard of Aaron Swartz before this film, and I feel his story is an absolute tragedy. I believe he would have accomplished many more great things had the government not tried to make an example out of him. ESR’s How to become a hacker This document is a useful source for better understanding the hacker ethos, specifically the bits about how to become a “hacker,” which apparently is a title bestowed on you by another hacker. I found ESR’s bluntness amusing, such as when he writes “I will also mentally write you off as a probable loser,” and I am curious to know how prevalent this attitude is in the hacker community. Jeff Atwood’s How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming Atwood argues that in order to become a better programmer, you cannot solely rely on technical skills and instead cultivate passion and interests in all types of things. I wholeheartedly agree and I feel that too often there is an emphasis placed on specialization, which comes at the cost of generalization. Generalization allows one to see the connections between different subject areas, thus enriching the subject one chooses to specialize in. Paul Graham's What to Study in College Graham advocates for doing something you are truly interested in and not something that just pads the resume. I see where he is coming from when he describes which majors he finds most useful, and I mostly agree, but I think the Thomas Huxley quote he uses should be the guiding words when determining what to study: study a little bit of everything! |
It's pretty prevalent. Here, ESR is writing in a particularly exaggerated way to make a point, and no one really thinks the other person is a "loser", but it's very common for the receiving end of the criticism to feel like they're getting called a loser. One of the key examples is Linus Torvalds (inventor of Linux), who is famous for going on "rants" and has a whole subreddit dedicated to these rants: https://www.reddit.com/r/linusrants/. If you carefully read these rants, then they are usually directed at people who "should know better" and not at beginners. The benefits of these rebukes happening out in the open is that we all know exactly how decisions are made at the highest levels of the linux kernel and we trust Linus because he effectively stops bad actors (like governments trying to weaken the security of the linux system). But the disadvantage is that new users can be intimidated from contributing by the "threat" of having these rants directed at them in public. |
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http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html https://blog.codinghorror.com/how-to-become-a-better-programmer-by-not-programming/ https://norvig.com/21-days.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw8K460vx1c |
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How to Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming I would say I agree with 95% of this article. It is true that once you reach the “97th percentile” of anything, it is harder to get those last few percentage points without having soft skills. That is why it is important to have a diversified skill set. I mean that is the reason we go to a liberal arts school. We study all topics to be able to apply them to other subjects. It allows us to be more creative with our solutions and problems. Yet, the 5% I don’t agree with is that programming is an innate skill. While it may not come easy to some people, I do think it is possible to gain that innate sense. Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years I took away 3 key pieces of advice from this article:
How to Become a Hacker I really liked how this article was written: began with the attitude and then focused on the skills. I found it interesting when he said to automate boredom so that you can solve new problems. As code can be receptive, I thought this was a great piece of advice. Along with this, I also liked how he said to ”find a program under development that you're interested in and be a good beta-tester”. This message goes along with the other articles. It is important to work/learn with others. What to Study in College I found it funny when the author said that “a lot of good mathematicians are bad teachers”. I am not going to say whether I think that is true or not, but it is important to understand the basics of mathematics for programming. I enjoyed his impartial opinions and understood a lot more because of his style. My favorite part of this article was the part about professors making your brain lift weights and the three differences between course code / real-life code. |
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Zero Days - Security Leaks for Sale
Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years
What to Learn in College
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Paul Graham's What to study in college. I enjoyed how clear and straight to the point this article was. Graham touched upon a few things that I find important for one to realize and digest, those being: rejection is not the end all be all, understanding subject matters and what they’re “all about”, starting your own projects/doing things for the sake of your own interests, and really being interested in what you are studying/pursuing. Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days). I really liked this article. I think it touched on an important issue that society faces today. In this day and age, everything is very quick and fast. We as the younger generation are pushed to learn so much and do so much, or else we won’t be good enough. Not only do we have to have extremely high GPAs and test scores, but we also have to have next-level extracurricular activities. I believe in the midst of that, especially during our developmental stages, we lose ourselves. We feel pressured by society to do and do and do, which makes us attracted to these quick and consumable articles/books, as we believe that they’ll suffice for this specific requirement for us to get by. People feel the need to spread themselves thin. ESR's How to become a hacker. I do not, and do not think I could ever, see myself as a hacker; however, I really resonated with the “boredom and drudgery are evil” section. In my first internship, I was given the task of metrics collection, and I absolutely hated it. It wasn’t until I stepped up and created an automated software system that tracked, collected, and analyzed those metrics that I was provided with more head-on tasks, which have opened so many amazing doors and opportunities for me. Season 1 of Mr. Robot I really enjoyed watching Mr. Robot, specifically the way it delved into the language and culture of hacking as a way to explore broader social and political issues. Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming. |
It was interesting to hear Paul Graham’s ideas on grad school, since this is something that I had considered as well. He came to the same conclusion that I had come to last semester, which is that I should go to grad school if I decide that I definitely want to do research instead of working in industry. Also, on a side note, I enjoy his humor--programming humor like this is what makes me enjoy reading programmer blogs like his.
