learning

Bilingual

Putting Ideas into Words
2 months ago
- Writing reveals that you didn't know a topic as well as you thought; it forces precise and complete expression.
- The process of writing involves rewriting and revising; many ideas emerge during writing.
- The real test is reading your writing as a neutral stranger; this often reveals flaws and omissions.
- Unconscious knowledge becomes conscious when you explain it; writing helps learn even about subjects you know well.
- Writing is a stricter test than talking because it requires committing to exact words and allows focused revision.
- Those who never write about nontrivial topics have no fully formed ideas about them, though they may not realize it.
"Efficiency" is bad for your health, and your learning
2 months ago
- The author used to stress about maximizing every minute for productivity, but found it didn't lead to the expected '10x' results.
- After working for five years, the author adopted a healthier attitude toward work-life balance, realizing that being 'totally efficient' is unrealistic for humans.
- Most professional skill development occurs during regular job hours, not through side projects or forced efficiency.
- The author recommends pursuing extra activities only when genuinely interested, rather than out of obligation, to avoid mental health costs.
- Giving yourself leeway reduces stress and allows better focus, leading to more effective learning.
i'm just having fun
2 months ago
- The author finds it uncomfortable when people view them as exceptionally smart due to their work on compilers and build systems.
- Learning computing skills comes from experimentation and hard work, not innate magic; others can learn too.
- Everyone has their own specialization, and not knowing computer internals doesn't make someone dumb.
- The mystique around computing and STEM is undeserved; other fields like art or carpentry also require learning from mistakes.
- The author learns computers for fun and art, not for money, and values the 'fucking around' process.
- Advice includes building personal tools for enjoyment, exploring others' projects for deeper understanding, and using resources like MDN, Arch Wiki, or StackOverflow.
How You Know
2 months ago
- The author felt uneasy about forgetting details from books despite reading many.
- Hilbert's quote 'a perfect formulation of a problem is already half its solution' reinforced the idea that the effect of reading persists even if forgotten.
- Reading and experience train your mental model; the mind is like a compiled program whose source is lost.
- The value of reading is not in remembered facts but in the improved mental models.
- Important books should be reread because the same book is 'compiled' differently at different life stages.
- Technology may allow reliving experiences to learn from them again, similar to rereading books.
Being a Noob
2 months ago
- Feeling like a noob is inversely correlated with actual ignorance; the more you experience it, the more you learn.
- Aversion to being a noob evolved to prioritize competence in familiar tasks over exploring novelty.
- In modern times, this aversion can mislead us, as embracing novelty is more valuable than avoiding incompetence.
The Phase Change
2 months ago
- The author unexpectedly completed a 10k run after planning only a 5k, sparking reflection on skill progression.
- Progress in skills often occurs in discrete jumps or 'phase changes' rather than gradual continuous improvement.
- Two key questions arise: can we make phase changes happen faster, and can we motivate people to persist until a phase change occurs?
- Reducing frustration (e.g., proper running shoes) and lowering effort investment (e.g., collaborative work) help maintain motivation.
- While the second question is more practical and fruitful, the first remains intriguing despite its difficulty.
Knowing about things is cheaper than knowing things
2 months ago
- Even basic concepts like arithmetic and boolean logic benefit all programmers, while advanced math fields don't offer a high return on investment for most.
- Every programmer can find a branch of math useful for their domain, but they need broad exposure to many fields first to identify which ones are relevant.
- Broad exposure to knowledge areas is more efficient than deep learning until you know a topic is useful; approach learning for fun rather than utility.
- Non-honors undergraduate textbooks, conference videos, and popular science resources can provide broad exposure, though personal preference varies.
- Recommendations include books like e2809cA Programmere28099s Introduction to Mathematicse2809d and e2809cDesigning Data-Intensive Applicationse2809d for connecting theory with practice.
- The author will be at Craft Conference Budapest and will release Logic for Programmers material next week instead of a regular newsletter.
Entropic Thoughts
2 months ago
- Spaced repetition is a powerful memory tool accessible to anyone, requiring only minutes daily.
- The four steps: add flashcards, see question, recall answer, rate success.
- Writing good flashcards is the most critical skill; software and algorithm choice are secondary.
- Active recall requires trying to retrieve the answer before seeing it and being honest about success.
- Pre-made decks are discouraged because they don't integrate with your existing knowledge.
- Manual card creation itself provides significant learning benefits, not just time wasted.
- Spaced repetition can build deep understanding by probing concepts from multiple angles.
- Memorizing basics enhances meaningful practice by reducing lookup time.
- It works for both long-term retention and quick short-term learning for new projects.
- Keep sessions short (e.g., 15 cards or 5 minutes) to maintain habit.
- Backlogs are manageable; resume without guilt.
- If frustrated, focus on improving flashcard quality.
- Spaced repetition applies to diverse fields like software, math, human interaction, and more.
- Update or reword flashcards to prevent rote memorization of clues.
Blog about things you don't understand yet
2 months ago
- The author writes about topics they don't fully understand as a method to learn more through research and writing.
- Every blog post argues a specific, controversial point, which forces deeper thinking and research.
- Structured writing (like arguing a point) is easier than unstructured self-expression because it narrows choices.
- Writing helps clarify thinking; the author often changes their mind and improves conclusions during the process.
- Blogging about unfamiliar topics is acceptable because beginners can explain concepts more clearly than experts.
- Public consensus on topics can be wrong, and even basic research can offer valuable corrections.
- Feedback, whether from readers or LLMs, is essential, though thick skin is needed for public criticism.
- The author recommends blogging as a tool for clearer thinking, and suggests signs of effective writing: changing your mind and improving your conclusion.
- Private blogging with AI feedback is also beneficial for learning.

learning

Putting Ideas into Words

"Efficiency" is bad for your health, and your learning

i'm just having fun

How You Know

Being a Noob

The Phase Change

Knowing about things is cheaper than knowing things

Entropic Thoughts

Blog about things you don't understand yet