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12:05 PM
@SOChatBot ActionScript already did, and look what happened to it. In fact, TypeScript looks like all its ideas were pretty much borrowed from AS3.
 
How hard was programming for you guys when you first started it?
 
well, it's hard to say. the very first things I did were tough because I'd never used a computer before. I was nearly ten years old by then.
 
I started my programming around 2 years ago. It was easy for me because I was very interested in developing games (and I am still interested) and I was introduced to building Flash games.
 
when I started I didn't really know what I was doing. I was reading bits in a book, but I got bored easily
 
I spent a lot of time building games with it. I think it was hard for me to understand concept of Object Orientation because AS3 is scripting language and object oriented language
 
12:17 PM
I didn't really start programming until I was about 13
 
I have built my first game without using any classes because I just couldn't understand about classes
@MattЭллен nice
 
I think it's hard for people to understand OO because most people who try to explain it don't understand OO
 
so you have been programming for several decades now?
 
12:18 PM
and a bit
but I've only been paid since 2006 :D
 
LOL
To be honest, I don't think I have earned any serious money with programming yet
=( Which is quite sad
 
nah. you're still in uni
It took me a year after graduating from my masters before I got a paid gig
 
nice =D
 
firstly, I lived in an area where there wasn't a lot of programming work and secondly I thought way too highly of my skill set, so I was aiming higher than I was capable of.
 
I am going to start uploading some youtube tutorials on topic related to network programming, do you think people will be interested in it? I am going to talk about low level networking API (TCP/UDP sockets and legit way of using them), building a protocols with it (HTTP, RTSP).
 
12:23 PM
if you're saying something new, or are particularly good at explaining things people will like it.
 
I figured University do not really teach these things
 
depends on the course. I didn't do much network programming. Just a high level pass of the protocols
 
If you're the kind of person who can take big tasks and parse them into smaller tasks, you shouldn't have any trouble with writing code.
 
they do teach you about them but they are really abstractive. They show you some diagrams on how packets move around and test you if you can remember how packet looks like
 
these days people just use 0MQ or something and don't even think about network programming
 
12:27 PM
@MattЭллен I want to make a huge series on that too. Including REST, SOAP, RMI
 
Most programmers just reach for a library or a framework and plug it in. They shop for solutions.
 
@Robusto And most people do not know what the hell is going on internally
 
Read Joel Spolsky's article on leaky abstractions.
 
This bayan thing weighs a ton.
 
12:31 PM
try using it in a place where Earth's gravity has a negligible effect, maybe at a Lagrangian point. I bet you wouldn't notice its mass then.
 
I bet no air would escape it then, either, rendering it mute.
 
does it sound good?
 
It's okay. Could be much worse, but could also be better.
 
Can you tune it?
 
It's not out of tune, that's the most important thing.
 
12:32 PM
ah
good, good
 
@MattЭллен I guess theoretically you can. But theoretically it cannot get out of tune in the first place.
 
Interesting
 
@MattЭллен Yes, back in the age of the dinosaur, as we know, earth's gravity was much lower.
 
LOL. Yes, that's right. That's why they were so big.
 
What this thing has is that some buttons produce a much richer sound when you compress the thing, but virtually none when you pull on it.
Or vice versa.
I guess with enough excercising you could work around that.
Enough being a couple years, of course. Not two hours.
 
12:34 PM
What? You're playing an accordion?
 
A bayan.
Now, the one and only really frustrating thing so far is that I keep hitting the wrong buttons.
 
similar to the Japanese currency owned by a Swedish pop group.
 
@RegDwighт That is essentially the problem with all instruments.
 
and my programming
 
@Robusto I mean, this is an instrument for dummies, button-placement-wise. I know all the theory behind it, and I know exactly which button I must push, and that is exactly the one I aim for, and I know exactly where it is, but I always hit its neighbor.
You don't have to search the dominant or the subdominant. It's right there. But the buttons are not in a straight line, so when you're not used to it your chance of hitting the right one is exactly 50%.
Same for minor vs. major.
 
12:37 PM
no hitting minors!
 