I agree with most of what Peter Norvig says in this blog post. I certainly have learned much more from writing programs, fixing bugs, and talking to other engineers than I have by reading textbooks for classes, etc. It’s also funny that he mentions language standardization as something to both “get involved in” and “have the good sense to get off” as part of one’s learning.
I half-agree with this blog post. I don’t agree with the statement that “good developers always seem to have a natural knack for stuff” and that practice can’t help. I think that a lot of being able to understand code and develop this knack comes from exposure to coding, and experience developing and grappling with code. However, I do agree that understanding what goes on around the code (the people, the product, everything that code is used for) does make you a better programmer.
This documentary was thought-provoking. It's even more interesting because it was created 7 years ago, such that the importance of cybersecurity is likely even greater today. |
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Reading (Non-Fiction)
Watching (Non-Fiction) |
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Peter Norvig’s Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years This article nails home the point that there is a big difference between having a familiarity with programming/a specific program and having a deep understanding of it. I particularly like the referenced Alexander Pope quote, “a little learning is a dangerous thing.” Many mistakes can be made when we act on something that we think we know, rather than something that we truly know. In fact, I would argue that most times we would be better off knowing nothing about something rather than a little bit about it, because that way we can’t be lulled into a false sense of confidence. I also liked Peter Norvig’s “recipe for programming success.” In particular, I liked his emphasis on learning by doing. I have always personally found that I learn the best by immersing myself in the task and trying things out, failing, and then adapting. Paul Graham’s What to Study in College I learned that programmers tend to sort themselves into tribes according to the type of work they do and the tools they use, and some tribes are smarter than others. At first, this struck me as an odd observation. I thought that if it is well-known that there are different tribes, and that some are smarter than others, then why would anyone choose to be in the less-smart tribes? When I investigated further by reading the linked article, I learned that Paul Graham did not mean that some tribes are dumb and others smart. He meant that some are more passionate about programming than others, and that passionate programmers typically turn out to be better programmers. Jeff Atwood’s How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming The content of this article reminded me a lot of the concept of “product-market fit” in the startup world. A startup or entrepreneur can spend thousands and thousands of hours perfecting a product, but all their time will be for naught if nobody wants to buy/use it. I like this analogy because it reminds programmers that they will do their best work when doing something they are genuinely interested in, and that this will be magnified if many other people are interested in it as well. Hacker’s Manifesto: The Conscience of a Hacker I thought this was a very thought-provoking and relatable piece about how so many hackers (particularly young ones) feel trapped by their schools and day-to-day lives. It paints a clear picture of how misunderstood hackers and the hacker community are. They get shoe-boxed and stereotyped as screw-ups and under-achievers when really they are just curious and passionate about different things. It is satisfying to know how important this community has become to the world. |
I liked how this article likened learning advanced topics in school to a football player lifting weights. I also learned the importance of personal projects in college, outside of in class assignments, and how grad school works especially for computer science. As an undergrad at a liberal arts college, I learned from this article to take advantage of all the classes I could be taking, even the ones that aren't related to my major.
At first, I didn't like this article because I've always hated the idea that some people are naturally better at programming than others. I think that line of thinking dissuades a lot of people from computer science, and makes it a lot less accessible to learn programming. However, I do agree with other parts of the article, like how it's important to be a holistic person outside of what you can code.
I really enjoyed how the show brings into play the ethics of hacking and privacy, as well as the question of if vigilante hacking can be used for good. I liked the social and political commentary on capitalism and social class, as well as how the hacking was meant to be accurate and not just random screens of code. Personally, my favorite episode was the first one but I enjoyed the plot twist and use of an unreliable narrator. |
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Reading Non-Fiction 1.Paul Graham's what to study in college : My major take-away is how on our road to becoming hacker we need to be consistently learning from others who are already good hackers. I learned the importance of working on individual projects outside of class as this will help in improving my programming skills. I, however disagree with what he said about the social sciences focusing on "useless" issues. I also believe that what a person should study should be dependent on what they love doing instead of mere statistics about the program. 2.ESR's How to become a hacker : I really loved the part about the hacker culture being independent of the particular medium the hacker works in, meaning that anyone can become a "hacker" in their own field of study even if it is not CS! I also got a clearer distinction between a hacker and a cracker. The article also emphasized on collaboration and how no problem should ever be solved twice, but it can only be improved. 3.Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days) : I loved how in this article interest is put forward as one of the keys of improving one's programming skills. It emphasized how the level of performance can be increased even by highly experienced individuals. learning more languages also helps to improve one's programming skills. 4.Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming : In this article, Bill Gates was quoted as saying that experience does not programming easier and does not improve ones skills. I highly disagree with this notion because in any area of life people can always improve and there are not just two extreme sides, the good and the bad programmers. I feel like Peter Norvig gives a better outline of how people can improve their programming skills. |
Caveat Task: Hacker CultureJasmine Tan
