5 ms·

It's not waste: - you learnt - you had fun - you felt proud - it validated you This is a path you need to follow toward mastering a field. You are what yo

It's not waste: - you learnt - you had fun - you felt proud - it validated you This is a path you need to follow toward mastering a field. You are what you are today because you did it, and if you are any good right now, the world is a better place now.

monodeldiablo 10y ago
Oh absolutely. The journey is the destination and all that. And I'm undoubtedly a better developer and coworker because of my experiences. I'm happy there are people out there eager to wade through the shit just as I did when I was younger. Their enthusiasm is great. I'm just less willing to do that shit-wading these days. It takes all kinds.
- sametmax 10y ago
  Our society has a "genius syndrome" problem. Its culture promotes the idea of a master solving all issues. He is usually 20 something and does everything right. But the fact is: - most great people are not born great. They become it. If you want great, you need time to nurture it. - most great people fucked up hard a lot on their way. Greatness implies training. Training on important things with consequences. - most great people are not alone. Something great is rarely achieved by one person. Even if something appears to be done by one person, you usually have a lot of entities supporting the work in some direct or indirect ways. Without it, the so-called genius would have accomplished nothing. Bottom line, we should remember: - good persons, like good things, are rare and have a cost. Plus they take time. - The lone genius is the exception, not the rule. So you messed up on the way ? Good. This is life investing in your potential. Can't wait to work with someone like you.
  - monodeldiablo 10y ago
    Shucks. For what it's worth, your comments have made my day. I'm sure I'd have a blast working with you, too. You wouldn't, perchance, have a masters degree in stochastic modeling, would you?
    - sametmax 10y ago
      No I'm just a good old regular Python web dev and trainer. Also I worked in the porn industry in France and in NGOs in Africa for half of my life. Very, very far from 'stochastic modeling', which I actually had to google before answering your comment.
      - monodeldiablo 10y ago
        People with resumes like yours were always my favorite co-workers. Diversity of experience leads to more life lessons per unit time. Cheers, friend.
      - Chris2048 10y ago
        > I worked in the porn industry in France As a web dev?..
        sametmax 10y ago
        Among things :)
dredmorbius 10y ago
All costs are opportunity costs. The ultimate question is: how else might you have spent your time? Understanding technology and returns to technology, by specific technological mechanism (an area in which the literature is oddly silent) as well as the long-term costs and consequences, and the efficiency-driven economic consequences (the Jevons paradox and related elements), may give pause. Yes, there's something to be said for learning. But applying learning to domains in which it's not ultimately most productive is itself an opportunity cost. There is almost always a benefit to finding and reaping low-hanging fruit, in raising up the least-served, in recognising who may not be serviceable at all (about 50% of all people have zero or absolutely rudimentary computer proficiency), or to recognise the value in providing advanced, expert-user interfaces which may serve a very small user base (a few percent, perhaps a few fractions of a percent), but for whom the added productivity is valuable to others.

monodeldiablo 10y ago

Oh absolutely. The journey is the destination and all that. And I'm undoubtedly a better developer and coworker because of my experiences. I'm happy there are people out there eager to wade through the shit just as I did when I was younger. Their enthusiasm is great. I'm just less willing to do that shit-wading these days. It takes all kinds.

sametmax 10y ago
Our society has a "genius syndrome" problem. Its culture promotes the idea of a master solving all issues. He is usually 20 something and does everything right. But the fact is: - most great people are not born great. They become it. If you want great, you need time to nurture it. - most great people fucked up hard a lot on their way. Greatness implies training. Training on important things with consequences. - most great people are not alone. Something great is rarely achieved by one person. Even if something appears to be done by one person, you usually have a lot of entities supporting the work in some direct or indirect ways. Without it, the so-called genius would have accomplished nothing. Bottom line, we should remember: - good persons, like good things, are rare and have a cost. Plus they take time. - The lone genius is the exception, not the rule. So you messed up on the way ? Good. This is life investing in your potential. Can't wait to work with someone like you.
- monodeldiablo 10y ago
  Shucks. For what it's worth, your comments have made my day. I'm sure I'd have a blast working with you, too. You wouldn't, perchance, have a masters degree in stochastic modeling, would you?
  - sametmax 10y ago
    No I'm just a good old regular Python web dev and trainer. Also I worked in the porn industry in France and in NGOs in Africa for half of my life. Very, very far from 'stochastic modeling', which I actually had to google before answering your comment.
    - monodeldiablo 10y ago
      People with resumes like yours were always my favorite co-workers. Diversity of experience leads to more life lessons per unit time. Cheers, friend.
    - Chris2048 10y ago
      > I worked in the porn industry in France As a web dev?..
      - sametmax 10y ago
        Among things :)

dredmorbius 10y ago

All costs are opportunity costs. The ultimate question is: how else might you have spent your time? Understanding technology and returns to technology, by specific technological mechanism (an area in which the literature is oddly silent) as well as the long-term costs and consequences, and the efficiency-driven economic consequences (the Jevons paradox and related elements), may give pause. Yes, there's something to be said for learning. But applying learning to domains in which it's not ultimately most productive is itself an opportunity cost. There is almost always a benefit to finding and reaping low-hanging fruit, in raising up the least-served, in recognising who may not be serviceable at all (about 50% of all people have zero or absolutely rudimentary computer proficiency), or to recognise the value in providing advanced, expert-user interfaces which may serve a very small user base (a few percent, perhaps a few fractions of a percent), but for whom the added productivity is valuable to others.