You aim for minor, and get a major7.
So really, this is all about exercising many hours a day for many days. Is all.
The theory is laughable.
You just have to train your muscle memory.
Perhaps I should add, or rather start with, that you don't see the buttons. You have to feel for them.
My wife already wondered why the hell they are painted in black and white if only the listener can see that. I'm wondering the same thing now, too.
 
maybe bayan players are synesthetes
they can feel the colours
 
@Robusto I think that's what everyone thinks in their specialised field. For web developers
they ask themselves if my skill is really required by anyone
 
@MattЭллен Yeah really, now that would be helpful. If every other button was rough or something. So you'd know exactly whether in the neighboring row you are about to go 45 degrees to the left (same roughness) or to the right (different roughness).
 
because you can simply build a website using CMS in few days
But the problem is most of these CMS always have problems like when your website goes viral, it becomes 10 times harder to scale (clustering or load balancing your webserver for these CMS websites)
 
12:46 PM
@TemporaryNickName that's why I make sure all of my sites are unpopular
 
@MattЭллен that's why I make sure I am unpopular. And don't have sites.
 
@RegDwighт you're very popular at EL&U. you'd better watch out, or you'll get DOSd
 
I deny service at all times anyway.
 
13 mins ago, by Robusto
@RegDwighт That is essentially the problem with all instruments.
Commute.
 
12:51 PM
Mornin.
 
Halloo
 
@Robusto perhaps I suck at explaining, then.
Imagine you're playing the piano. You want to play a G. You know exactly that you need a G, you know exactly why you need a G, you know exactly where it is on the keyboard, and you aim at that exact place, and out comes a D.
Now, I guess that's not the worst thing that could happen. I'd rather have it be D than F#, for obvious reasons. But still.
 
@RegDwighт How'd you learn, though?
 
@AmaanCheval learned what?
 
It takes so much persistent work to learn an instrument
I assumed you played an instrument
 
12:56 PM
I play a few. Now working on playing one more.
 
@WendiKidd works for me!
 
!!are you still around?
 
@RegDwighт Yes!
 
Nice.
 
oh, someone revived the bot
 
1:03 PM
Not someone.
 
some...thing?
 
Some... rus.
 
btw @reg you once said that your collection fits on two billys.
 
!!/hang e
@cornbreadninja麵包忍者 play! :)
 
@WendiKidd e was already submitted
 
1:04 PM
oh, were we in the middle of a game? The hangman game needs a "reset"
 
@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 one and a half, to be precise, and each box, in turn, is typically only 3/4 full.
 
!!/hang a
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, d, e, r, x
-ea----
 
!!/hang s
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, d, e, r, s, x
seas--s
 
1:04 PM
So that's really 9/16 Billys.
 
!!/hang seasons
 
@WendiKidd Correct! The phrase is seasons.
 
@RegDwighт My collection is in an extra-deep billy and it fills 60% right now and there are maybe another 10% worth of space to fill but I'm out of boxes and want to keep some shelves for display. So I'm wondering how you managed to get it filled so efficiently if you have 10x the parts I do.
 
Now, I also have a big box in the cellar, with all the huge-ass parts, plus of course the actual models on display. If I put them all in boxes, I'd probably run out of both Billys, but the boxes would still be 3/4 full.
 
yes, my hugest-ass parts are not in that accounting either
 
1:06 PM
@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I don't just throw the parts into their compartments. They are stacked side by side, with no room wasted in any direction.
 
@WendiKidd I must shower!
 
@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 hugest ass-parts
 
!!/hang e
 
@TemporaryNickName Command hand does not exist. Did you mean: hang
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |
  |
__+__
a
----
 
1:07 PM
@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 So 1000 round 1x1 plates all fit into a single compartment, out of 30, of a single box, out of the 74 that fit in a Billy.
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, b
----
 
Jez
we have a hangman bot?!?!
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, b, e
----
 
wait, I forgot how to play hangman game
 
1:08 PM
@RegDwighт can you share a link to your boxes again?
 
Now the 1x1 plate is tiny, of course, but since I consider even regular 2x4 bricks to be kind of huge-ass already, not many of my parts are too much larger, actually.
@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I never shared it. I posted something from IKEA I guess.
 
@RegDwighт that'd explain it then
 
Which I disgarded. Just to show the general phenotype.
 
I guess it doesn't matter. your boxes sound similar to mine.
multi-compartment.
my pieces are not stacked in the box except where they wouldn't fit otherwise. My philosophy is that if it takes too long to put stuff away I will never bother building because the cleanup will be too hard.
 
Sooner or later that will be the case anyway.
I have at least three sorting stages at this point.
 