Points: 2^4 (16) + 2^1 (2) = 18 Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not ProgrammingI think that this article is a great introduction to the larger picture beyond the technical skill of programming when it comes to being a programmer. It heavily emphasizes the importance of developing a well-rounded skill set and connecting with both engineers and customers if you really want to do well in the industry. Paul Graham's what to study in collegeHonestly, maybe I should drop out of college. This article does a dive into whether college is actually necessary for success, making the point that it is practical skills and passion that drives success. I personally think that the structured learning environment of college is kind of necessary as most 18 year olds are dumb and lack the motivation, drive, or ability to succeed without support, but I certainly understand why it isn’t for everyone. Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days).Okay, maybe I won't drop out of college. This is such a wake-up call in terms of what it actually means to be an expert programmer. There are so many articles and videos telling you “oh, just take the 6 month Google course and you can land a job at any SWE firm”, but the reality is that you have to be realistic, practical, and dedicated to become skilled. I appreciate his really applicable approach on tips for effective learning. ESR's The Cathedral and the BazaarThe Cathedral and the Bazaar I appreciate the focus on code-sharing, collaboration, and expanding existing solutions, and it made me think of this class. I love that we are encouraged to collaborate and help each other when facing problems, as it makes the process of writing code so much less painful. The Importance of Having Users User involvement is the heart and soul of open-source development. I really liked the dive into Linus Torvalds’ linux dev model and the Emacs List library, as it provided actual examples of how open-sourcyness and collaboration are drivers of innovation and development. This chapter really touches upon the importance of frequent release cycles when it comes to open development. It continues to push the benefits of community-driven development and how iteration and collaboration help to refine a project. How Many Eyeballs Tame Complexity This is my favorite quote from this series of writings: “Smart data structures and dumb code works a lot better than the other way around.” Fundamentally, if you value the structures of whatever you’re building, listen to beta-testers’ feedback, and work on making your systems efficient, clean, simple, etc, you’ll be much better off. Popclient becomes Fetchmail Fetchmail Grows Up A Few More Lessons from Fetchmail Necessary Preconditions for the Bazaar Style The Social Context of Open-Source Software On Management and the Maginot Line Epilog: Netscape Embraces the Bazaar What a solid epilogue. I really like that this is wrapped up all nicely with the insight into the beginnings of the open-source movement and the influence of this piece. It provides a solid foundation to allow the reader to reflect on what really matters within software development. These are just some final insights into open-source dev, emphasizing the importance of transparency, peer review, and flexibility. I liked reading about the EGCS project, which really embraced the bazaar-model. |
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@jasminextan Good job :) I've added +1 EC in sakai :) |
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Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days) I liked Peter Norvig's advice! I have always been told to put myself in a position where I am the worst, so that I can learn from the best, but I agree that being the best in a project also teaches you valuable lessons, such as leadership and self-discipline. I hope to learn many more computer programming languages as per Peter's advice. Paul Graham's what to study in college I learned that, for most people, they learn the most outside of class when they find a project they are passionate about. It can be hard to program your own project from the start, so one way to find projects is through programmers who know more than you, like professors. It's ideal to find a balance between the two, because one gives you motivation and the other gives you structure. Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming It's interesting to hear that good software engineers must be good at everything else that goes on around programming, but it makes sense. It seems that the best programmers understand how every engineering role is interconnected and how the company functions as a whole. As I get older and look to join the tech workforce in the future, I want to carry this with me and try to understand other roles along with just my own. I enjoyed hacker's manifesto. It's interesting stepping into the mind of "criminals" who were prosecuted for their curiosity. Programmers shouldn't be punished for following their curiosity, but on the other hand, it depends on the severity of their crimes. I'm sure the most severe hacks committed didn't occur accidentally. All hackers shouldn't be lumped together if they have different intentions. |
This was a fun movie, and it was interesting to see how hacking has evolved over time. In the context of the late Cold War, it's also interesting to think about the ways technology is intertwined with social and political interest. I must admit, by today's standards, some of the actual hacking seemed a bit dated and unrealistic. I wonder if this is because the technology was more simple and accessible at the time, or if the move oversimplifies the process; maybe both.
As the digital world becomes increasingly reliant on the non-digital world (and vice versa), I think this is an extremely important movie and case study. With increasing data about the non-digital world, institutions like the government and other corporations might have the ability to enhance the quality of life for citizens / users by increasing safety, integrating technology into life more seamlessly, or providing tools to make tasks more efficient. Some of these ideas, however, come at the expense of personal privacy and digital autonomy. The movie (and Ed Snowden) hammered home that these are huge questions, but I wish they would have possibly explained the legality and legal history of first amendment laws in the digital sphere.
I found myself deeply identifying with some of the advice Paul Graham gave in his article. In my mind, I think it's crucial to pursue something out of interest, but not remain totally fixated on it. Dipping your toes into multiple different buckets it quite worthwhile in the long run as real-world problems often combine perspectives from multiple disciplines. Effective decision making can't rely on just one perspective. I disagreed with Paul's view that the social sciences were 'bogus' and suspect to intellectual fashions. If he'd look into the history of some of the 'hard' sciences, I think he'd find that no field may be separated from social or cultural understandings and that the hard sciences have been susceptible to these very same issues.
