Posts by pwaring@fosstodon.org
(DIR) Post #AaRUuWsiFqlRznJnk0 by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-10-04T12:37:22Z
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Wow, Steve Furber has just retired from the University of Manchester Department of Computer Science. Feels like the end of an era - he taught me hardware design (sadly I was a lousy student as I had no interest in that part of CS) and was Head of Department. I did help him fix his Mac though when I was a member of staff.If you have a smart phone, you're very likely using a later version of an architecture he helped develop.
(DIR) Post #AaSX0CAB9ahgbK8Qwi by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-10-05T11:20:31Z
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Minor panic this lunchtime after receiving this email from HMRC:'We do compliance checks on some individuals and businesses, making sure they’re paying the right amount of tax and ensuring the tax system works fairly for everyone. This is important because the money we collect pays for the UK’s public services.'Only at the bottom of the email does it say:'This email isn’t a compliance check, it’s just for information.'
(DIR) Post #AaewZnKXaLQF40q35U by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-10-11T09:26:51Z
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I knew that electric cars had fewer moving parts but I didn't realise until recently how big the gap is.VW golf (petrol engine): 113Chevy Bolt (electric motor): 3Potentially a big issue for repair shops as there's less to go wrong, and for manufacturers as the reduced complexity means fewer workers needed (with lower skill sets?)Source: Investors Chronicle, 29th September 2023
(DIR) Post #Ab6C5fMDLtICl04fku by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-10-24T14:51:44Z
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Public sector: Gosh it's really hard to find good developers.Devs: What's the salary?PS: 20% below market rates.Devs: Can we work remotely?PS: Min 2 days/week in the office.Devs: Any cool interesting technology?PS: Does an ageing AIX mainframe count?
(DIR) Post #AbalIBbt1V4ecIGnDs by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-11-08T08:45:05Z
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One good thing about having a password manager - apart from the security benefits - is that I have a list of my accounts in one place and can therefore review and cull regularly. Everyone seems to want me to create an account now so I have lots that I used once 5+ years ago, although culling them isn't always possible because companies don't allow account deletion (if I was retired I'd do the whole RTE followed by ICO complaint process).
(DIR) Post #Abd4eaztbLxxAaoqMi by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-11-09T08:50:02Z
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Had a weird dream last night where I was appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester. Some staff were unsure whether I had the skills and experience for the role but most of them were won over when I drew up a list of unnecessary meetings to be cancelled with immediate effect.
(DIR) Post #AbpX33fr1DTxJCs8OW by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-11-15T08:28:08Z
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I have narrowed down my Advent of Code language choices to:Go: Know enough to make reasonable progress with puzzles, whilst still learning new things in the process. Commercially useful.C: Similar to Go, but takes longer due to having to think about memory management etc. Would need a decent debugger, ideally within VSCode.Lua: Starting from scratch. Skim the Programming Lua book.Rust: Starting from scratch. Skim the No Starch Rush book.#AdventOfCode #AdventOfCode2023
(DIR) Post #AbyGgEwp5Td8lkXuyW by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-11-19T16:56:17Z
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Once again waiting ages for late public transport run by a private operator. This would not happen if I were Transport Supremo.
(DIR) Post #AbzxYoyziTz5OsELzs by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-11-20T08:23:22Z
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I like the idea of a Federated Data Platform - all NHS records should be held centrally instead of at each locality (I've experienced the 'sorry, we can't view your records here, please repeat everything' problem) - but it should be developed in-house. I don't trust either of the two organisations it's been given to and I don't think there's any way to opt out.https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/nov/20/nhs-england-gives-key-role-in-handling-patient-data-to-us-spy-tech-firm-palantir
(DIR) Post #Ac25JQSbnOBOx2AixM by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-11-21T08:29:22Z
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Helped my grandfather sort out a few IT issues recently (printer, Kindle, phone etc.) and it struck me just how poorly designed software & hardware are across the board. For the printer problem I had to search for a solution and it took nearly 45 minutes. Several devices said 'oh you can use WPS' with no explanation of what that was (I know, but he didn't). If I wasn't nearby he would have been stuck in frustration indefinitely.