1:11 PM
@Jez yup. Or rather, we have a bot who has the ability to play hangman. Type !!/hang (letter or phrase to guess) to play!
 
well, yes... I already have to open a dozen boxes to put stuff away.
 
I have one dedicated box where I just throw any parts in when I'm sick and tired and just want to have the table clean.
Then I have four or five boxes where I pre-sort the parts, mostly by color, only some by type.
 
Jez
!!/hang i
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, b, e, i
-i--
 
lol. I planned to have one of those but ran out of boxes in the end. And the box budget is all dried up for now. So maybe in a few months I'll get more.
 
Jez
1:12 PM
!!/hang s
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |  \O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, b, e, i, s
-i--
 
Jez
!!/hang d
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |  \O/
  |   |
  |  /
__+__
a, b, d, e, i, s
-i--
 
Jez
!!/hang e
 
And then, for each color, I now have a dedicated box where I throw those presorted parts in, again willy-nilly, but at least they are then tucked away under that color.
 
1:13 PM
@Jez You people suck. The phrase was lint
 
Jez
!!/hang e
 
@Jez e was already submitted
+---+
| |
| O
|
|
__+__
e
-------
 
And then, sometimes, I will find a spare hour to take one particular color, and sort the one unsorted box into the other ones.
 
!!/hang game over man game over
 
@TemporaryNickName game over man game over is longer than the phrase
 
Jez
1:13 PM
!!/hang i
 
So that's actually four levels of sorting.
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |
  |
__+__
e, i
----i--
 
Jez
!!/hang g
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |
  |
__+__
e, g, i
----i-g
 
Jez
!!/hang n
 
1:14 PM
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |
  |
__+__
e, g, i, n
----ing
 
Jez
!!/hang t
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |   |
  |
__+__
e, g, i, n, t
----ing
 
Jez
!!/hang s
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |   |
  |
__+__
e, g, i, n, s, t
--s-ing
 
Jez
!!/hang p
 
1:15 PM
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
e, g, i, n, p, s, t
--s-ing
 
Jez
!!/hang l
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |  \O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
e, g, i, l, n, p, s, t
--s-ing
 
Jez
!!/hang k
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |  \O/
  |   |
  |  /
__+__
e, g, i, k, l, n, p, s, t
--s-ing
 
Jez
!!/hang a
 
1:16 PM
  +---+
  |   |
  |  \O/
  |   |
  |  /
__+__
a, e, g, i, k, l, n, p, s, t
-as-ing
 
!!/hang h
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |  \O/
  |   |
  |  /
__+__
a, e, g, h, i, k, l, n, p, s, t
-ashing
 
Jez
!!/hang m
 
@Jez You people suck. The phrase was washing
 
Jez
ahhhh
 
1:17 PM
ooo
=D
That was unlucky
 
Jez
!!/hang e
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |
  |
  |
__+__
e
----e
 
Jez
!!/hang s
 
!!/hang r
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |
  |
__+__
e, s
----e
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |   |
  |
__+__
e, r, s
----e
 
Jez
1:18 PM
!!/hang i
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |   |
  |
__+__
e, i, r, s
-i--e
 
!!/hang t
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
e, i, r, s, t
-i--e
 
Jez
!!/hang f
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |  \O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
e, f, i, r, s, t
-i--e
 
1:18 PM
@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 the boxes that I have now are perfect. Each compartment is exactly six studs wide and four bricks high, and 42 studs long. And you can break it down into shorter ones, of course. It's as if it was designed with LEGO in mind.
 
Jez
!!/hang g
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |  \O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
e, f, g, i, r, s, t
-i-ge
 
!!/hang m
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |  \O/
  |   |
  |  /
__+__
e, f, g, i, m, r, s, t
-i-ge
 
And four bricks high means, for Technic, that's five beams high. Again, perfect.
 
1:19 PM
might be midge
ah, nope
 
@RegDwighт my smaller boxes are very good too. they are exactly as tall as a 1x6 piece on its side and the compartments are exactly 4 studs wide at their smallest.
 