I really liked this article, and found that it reaffirmed many of my beliefs one expertise and hard work. I always like to think that one can't really short-cut 'the process'. Norvig takes this idea and runs with it, defining what his idea of 'the process' represents. Norvig things that versatile coding experiences in multiple domains, engaging with programming community, and lots of time can lead one to success in their domain. I'd argue this is true for most disciplines, but I think Norvig should take a page from Paul Graham's book. To me, the key to being able to put in 10,000 hours in the first place is curiosity, balance, and persistence. Before devoting an incomprehensible chunk of time to learning to be a programmer, I think it's important to identify and reflect on why one might be pursuing the field in the first place. |
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DRAFT The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (2014) "Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days)" "What to Study in College" "Hacker's Manifesto" "How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming" |
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What to study in college At least this article confirmed my lack of desire to go to grad school. Other than that I feel like he does have a point when mentioning that we should study what other people find hard and also highlighting the importance of math. I think social sciences can be very useful when taught correctly and given correct application. I agree that people who are very good at math tend to be terrible at teaching it. Teach yourself programming in ten years Ironically, this article was inspiring more than anything else. There is nothing I agree more than the phrase, “learn by doing.” I think this is how I have acquired most of my valuable lessons and also had the most fun learning. Now I guess I just have to find myself a silly little project I am interested in and get to work. How to become a better programmer by not programming This article made me feel a little bit more hopeless than the last one. I have always thought of myself as someone who can put his head down and figure something out regardless of how long it takes, but this article seems to suggest that that would never get me very far. That being said, highlighting the need for social skills and management made me a little bit more hopeful. The internet's own boy This documentary kinda makes me realize that sometimes the government doesn’t really understand the implications of the existence of new technologies. It’s also very frustrating. I’ve lost count of the amount of times that I have tried to read an academic article and have been deprived of knowledge by a paywall, so in that sense I do sympathize with Aaron's attempts to make information public and to establish copyright law for a world with the internet. Still, despite my admiration of Aaron’s love for learning and agreeing with his ideology, I found this film unsettling. I don’t know if this is because of the incredible amount of power that can be wielded by a genius with a computer or by society’s attempt to suppress their genius. |
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Paul Graham's what to study in college. In this article, I liked the phrase “College is where faking stops working.” He implies that the only way to get into grad school or land a job at a big corporation is to do what I love, which resonates well with me. This is because for grad school admissions, standardized test scores or grades do not matter as much and getting to know the professors well enough is the most reliable indicator of success. And to do so, I need to thoroughly enjoy doing what I do. Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days) One of the key takeaways from this article for me personally is that learning to program takes time and this is reassuring, considering I spend 10+ hours on terminal every week. I also liked how he emphasized the importance of making friends and working with programmers of all levels, better and worse, as there is much to learn from both. Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming This was an interesting read. While I agreed that it’s good to be an all rounder and ‘cultivate passion for everything else on and around the programming’, I am not sure if I agree with him saying that there is a vast difference between competent and mediocre programmers. He argues that a mediocre programmer will not become a competent programmer just by programming and that we should instead not program. I think, just like everything else, anyone can master a skill by practice and dedicating years to the craft, like what Peter Norvig’s said in his Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days) article. Phrack hacker's manifesto |
I really like the emphasis that Norvig places on experience, hard work, repetition, and deliberate challenges to oneself. My dad would always tell me the same growing up, and it always stuck with me. Like Norvig, he would always say that nothing that is worth something is easy, and I have always lived by this principle. It’s nice to see that the most successful people also live by this.
I fully agree with Jeff Atwood’s theory that to be good at programming, one’s interest must be well-rounded. However, I think this goes for any industry out there. Further, I think CMC does a great job at preparing their students for this well-roundedness.
I really liked this piece because it really puts into perspective how admirable something like hacking can be when we put it into perspective with all the other actions that are being performed by the people that are making the laws and vilifying hacking. Further, hacking is a challenge—an obstacle to overcome, thus making it a knowledge endeavor.