(DIR) Post #AdEg0qkrdyM23qDIJc by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-12-27T10:32:39Z
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I really wish someone would leak the minutes of meetings where seemingly daft corporate decisions are made, e.g. ones that really annoy customers such as adding ads to a streaming service that already has a subscription fee. Companies don't do this on a whim and I would love to see the figures and process as to how they get there.
(DIR) Post #AdEy3OoFnZcdQxAEnA by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-12-27T16:12:03Z
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Received an M&S gift card for Christmas so am browsing their online store to see what to spend it on.1. Most of the models look fed up.2. Nearly all the models seem to be in the top 10% of height distribution.3. 'shackets' (shirt + jackets) are a thing apparently.4. There are 'big and tall' options but no 'short and slim' equivalent - despite height being a normal distribution (no jokes about kids clothes please).5. No 'can be tumble-dried' filter.
(DIR) Post #AdHEnmHYqZav8WvfSS by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-12-28T12:46:30Z
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Can anyone recommend a shop in the UK which sells desks or tables at standing height? I usually buy from Ikea but all of their fixed height desks seem to be at sitting height.I don't want an adjustable desk as they are too heavy for me to assemble and move by myself. I want a fixed height desk at standing height. Basically the same as any normal desk but with longer legs.
(DIR) Post #AdNFHY1c7Luigef1nc by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2023-12-31T16:24:07Z
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@penguin42 Or I should be able to share the details of my Amazon account, which is old enough to drink (in the UK and possibly even the US now!)
(DIR) Post #AddvmCHtoOB5ThEDIG by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2024-01-08T15:33:33Z
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Intrigued though I am by this Guardian quiz question, please don't use this sort of thing in interviews. It doesn't help you find the 'right' candidate and the lack of an 'obvious' solution means some people will burn through their interview time thinking about it and panicking that they don't know the answer (if you cause someone to panic in an interview then you shouldn't be interviewing).https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/jan/08/can-you-solve-it-do-you-think-like-a-software-engineer
(DIR) Post #AddvmEKSDrPToCRHYO by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2024-01-08T15:36:07Z
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And if you're an interviewee, this sort of question is a massive warning flag. It suggests the culture at the company is about proving how much cleverer you are than other people instead of solving real-world problems. The same goes for anyone asking you how to implement a binary tree, for which the only correct answer is 'use an existing library'.
(DIR) Post #AddxTB0wWR9Fw0M52W by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2024-01-08T17:54:44Z
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@penguin42 It's less grim when you get the CS equivalent of the puzzle, which is basically a circular double linked list with a boolean flag.
(DIR) Post #AjqHUc5ghkqYaKtQCe by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2024-07-11T08:06:34Z
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Petition to stop referring to the USA as an 'advanced' or 'developed' country whilst they:1. Don't have universal health care.2. Use imperial measurements.3. Write dates as MM-DD-YYYY.4. Celebrate World Standards Day on a different day to everyone else.
(DIR) Post #Akkb9aW1FDtGBOSpUm by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2024-08-08T07:52:23Z
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@thelastpsion I think the only ways forward are to specialise or offer something that can't be replicated online, such as author signings (but that's tricky for second-hand shops as opposed to new ones).Hay-on-Wye is an exception, and even then the number of bookshops has declined since I went there on holiday in the 1990s.
(DIR) Post #AsywkohkHL7QZugRqi by pwaring@fosstodon.org
2025-04-11T10:57:12Z
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Just published a new business blog post on why I write my own content. In summary: consistent voice and people hire me because I can write well, and outsourcing that would be cheating as they would be judging my copywriter's ability rather than mine.https://www.phpdeveloper.org.uk/why-i-write-my-own-content/#business #freelance