Jez
ffs dumb guess
!!/hang d
 
@Jez You people suck. The phrase was bilge
 
oy
 
Jez
!!/hang e
 
1:20 PM
!!/hang e
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |
  |
__+__
e
------
@WendiKidd e was already submitted
 
!!/hang a
 
!!/hang i
 
Jez
!!/hang i
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |
  |
__+__
a, e
-a----
@Jez i was already submitted
+---+
| |
| O
|
|
__+__
a, e, i
-ai---
 
Jez
1:21 PM
!!/hang s
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |
  |
__+__
a, e, i, s
-ai--s
 
Jez
!!/hang r
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, e, i, r, s
-ai--s
 
Jez
!!/hang l
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, e, i, l, r, s
-ai--s
 
Jez
1:22 PM
!!/hang p
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, e, i, l, p, r, s
pai--s
 
!!/hang n
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, e, i, l, n, p, r, s
pain-s
 
!!/hang t
 
!!/hang t
 
1:22 PM
@TemporaryNickName Correct! The phrase is paints.
+---+
| |
| O
|
|
__+__
t
------
 
Jez
!!/hang e
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |
  |
__+__
e, t
--e---
 
Oh come on. Adding the extra t to the next puzzle isn't fair!
 
Jez
!!/hang s
 
1:23 PM
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |
  |
__+__
e, s, t
s-e--s
 
@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 speaking of Technic, I'd have one full box of black pins by now (not exaggerating). But I use space efficiently with those, too. So what I do is I take the beams, that are stored in batches of five as outlined above, and connect them to one another using just one pin. I do the same for other parts, and also for 3-long pins and 2-long axles. That saves a ton of space. The black pins that are left only need 1/7 of a box now rather than one.
 
Jez
!!/hang p
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |   |
  |
__+__
e, p, s, t
s-e--s
 
Jez
!!/hang l
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
e, l, p, s, t
s-e--s
 
Jez
1:24 PM
!!/hang w
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |  \O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
e, l, p, s, t, w
s-e--s
 
@RegDwighт yeah I have a lot of those black pins and I don't think I have a single Technic set.
 
Jez
!!/hang c
 
!!/hang g
 
@TemporaryNickName You people suck. The phrase was shears
 
1:24 PM
unless you count bionicle ducks
 
!!/hang e
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |
  |
  |
__+__
e
-e---e
 
Jez
!!/hang g
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |
  |
__+__
e, g
-e---e
 
Jez
!!/hang s
 
1:25 PM
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |
  |
__+__
e, g, s
-e--se
 
this room is much better looking if you hide all the posts by the bot
 
Jez
!!/hang a
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, e, g, s
-e--se
 
Jez
!!/hang r
 
1:27 PM
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, e, g, r, s
re--se
 
@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 you can put them into Technic bricks rather than beams, of course, of which you are certain to have quite a few. I do that as well. This not only saves space, but actually simplifies building, too. Every time I need a beam, I just go grab it and get a free pin with it. Every time I need some other Technic part, I also get a free 3-long blue pin, or a 2-long, 4-long, or 5-long axle. This drastically speeds up the hunting for parts you need for a model.
 
@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 looks funnier too :D
!!hang x everywhere
 
Jez
!!/hang v
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |   O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, e, g, r, s, v
re--se
 
Jez
!!/hang l
 
1:30 PM
  +---+
  |   |
  |  \O/
  |   |
  |
__+__
a, e, g, l, r, s, v
re--se
 
Jez
!!/hang t
 
  +---+
  |   |
  |  \O/
  |   |
  |  /
__+__
a, e, g, l, r, s, t, v
re--se
 
Jez
!!/hang refuse
 
@RegDwighт I dunno. my 3-long pins are relatively rare. same with my axles. I put all the technic parts (except beams) in one box, so when I need them they'll all be right there at once.
 
@Jez Correct! The phrase is refuse.
 
1:30 PM
I rarely ever use a technic brick or beam in my models.
except the 2x1 brick with a hole.
if that counts.
 
now I want a polo mint
stupid advertising slogans
 
@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I see. Well, that's how I started. I remember having a dedicated Technic box that was 99% empty. In every compartment was like one part, or three pins or axles. And it stood that way for easily a full year, even though I was purchasing like mad.
It took me some time to get around to actively seeking out Technic sets, too.
I still barely can build with Technic myself, but I appreciate the official models.
 
@RegDwighт well, my technic box is maybe 50% full and if it reaches 75% I'll have to overflow into a second box. And one big compartment is the "everything else" compartment. But I think I'll wait and see how the building goes over the next year or so, because I suspect I'm going to want to move stuff around, so that I have to keep fewer boxes open.
 
You need a whole nother mindset to build with Technic. I'm getting there, but it will take another decade I think. With System bricks, I am slowly at the point where I know all ins and outs by heart.
 