I always knew radio hacking was a thing from media (i.e. movies, tv shows, etc.), but I think it’s so cool to actually have access to the entire world! |
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Paul Graham's What to Study in College Jeff Atwood’s How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming Peter Norvigs’ Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years The Mentor’s The Conscience of a Hacker (Phrack) |
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Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years I think Peter does a great job at summarizing the key points for programming success. He explains that success does not come overnight, but rather from continuous effort over a longer period of time. This is application to basically everything since knowledge takes time. I really relate with his point on "learning by doing". Just like many things in life, reading about it is not very useful. Life is about application, which we can only "learn by doing". Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming I think Jeff's argument that while experience is important in software development, it is not the only factor that determines whether someone is a good programmer. His quote from Bill Gates explains this issue very well and suggests that natural aptitude and personal dedication are also very important factors in becoming a good programmer. To expand on those points, Jeff recommends cultivating a passion for everything that accompanies programming. I think this is very valuable because treating programming as a standalone topic is ignoring many other important aspects that come with it. Therefore, good programmers acquire knowledge about users, the industry, and the business to properly enhance their work. Paul Graham's What to study in college Paul claims that to be a good hacker in college, there are two main things to focus on: become very good at programming and learn about specific problems. Additionally, I should take courses that genuinely interests me and pursue it with passion without worrying about external validation or competition. His argument is consistent with what I have read so far, so it really emphasizes the point of doing something I enjoy doing. ESR's How to become a hacker I think it is interesting how the term "hacker" is not just applicable to software hacking; it is a attitude. It is about solving problems and finding joy in solving these problems. Once an individual embodies this attitude, they can call themselves a hacker. I think it is also very interesting how the hacker culture is so accepting, and hacker's called other hackers "kindred spirits". |
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Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years) what to study in college How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming How to Become a Hacker The Hacker’s Manifesto |
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CitizenFour What To Study in College How to Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days) |
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Watching (non-fiction) 1 point: CitizenFour (2014) CitizenFour (2014)): It was a great documentary. First, I really liked how they included a significant part to the entire U.S. spying on Brazil leak scandal. I actually remember this from when I was a kid and my parents talking about how the United States basically had control over everything that we were doing online. Second, I really liked learning more about the small things people can tap into. I think everyone has an idea that the NSA is capable of watching you if they really want to, but just watching the tiny things Snowden pointed out like disconnecting the hotel or hiding all the pro-bono lawyer phones was extremely interesting to me, it makes us all think about how we can be watched today and in what ways one can simply find out a lot about us. Nonetheless, focusing more on his story than on the "espionage" specifics was a downside for me. On the perspective the documentary is filmed, they really emphasize how the government will try to make the story seem about Snowden and will try to make him the villain in order to shift the focus from how the government is conducting its observations. However, although the documentary does portray him as somewhat of a hero despite the government critique, they focus –for me– just a little bit on the specific leaks which made me want to dive deeper on them and not necessarily his story since, at the end of the day, that was his goal all along. Reading (Non-Fiction): 3 points ESR's How to become a hacker: Although CS is not my major, I really enjoyed how the reading does offer advice that can be applied to other areas such an Engineering. I really connected to the advice on studying math. Taking classes ranging from Economics to Physics, I can completely see his point on how math is crucial to understanding a plethora of other things. Second, I connected a lot with my CMC experience when is mentioned that one must study other fields that are not necessarily in STEM. I completely agree with the position that intellectually challenging fields can aggregate a lot to one's experience. I also really enjoyed learning more about how problem solving is crucial in future jobs, sometimes finding solutions to problems we might have, can lead to extremely impressive discoveries or solutions that can be applied anywhere. I do wish that the article had dived more deeply into specifics of one can become a better hacker without joining the CS field since that would be more applicable to my life. Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming: I had heard a similar argument before several times, people that are bad at Maths, can get better, but there will always be those with more talent for it that will surpass them with less experience and practice. I really liked how this argument was expanded into programming (a lot of Maths in the field coincidentally), however, the author did not take such a bleak approach and really dove deep into a more people centered approach. I had never thought of the idea of falling in love with the other aspects of a subject in order to fully enjoy it, be that the business the people that work with it, or what goes behind it. I think that this is can be applied to other areas as well and not just programming. Sometimes the best thing is taking a step back, another breath of air. Thus, something I disliked about the article was how short it was and I wished that the discussion could have went further, since I believe there is a lot more to this topic. The comment section is quite interesting and it is a 10/10 recommend. Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days): I really enjoyed how this article gives a great example to two common misconceptions that it highlights. First, is that we can learn something extremely fast if we just follow a specific methodology. True, there are things that we can do to speed up our learning as the author himself highlights, but it is also extremely difficult to completely master a skill in such a short amount of time and this is applicable to too many situations not just programming. Second, I liked how in the steps the author suggests us taking in mastering programming there is a staunch correlation to elements of the other articles: both the idea of collaborating with others and learning other things that go behind or are similar to your area. One thing that I actually disliked is the citing of the 10,000 thousand hour rule though. Several, sources actually refute this argument so I believe it made the author's point a little less convincing. Nonetheless, I do throughly agree with the point that experience is key to learning something and that knowing everything that comes from a book is not the best step to take when truly mastering a particular skill –not just programming. Total: 4 Points |
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I enjoyed this article; I think his sentiments about non-STEM subjects can feel reductive but I understand why he says them. What I took away was the importance of finding interesting problems (or chasing curiosities, as I interpreted it). I also think the line at the end is key - to do what you love (which sounds like a platitude, but the linked article offers more depth). How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming: I think the main sentiment of this piece generalizes to nearly any occupation, and is just solid life advice in general. Whether you're a biologist, writer, actor, teacher, having exposure to diverse life experiences and ideas is a crucial part in cultivating genuine interests and perspectives that inform your work and way of living. If you look at work schedules of many great people in history, they're not always working all the time. There is commonly an emphasis on deliberate rest. Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years: I also like the main argument that this article makes, which is to focus on learning by doing and to compound your efforts. There's a quote that goes: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the second best time is right now". I think this mindset is how I tend to approach my own interests and skills - sort of like a byproduct of following what feels compelling. I most liked the subsection "The world is full of fascinating problems waiting to be solved". I tend to think about this through an artistic, creative lens, where the phrase could maybe be modified to something like "The world is full of fascinating visions waiting to be manifested". The same ideas follow, where an artist gets a thrill in the creative process of making things and where they have to believe in their ability to learn and adjust on the fly. |
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What to Learn in College: How to become a hacker: How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming: Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years: |
Paul Graham on College (1 point) How to Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming (1 point) Mr. Robot Season 1 (2 points) |
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TOTAL: +4 points Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days): +1 POINT Paul Graham's What to Study in College: +1 POINT Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming: +1 POINT ESR's How to become a Hacker: +1 POINT |
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Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years Paul Graham's what to study in college Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming ESR's How to become a hacker |
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Total: (+4) (+1) I like how Norvig addressed the importance of dedicating deliberate time to learning anything—whether it be programming or other disciplines. Specifically for learning to program, it is insightful to learn that collaboration is an essential part of improving, and books alone will not be sufficient. Prior to learning more about programming culture through class and experience, my preconception was that programming is a solo activity. (+1) It was surprising to me how little value Graham sees in studying the social sciences and philosophy. However, the disconnect may stem from what we consider the social sciences and philosophy to be. I disagree that these subject areas were created purely "in response to political pressures". From my perspective, the social sciences and philosophy have a lot of overlap with math and history through my experience in the courses I have taken. On the other hand, I liked his emphasis on finding something you truly love to do because professors can tell whether a student is genuine or not. (+1) My understanding of this article is that it is important to keep your eye on the ultimate goal if your program when programming if you want to improve. In regard to Atwood's point about a developer either having "it" or not, I did not realize how important "it" or talent is in computer science. I am a bit skeptical about what he and Gates claim, but it may be that I am misunderstanding their point. (+1) I thought the Zen poem about becoming the master is quite romantic. The importance of English in maintaining standardization in computer science seems so obvious but never really occurred to me. It makes sense because programming is another language, so if many different languages were used to talk about it, confusion and miscommunication would be inevitable and unproductive. |
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Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years, Peter Norvig (1 point) What to Study in College, Paul Graham (1 point) How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming, Jeff Atwood (1 point) Hacker's Manifesto, The Mentor (1 point) |
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Peter Norvig’s Teach Yourself Programming in 10 Years I found Norvid’s suggestions to apply to much more than just coding. We—as a society—love shortcut solutions to tough challenges: a weightless pill, a crypto scheme, etc. The article reinforced the idea that there is a lot more to programming (and most subjects) than learning programming by itself. Practicing by doing, developing a genuine passion, and feeding off of other like minded individuals are great methods for success in programming and other fields. Just running through the motions of a subject typically generate limited results: steeping oneself in all aspects of a subject and committing extended time to it with a growth mindset, while more difficult, is much better approach to meaningful development. Paul Graham's What to Study in College I’m more mixed about Graham’s opinions. I like the end note of college being the best place to figure out what you truly like; however, Graham’s opinion to “skip the social sciences” like philosophy on account of their lack of clear answers is less agreeable. My CMC phil classes have made me revisit several assumptions I had about the world. I think they’ve made me rethink the way I live my life. While there are valid complains about the lack of practical impact that comes from philosophical discussion, I would argue that our social systems and economies stem from our attitudes, and if we never critically evaluate these attitudes (or are taught how to critically evaluate in general), we risk creating societies without rhyme or reason. Like Graham, I agree that finding the meaning of “is” is stupid, but in my experience, philosophy does much more to questioning our fundamental beliefs than defining ubiquitous words. Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming I’m not sure how influenced I am by this theory. Bill Gate’s quote at the end, about people management as a strong component of people within Microsoft doing cool things, doesn’t necessarily apply to the 99% of students studying computer science still trying to get a grip on the subject like myself. I feel like the fruits of branching out from directly programming only come to bear when you’ve spend several years in the industry, which is not the position for most students studying CS. ESR’s How To Become a Hacker I really liked this post: the attempt to clarify the true meaning of a “hacker” as someone who likes to solve creative problems, resents boredom, is anti-authoritarian, and builds things instead of breaking them is really admirable for people like me who associate a negative connotation with the word. I found the list of things to do, and not to do, while not at a computer interesting, like reading science fiction and music in the positive category, and using a grandiose ID name in the negative category (I should change my xbox gamertag!). Overall a really enable read. |
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1 Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days). 2 Paul Graham's what to study in college. 3 Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming. 4 The hacker's manifesto. |
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Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years - Peter Norvig +1
How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming +2
Paul Graham's What to study in college +3
ESR's How to become a hacker +4
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Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (Peter Norvig) +1 What to study in college (Paul Graham) +1 How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming (Jeff Atwood) +1 How to Become a Hacker (ESR) +1 Total: +4 |
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1. Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten years (not 21 days) 2. Paul Graham's What to Study in College 3. Jeff Atwood's How to Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming 4. ESR's How to Become a Hacker 5. Hacker's Manifesto |
Mr. Robot (2 pts)
Paul Graham's what to study in college (1pt)
Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming (1pt)
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1.Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days) +1 2.Paul Graham's what to study in college +1 3.Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming+1 4.ESR's How to become a hacker+1 |