@SOChatBot That's not a phrase, it's a word. Subtle difference.
 
1:37 PM
@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 yes, I was surprised how much my sorting system changed over the years, even though it was designed to last forever. You never know where the next couple sets will take you.
 
yeah I'm not really into technic. I need to focus on something or else I'll just try to focus on everything and not accomplish anything. For the next year I want to try to build with what I have, now that I really know what I have.
I don't want to get hung up on trying to get more and more parts for hypothetical models that never get made. It's a fucking addiction, I tell ya.
 
Oh yes it is, that's the point.
The only goal of completionism is completionism.
Anyway. In the last decade or so they started using Technic more and more in System sets, most notably Star Wars, for structrure/scaffolding.
 
@Reg, yeah, I still don't get what your problem is. Are you saying that the instrument's interface is too featureless, that it's hard to map your idea of chords and scales to a bunch of buttons that are too much the same and too closely packed together in a mapless pattern?
 
So there's no way around getting exposed to those parts.
 
yes, I have noticed an increase in technic. And I don't mind when it's used for engineering purposes. But I don't really seek it out as an end in itself.
 
1:41 PM
@Robusto no, all I'm saying is that my fingers constantly land four millimeters away from where they are supposed to go. I haven't figured out the angle yet. I go at 90 degrees where it should be 60. And since I don't frigging see a thing, it's purely muscle training.
 
@Robusto It sounded to me like it was too easy to hit the wrong button
 
@RegDwighт Well, try a fretless stringed instrument. That's the same problem.
 
And that is the frustrating part because yes, the instrument is featureless and simple by definition, and I simply know way too much about theory to not be upset by failing at practice.
 
Besides, I have no sympathy for accordion players. They get what they deserve for causing the rest of the world so much misery.
Apr 8 '11 at 3:14, by Robusto
________________________________________________
Q: What's the definition of perfect pitch?
A: When you toss a banjo in the garbage and it hits an accordion.
 
It's one thing when it's just a big pile of buttons, and you have never heard the words "dominant" or "minor", and you just dive in. But it's a different thing entirely when you know exaclty what you must be doing, but you are doing something else because muscle training.
 
1:45 PM
You wouldn't have this problem if you took up the castanets instead.
 
@Robusto I think bad violonists have caused the world more trouble, and there are more of them, too. Nobody wants to be carrying around an instrument of torture that weighs 20 kilos, when they could be carrying a pochette.
 
@RegDwighт Well, yeah. Unless you're an absolute master violinist, everything you play gives pain to others.
 
@Robusto that one is actually worse. Hitting 3/7 a tone away from where you must be is not as nice as hitting a full quint.
You can easily play around it and pretend you always wanted to play the quint in the first place, especially with the kind of music typically written for the accordion.
 
The violin is the opposite of the harp. You can bang on a harp randomly and it just sounds like heavenly music. A violin requires perfection before it's even acceptable.
 
So my wife is not even noticing 50% of the errors I'm making.
But I do.
 
1:49 PM
@RegDwighт Have you considered the possibility that she is merely not appearing to notice 50% of the errors you're making?
 
@Robusto yes, the harp is ingenious because you can tune every single string to be part of the chord. My beef with the harp is, why the f can't they build it at the correct angle right away? Every player has to tilt that entire house of an instrument a couple degrees.
@Robusto I've known my wife for too long to consider that. I might have considered that at some point in the past.
 
@RegDwighт They do that to get it into a position where it feels right to them. Violinists put the instrument under their chins for the same reason.
 
Well yes. Duh. Still funneh.
And come on, did you just say someone doesn't look stupid because violonists do the same thing?
And can I please stop misspelling violinists?
 
I notice that if I have the piano bench skewed at a slight angle I will suddenly start making mistakes. But I will not notice that the bench is skewed until I make a certain pattern of mistakes.
 
Haha. Absolutely.
 
1:53 PM
@RegDwighт Forget the Geiger counter, you need a geigespeller.
 
My wife had the glorious idea to buy us two new chairs, one for her sewing machine, and one for my piano. She didn't realize that the chairs were half an inch higher than what we previously had. So every time I play the piano, I switch the chair back to the original one.
Otherwise my wrists are insta-ruined. After just one minute I scream in pain.
Gotta run eat things.
Lators.
 
Bai.
 

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