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Mr. Robot I thought the way they captured cybersecurity and hacking was both enjoyable and thought-provoking. It made me really think about the parts of technology that I normally don’t think about such as corporate power, malware, and the ethical aspects. I’m interested in seeing where the next season goes! Zero Days - Security Leaks for Sale Similar to Mr. Robot, I thought this documentary was interesting for its insight into the relationship between hackers and the government as well as the ethics behind the usage of exploits. I also was not aware of hacker conferences. The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz While unfortunate, I enjoyed learning about the Story of Aaron Swartz. I am touched by his belief that information should be more accessible to anyone which makes me think about the role in which government plays when dealing with the internet. Paul Graham’s What to Study in College? I thought Paul Graham’s philosophy of doing what you’re truly interested in to be cliche but nevertheless a friendly reminder. After reading this writing, I might reconsider some of the courses I had planned to do. |
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WarGames: I thought the film itself was a bit funny in terms of how no one could conceive of the computer malfunctioning again after they had figured out it had malfunctioned once. I also knew that dial-up internet existed, but the fact that computers were just connected to phone numbers is still a funny and surprising concept to me. Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years: I think that this reading really brought to my attention the fact that just doing a thing over and over again isn’t really an effective way of improving with it. I also think the reading sort of large time horizon is sort of scary, as it makes clear how large of an investment it takes to really get good at programming. What to study in college: The most shocking thing about the article is the author's belief that Social Science is not a useful subject of classes to take. It feels odd to condemn an entire category of courses by saying that you will learn more in any other course besides social sciences. I think that learning about what math really is is something that definitely takes time, even in college, as it takes getting to proof based courses to find what most advanced and upper level math is. How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming: I think the first part of the article, where the author basically says that there exists natural talent that distinguishes those who can be good programmers and those who cannot, is sort of surprising in a depressing way. That quote about graphic design though made me realize that our jobs or fields of study are merely tools or methods for which we can change the world, and it is required to also love parts of the world so we could use those methods to change it. |
WatchingThe Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (2014) +1 This documentary was an excellent watch and does a great job of capturing the life and legacy of Aaron Schwartz who is an inspiration to me. Information is power and ought to belong to the people. I recommend checking out OpenLibrary, one of the projects he co-founded. I joined the community a few years ago and am incredibly grateful for their support in introducing me to open source software development even though I knew very little at the time. They are always looking for more help, so if you are interested I would be happy to connect you! I also want to shout out the Open Book Genome Project, a special project of OpenLibrary I contributed to. The project could use some love, so if you are looking for something really cool to work on please reach out because I'd love to collaborate! CitizenFour (2014) +1 This film offered an incredible inside perspective into the Snowden whistleblower event revealing the rapidly growing NSA surveillance apparatus of everyone including US citizens. It was a good reminder of the importance of having a free press in societies that are democracies and the power of small actors in holding large institutions to account. Zero Days - Security Leaks for Sale +1 I thought this documentary did a good job of explaining the cybersecurity industry and it's importance and consequences. It made me think about the effectiveness of the tech industry embracing the hacking community, at least most of the time. Instead of making hackers the enemy, they are embraced thorough the concept of white hat hacking, bug bounties, and penetration testing. War Games +1 War games was a really fun movie. Although it is not the most realistic, it does a good job of communicating the curious energy of hacker culture and the potential consequences of using digital systems to control world destroying weapons. I also like the theme of gamification of things, from computer systems to global thermonuclear war. Season 1 of Mr. Robot +2 Mr. Robot is certainly one of my favorite shows because it pulls off being both dramatically invigorating and technically accurate. I was reminded of my first time watching it and getting excited when they used USB Rubber Duckys for an attack (shoutout Hak5). Elliot's kernel panic scene also resonated with me. ReadingWhat to study in college (Paul Graham) +1 I thought this essay was great. I really appreciate its simplicity and accessibility while still communicating some valuable teachings. I am inspired to focus in on programming projects whenever I read this. I don't agree with all of it though. I think PG is too quick to dismiss the value of humanities classes, although I agree that they are too often bogus-like. I will follow the last line which says "the only way forward is doing what you love." Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (Peter Norvig) +1 This reading was a good reminder that in order to get really good at anything, including programming, it needs to be done over time. I've always been skeptical of the 10,000 hours rule, maybe it's more like 5,000. I am a big fan of the learning by doing maxim because that is way more fun! How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming (Jeff Atwood) +1 I was surprised by how much I liked this piece because I strongly resonated with it. I don't think of myself as an exceptional programmer and don't think I ever will be. This essay was a reminder that that is ok and that often non-programming skills are just as if not more important then hard programming capability. Without context programming is useless. There is not much value in creating a perfect algorithm if the algorithm is not useful or people never find it. The Cathedral and the Bazaar (ESR) - Chapter 1: The Cathedral and the Bazaar +1 I thought ESR's analogy of closed source development being like the construction of a cathedral and open source development being more similar to an open market at a bazaar was interesting. At the time this was written, Linux was still a relatively new project and was already making waves. Now it is nearly ubiquitous and the choice of the largest organizations running critical infrastructure. Open source runs the world. The Cathedral and the Bazaar (ESR) - Chapter 2: The Mail Must Get Through +1 This chapter made me think about why exactly open source development can be so efficient, efficacious, and enduring. In my mind, open source takes advantage of the economic concept of specialization because new contributions can be made by anyone in the world instead of being restricted to employees. There is also a excellent incentive mechanism. As ESR says, "Every good work of software starts by scratching a developer's personal itch." This is in contrast to closed source developers who sometimes only have the incentive of satisfying customers wishes which adds frictions to the development process or market. Total: +11 |
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Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days) (1pt) Jeff Atwood's How To Become a Better Programmer by Not Programming (1pt) Paul Graham's what to study in college (1pt) Zero Days - Security Leaks for Sale (1pt) |
I appreciated Graham's emphasis on pursuing one's interests over resume-padding and his advice to study a little bit of everything. I see careerism as a threat to a meaningful liberal education, so I was glad to see Graham's advice here. Overall, I found his writing style clear and informative, and his advice on the benefits of professors who challenge and push their students to be particularly insightful.
I appreciated Norvig's emphasis on the importance of learning multiple programming languages. It's easy to fall into the trap of sticking with what we know, but by exposing ourselves to different languages and paradigms, we can enhance our problem-solving abilities and become more well-rounded programmers. Norvig's article is a great reminder that programming is a long-term journey, and we should embrace the process of continuous learning and growth.
This was a serious bummer of a movie, but it was inspiring to see the passion Swartz had for standing up for open information. In my other CS class, I was doing analysis on downloads from scihub, a more recent website that has come up to thwart academic paywalls. Reading about scihubs story and the constant legal battles its entangled in to stay up on the internet made me repeatedly harken back to Swartz's story.
This was a fun one to watch, because everything portrayed is just so different from the internet and security protocols we know of today. It made me think of a common thought I have when reading about government services, that either they're so incredibly sophisticated and smartly implemented or they're frustratingly dump and poorly implemented, like a computer system that allows a teenager to access nuclear weapons systems! |
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Mr Robot Season 1,2 and 3 (4 Points) The Hacker Manifesto (1 point) War Games (1 point) what to study in college (1 point) |
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Paul Graham - What to study in college (1 point) Why learn programming in 10 years instead of 21 days (1 point) The Cathedral and the Bazzare (1 point) How to be a hacker eric reymond (1 point) |
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1.The internets own boy.
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Reading (Non-fiction):
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(1 point) https://norvig.com/21-days.html Today there is such a rush around getting internships, finishing college and jumping right into the job market. I see so many ads promising people that they can become a Data Analyst or become fluent in multiple programming languages in weeks/months if they take certain online courses. As someone who tends to learn things slowly, Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years, interested me right off the title. It's nice to see advice that emphasizes taking your time and trying a lot of new projects instead of learning fast money grabs and empty promises. And learning is not just taking classes, but everyday on the job practicing coding and understanding your computer and programming languages. (1 point) http://phrack.org/issues/7/3.html "And then it happened... a door opened to a world... rushing through (2 points) Season 1 of Mr. Robot This semester I decided to watch Mr. Robot as I had been putting it off for a while. Elliot uses hacking as an escape from the real world, and to understand people in a new way similar to how we use social media. I enjoy that the show is able to show hacking as a good thing, with the plotline to stop E Corp and erase debts but also acknowledge times when Elliot goes too far, such as when he hacks his Shrink. The show has great moments about mental health and morals, and does good work to understand the complexities behind hacking and cyber security. I feel like there is a bad rep around hacking computer systems and Mr. Robot was clear about showing all the aspects of the hacking world. The show reminds me of Black Mirror, specifically the episodes "Shut Up and Dance", but the reverse perspective when a teenager gets hacked by a society working to expose peoples crimes, similar to Elliot's work. |
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Paul Graham's What to study in college: Peter Norvig's Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years (not 21 days): ESR's How to become a hacker: ESR's The Art of Unix Programming: |
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For the hacker culture caveat task I engaged with the following:
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Watching (Fiction): War Games (1 Point) Mr. Robot Season 1 (2 Points) Reading (Non-Fiction): Teach Yourself Programming in 10 Years (1 Point) Phrack, the Hacker’s Manifesto (1 Point) |
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Reading – nonfiction – 1 point – what to study in college Reading – nonfiction – 1 point – how to become a better programmer by not programming Reading – nonfiction – 1 point – how to become a better hacker Reading – nonfiction – 1 point – teach yourself programming in ten years |
and others
Reply to this issue with a summary of what you did for the hacker culture task. See the task instructions for instructions.
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